Just Love

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, 

for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8

Valentine's Day...My absolute favorite! The only reason I can think of why I love this holiday so much is that it's all about LOVE! Of course your mommy loves the colors too...red, pink, and all the colors in between. The chocolates, candies, crafts, and love letters are other reasons I can think of. But a day dedicated to love makes your mommy's heart almost beat out of her chest the whole day! Ever since I was a little girl I would play with babies and pretend to have a family and a beautiful home to live in. God has blessed me with all of my dreams as a little girl! I love my family so much! Family is such an amazing thing...your extended family with grandparents, cousins, and aunt and uncles not forgetting awesome friends we consider family but my beautiful family that God has given me is what keeps my heart beating. Daddy, Alexa, Addi, and Ella! I love...love and everything about it...so why wouldn't this day of LOVE be my favorite?

Addi Grace, at school you didn't have a party that parents could go to, but mommy went to your class to help participate with a craft. We made love bugs! We also brought your awesome teacher her Valentine Gift. Mommy went to lunch one day and asked every student in your class why they loved their teacher? I told them it was a very special surprise for Valentine's Day and to my surprise no one told our secret! So it was a huge surprise! I wrote all the reasons they love your teacher on a heart and signed their name. We decorated a box and called it a "Heart Attack"! She loved it so much she cried!! Mommy cried too and so did your principal who peeked in to watch!! 

Ella Jo, we gave your teacher the same gift but mommy didn't upload any pictures to computer. I will save them in our family album...

I don't think I'll ever forget this moment!! We all LOVE this amazing teacher....what an awesome job!

Our beautiful LOVE BUGS

We made heart shaped bird feeders and gave them to your principals and counselor for this amazing day filled with LOVE! I sure do hope they all know just how much we do LOVE them! Your wonderful school wouldn't be what it is without them all....

After school my sweet Valentine's came home to a decorated sidewalk and porch filled with hearts and came in to a Valentine dining room filled with balloons, chocolates, cookies, and cake! I hope all of your days are filled with the most beautiful thing we could ever offer....LOVE~

Let The Good Times Roll

Mardi Gras 2013

We used to always go the Mardi Gras festivities but as the crowds get larger and a little crazy we decided to wait till the little girls got a little bigger. What fun we had this year and I don't think we will miss another Mardi Gras. Ella Jo, a few days after we celebrated you asked if you could go back to Mardi Gras. It was so cute because you thought Mardi Gras was just a cool place to ride rides, face painting, yummy food, and catch tons of beads from beautiful floats all lit up playing fun music to dance to in the street!! Mommy had to explain the importance of Mardi Gras. It is a fun time to be had but there is a beautiful reason behind it. Preparing for the biggest sacrifice ever made. 

Alexa Rae, you ate with us but stayed with a friend to have your own teenager fun! You stayed for a concert and from the stories you came home and told me you had a ball. 

THROW ME SOMETHING MISTER...

Addi Grace, your momma couldn't believe how you let go of all your shy bugs! You jumped up and down, danced to the music, yelled at the floats, and simply had the best time! Next year we will have to bring a back pack for all our awesome beads. Fun Fun Fun is what we had on this night! Can't wait till next year. Thank you Lord for the most amazing gift you could give us. I promise as a mother to raise my girls understanding completely the significance of this beautiful time~

One Act Play and Fifties Day

SMASH

This year my talented Alexa was chosen one of the leads for UIL One-Act Play. The name is Smash, a British comedy set in 1910. You play the part of Henrietta and couldn't be more excited and honored for this role. Your mom thinks it's pretty cool because your great grandmother's name was Henrietta. What a beautiful name! The last part of your Christmas break you decided to have your cast over for some pizza and brownies and a little rehearsing. After going over the script you all piled in the living room and watched My Fair Lady to practice on your British Accents. 

After school practices several weeks of critiques and Saturdays in the theater paid off! Y'all prepared for this from January to April and advanced to Area! The first zone my angel you knocked the judges socks off and was awarded UIL Best Actress! Mom cried for days....I think you did too! When advanced to District you were awarded All Star Cast! So very proud but I always knew you were an actress! You are getting ready to show the play to the public and I can't wait to post pictures! 

