Christmas Time

We had a great time over Christmas visiting with lots of family and friends. We started out on Christmas Eve going to David's parents' house in AL. We made sugar cookies (which I got to sprinkle with candies to my heart's content!) and unwrapped gifts with his family. Then, my parents headed to our house on Christmas night. My aunt and uncle came down on the 26th with my cousins and we had a good time being with them. Now, we're recovering and eating lots of salad!


Watching Grandmother frost the jam cake

Uncle Michael and Aunt Jennifer (David's sister and her husband)

Aunt Trish and Granddaddy

Celebrating 4 month birthday on the 26th (sorry - out of order)

Hanging out with Aunt Carol

Mimi put this bow on my head!

We always do some singing with the Stribling side (love it!) :)

Lucy destroyed a sufficient amount of tissue paper

Cousin Elizabeth and Boo

Uncle Bruce, David, Aunt Carol, and Bug

Singing along

Loving on Pops

eating the stuffed animal Mimi and Pops gave her - everything is starting to go in the mouth

Now I'll look at you

Under the tree

Loving on Mimi

Just hanging around the house

The Bugaboo and Her Parties

Little Bug has had a big weekend and we captured a few events on camera. First, on Friday she went to visit my school for the first time. Unfortunately, I couldn't corral my camera and her at the same time, but she was very smiley and the teachers and kids enjoyed her. I felt sorry for all of the teachers whose kids I was really disturbing in the hallways. Between her and Santa arriving at lunchtime, the day was pretty much shot!

She also went to a party with us that night with some of David's colleagues at Emory. We had to scoot a little early because it was a little late for her, but that night she slept from 10:30 until 9 AM!! Woohoo!

Yesterday, we spent a lazy day at home baking and wrapping some gifts in front of the fireplace. I was in my pjs until 1 PM and then in them at 6 Pm - good day! We spent the evening watching Elf and ordering pizza - perfect!

Today, she made her second trip to church. I was going to put her in the nursery, but there was only 1 worker and already two crying toddlers, so I didn't want to add to the mix. She did well through the service and got a little antsy during Sunday School but overall, we thought she was pretty great!



Watching Daddy peel apples for apple cake

A front view

With Mommy in our pjs (please disregard my lack of make up and hair fixin')

After church - yes, her bib is on - it's just too dangerous without it!

Up close and personal

one daring pic minus bib

Weekend Happenings

We had a busy and fun weekend this weekend. David's parents came in town to watch Butter Bean while we went to our friend, Katie Gilbert's wedding. She and her family are from Wilshire in Dallas and Katie has been living in the Atlanta area for the past few years. I was close to her younger sister, Mary Beth, while she was in the youth group at Wilshire and now she is getting married in June! Time flies when you're getting old.. She loved being with the grandparents and stayed happy for most of the evening.



We had our Sunday School Christmas party on Sunday night. Audrey came along and she did great! She was happy and even fell asleep while we were there. She did sort of lose it on the way home in the car and crashed about 9:15, but she slept until 7:30, so fun times for all!



Today my friend Kelly from work came by with her son, Keegan (they were in the Halloween pics in October). We had a good visit chatting about all of the different things the babes are into now, and it was fun to listen to all of the sounds they are making now.







me and Mary Beth

Katie and Matt - she looked beautiful!

another angle - her dress was lovely

the cake

our teacher, Dr. Gushee, loving on the girl - he is a big fan of babies and wanted to be first in line to hold her - she kept smiling at him

With the finger instead of the bottle

Keegan and Audrey - Kelly was holding a toy up in front of them so they wouldn't cry. They are starting to hold themselves up a little bit better with the support of pillows.

I think Audrey's expression in this one is so funny and I caught a Keegan smile!

A Few Pics

Here are a few pics from the past week with the babe. She's such a sweet thing!

Helping Daddy with his work

Pops came to see us last weekend between work trips - Audrey is showing off that she does own more than just pink clothes - she also has purple!

She was also trying to help cheer on the Clemson Tigers, but it didn't work (again!)

Disappointment

Do you know what disappointment is? When you decide you need a little chocolate, so you decide to make a cup of hot cocoa. I picked the kind with mini-marshmallows, but I decided I needed a few more. I just bought a bag the other day, so I opened them up and poured a few in. I bought the colored ones because I was thinking if I make some Rice Krispy treats for students, that would be sort of fun. I'm so excited - bring the warm beverage to my lips, buffered by those little pillowy puffs and discover that the marshmallows are...wait for it...fruit flavored!!!! Who makes fruit flavored marshmallows? Who thinks that is a good idea? And, to top it off (no pun intended), I turn my DVR'd Martha Stewart show on and guess what she's making with Claire Danes - peppermint flavored marshmallows! YUM!

But if you think I'm making homemade marshmallows, no way. I'll just stick to the itty bitty ones in my packet of chocolate.

Grrr.

Preview

Here are a few Christmas pics - the ones in the red dress were for our Christmas card, but they didn't make the cut because they were a little blurry. I still think they're cute though, so I'm posting them anyway.


Loving that thumb

Happy girl

Sticking her tongue out at Daddy - a favorite activity

her first candy cane - from Aunt Cindy and Uncle Gary

Lovin' life

Thanksgiving Gatherings

We got to see a lot of family over these several days and it was great! Audrey got to meet some family members for the first time and see others once again. She did pretty well with the traveling and changes in schedules for the most part. Her noise machine came in handy so she could nap pretty much anywhere and she even settled down in the car seat! We were proud.



Meeting Uncle Gary for the first time during the Clemson/Carolina game. He was great at keeping her calm, but despite their cheering, it didn't work out for the Tigers! :(

On the play mat with Grandmother King

Modeling her new Thanksgiving bib from Grandmother and Granddaddy King

Modeling her new hat

Meeting Aunt Sharon - another great entertainer - she's got 3 girls of her own so she's pretty experienced!

We stayed at two nice lakehouses in NC - the view from the house

Part of the Carter clan - here we're unwrapping gifts for the girls from our Aunt Carole. She had taken tablecloths from my Granny's house and turned them into aprons for all of us. Audrey even got a bib that matches mine. We'll post pics of these soon.

A special meeting - Aunt Lois had never met Audrey before. Sweet.

Audrey with Granddaddy King.

Weekend Hoopla

This weekend, we took a little road trip to see our friends, Jake and Erin, who live about one hour away. Yeah, Audrey still hates her car seat. Can't wait until that Thanksgiving travel starts!!


Between change of clothes and spit up

Blue headband look

Gotta love the flower bigger than her head - feels like she should be named "Tallulah" from New Orleans

Visiting with Erin