The Hippo Hop

Celebrating the 100th day of school your class had a Hippo Hop! Mrs. Williams had Fifties music playing, you danced, and of course had root beer floats! Fun times at this awesome pre-school! I have enjoyed this year so much because mommy knows that after this year when you move up to Kindergarten we are thrown in the real world of public school. No prayer before lunch or snack, more kids in the class, and state testing. Right now we are simply having fun and learning while playing. Mommy is excited for every new chapter and looking forward to all the fun we will have but I'm just enjoying the more simple times we are having this year. What an amazing pre-school you have been in and I'm soaking it all in~

Goodbye to the Season

Wrapping up our Christmas Season

For several years now we have ended our Christmas Season going to the festival of lights. Ferry ride, going to our favorite restaurants, bundling up, hot chocolate, smores,  and beautiful lights just to name a few things we look forward to each year. 

My angels, you have asked me what my favorite holiday is and I love every holiday but my most favorite is Valentine's Day! How can that beat Christmas? My answer to that is simple, I think of Christmas as a season! Not just a one day holiday to celebrate. We start the day after Thanksgiving and our season goes into January. We consider our Christmas Season over once we celebrate with the Festival of Lights! 

Daddy and his girls walking on the Sea Wall headed to Bubba Gumps

Lex and Ella Jo

My sweet girls had so much fun on the ice sled! Ella and Lex, y'all both immediately wanted in on the fun. Addi Grace, you were a little hesitant on the ice sled. You waited until you saw how much fun your sisters were having and then decided you could handle that! I'm glad you did my angel...each one of you had a blast!

BEAUTIFUL LIGHTS

Mommy doesn't know what's better? The way smores taste? Or the way they smell?

It sure is fun making them though....

One of the best parts of the cold is snuggling together. Holding those cold little fingers, trying to warm them, is one of mommy's favorite parts! 

Once again we had so much fun at the Festival of Lights! Sweet Russell family memories that I will lock up tightly in my heart. I have to admit though that when we walk out of the festival and into the parking lot my heart gets a little heavy. I know that we will go home, pack away all our Christmas decorations, and wait till next year. Although I can't wait for every Christmas season it seems it's coming faster and faster every year. I do wish that would slow down a little. Saying goodbye to the festival of lights and Christmas...Looking forward for what's to come~

Merry Christmas To All

Christmas Eve we spend with the Russell's. Mommy makes her usual red velvet cake balls and we go to Aunt Rhonda's and play with all of our cousins that have expanded so much in the last 3 years! Lots of toys, yummy food, little giggles, good family, and precious memories! I love our family so much girls and your daddy and I both hope we pass down the importance of family.

Addi lost her 2 front teeth so of course mommy had a shirt made..

."All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth"

After Christmas Eve with the Russell's we come home and decorate our gingerbread house. Some candy is tasted before used as decoration but still turns out beautiful. Mommy buys the gingerbread house a few weeks before Christmas and there is such excitement and anticipation by the time y'all decorate the  house y'all are so excited!! 

Next tradition for Christmas Eve is making sure all of our visitors are fed. Especially Santa, but we can't forget the reindeer that get him here so we feed them special reindeer food that will sparkle to make sure they don't forget our house! Addi Grace, you were finished feeding them in about 2 seconds. you dumped a little bit out of your bag and was ready to go. Ella, on the other hand, you made sure you covered our whole front yard and made sure it was spread evenly! 

My precious angels mommy can remember hardly being able to go to sleep on Christmas Eve. I know the excitement and magic that is in your hearts. I absolutely cherish these magical times in your life. I can't think of any better magical moments than Christmas....

While new toys are being played with and put together mommy gets everything ready in the kitchen. I start my cooking for Christmas with Dee Dee and at Popaw's. This year at Dee Dee's house y'all were surprised with your American Girl Dolls! Dee Dee knew exactly the ones y'all wanted. Ella, McKenna and Addi, Rebecca! I love the excitement and awe that was in your eyes when you opened your package!! I don't think the new members of our family have been put down since!!

Next stop is Popaw's house! Mommy's excited because there are new members to this family too! every year this family is growing! So much fun to play with cousins with all your new toys and share Christmas Joy! Every year keeps getting better and better....

What a beautiful Christmas we had! 

Merry Christmas 2012

Preparing for His Birthday!

Surprise from the North Pole

We woke up one morning to find that our elf, Sparkle, brought magic elf seeds straight from the North Pole and that we could share with Ella's class and their elf, Flower! We couldn't wait to get to school on this day to tell everyone of the magic elf seeds!! Sparkle left instructions for us to sprinkle in the bowl she brought along from the North Pole too. We told all of Ella's class of the surprise and couldn't wait to plant all the magic seeds to see what we would find....

All night we talked about what was happening in Ella's class...what was Sparkle and Flower up to? We know they are good friends at the North Pole! The seeds are planted as instructed and we had to all go home for the night and patiently wait till the next day to see what would bloom?? Some friends said trees and Ella thought flowers? Maybe candy?? We were not to sure till the next day and we finally saw what had bloomed....

That silly Santa and Elves! It bloomed yummy Christmas Tree Cakes!! Ella's precious class of sweet boys and girls got to enjoy Christmas tree cakes straight from the jolly ole fellow himself! Thank you Sparkle for bringing them to us and letting us know they were for Ella's class! We know you and all of your elf friends have so much fun preparing for this beautiful holiday all year! What a fun way to get the Christmas spirit going!

Ella's Christmas Program

Come they told me Pa rum pum pum pum

That was the beautiful song we would hear you sing my sweet Ella Jo for weeks before your program! Christmas has passed a couple months now and you still sing that song! What an amazing song to sing with such powerful lyrics. Our finest gifts we bring, To lay before the King, So to honor Him. Once again, your mommy was very proud and of course I had my tears swelling in my eyes watching you sing your sweetest Christmas carols. My sweet Ella, at your precious age of four, you had such belief in your eyes knowing that the words you were singing were coming straight from your heart to your King's ears and I'm so very proud of you my angel! 

Mrs. Williams and Ella

North Pole Breakfast

What a fun party to plan and decorate!! Mommy discovered that it works a lot better if we decorate for parties the day before so when I arrive at your party I can relax and take pictures! We had so much fun decorating with Mrs. Williams and you were such a big help Miss. Ella Jo! You decided where everyone was sitting and set there place mats up perfectly. Mommy's and Daddy's had a yummy coffee station and the boys and girls had fun at the Hot Chocolate Station! We had North Pole signs for your place setting and again, Flower brought another surprise from the North Pole! She's such a clever little elf! She brought donuts to help celebrate your North Pole Breakfast and they were such a big hit!! 

You had a book exchange and was so excited of the book you got! You couldn't wait to get home to read it! The anticipation of what book you will get is so cute to watch. Listening to Mrs. Williams read the book and passing when you heard Santa. Getting excited when you had a book in your hand wondering if that was the book you would open?? Such fun my angel. We also had a Photo Booth at your party! We took pictures of each boy and girl and I can't wait to get those to your teacher! 

Addi's Christmas Party

At the beginning of your party, your class did a sweet program of songs and told a beautiful story but you, my sweet shy girl, did not want to take part. Every night you said your part and practiced. Your mommy was praying your shy bugs would not take over....but oh how they did! You stood by your friends and you were ready till you saw parents smiling back and then, you took your seat and decided to watch instead. Mommy's still proud of you my Addi Grace! Being shy is who you are! Mommy is for sure not shy but I know that is one of the beautiful traits you get from you daddy and I just happen to adore both of you, shy and all!! Your party was so much fun! We all ate a yummy breakfast, exchanged books, and played with friends before taking your two week break from school! 

One of my top three favorite things of Christmas is seeing all the awesome treats you made to take home! Ornaments galore and keepsakes to treasure forever! I love opening our decoration boxes the next year and thinking back of the last Christmas and all of your crafts made! Christmas to me is not just a holiday it's a complete season! I have my favorite holidays and one is coming up soon but my all time favorite season is Christmas! After all....it truly is THE BEST TIME OF YEAR~