Being a Fun Friend

Abby Jane's friend Anna Beth knows how to do it. The Kelleys were in town last week for the game, and we got to have a playdate on Friday morning. The girls all had a great time as always, and I was struck again by what a fun friend Anna Beth is. The girl is confident, creative, hilarious, and so kind. Abby Jane eats her up.

I stuck my head in Abby Jane's room to see what the two of them were up to, and they were basically playing dress-up with a huge tub of shoes they found in Abby Jane's closet.

Later, Anna Beth used a pillowcase to pretend she was in a potato-sack race. Fabulous idea.

Sweet little Katie is coming up on her 1st birthday, and she is a girl on the go with the twins. The three little girls tried to get in on the fun in Abby Jane's room until Shelley and I realized the big girls' style was being seriously cramped, so we moved the littles to the living room for some little girl time.

It was getting a little tricky to keep all five on the sofa for a pic... until Shelley thought of giving them ornaments- brilliant and Christmassy! Note the too-small summer sandals still on Abby Jane's feet...

Thanks for sharing time with us, Kelley girls! We sure love y'all! OH, let me mention that I intended to make some treats to send home with them and didn't get around to it. Shelley shows up not only with freshly made gingerbread cookies, but also muscadine jelly from muscadines they grew this summer- what a treat!

The Best Parade

The Cartersville Christmas parade was Thursday, and it's one of my favorite things we do all Christmas. It's perfect idyllic, small-town Americana PLUS Christmas- you can't beat it. The whole town turns out for it, and it's very well done.

We went to a BBQ about 50 feet off the parade route beforehand and got to see/meet lot of Gross family friends. Here's the whole gang, minus Paul.

Then the parade begins, and everyone, young and old(er), has the most fantastic time enjoying the Christmas spirit, seeing all the creative floats, local marching bands, lights, etc. Blythe and Joy both waved back to the people waving.
Luke was snug in Betsy's lap and got his full of impressive float-hauling tractors...
Abby Jane and Cade were big enough kids to stand right in front and get a front-line view as well as candy thrown and handed out. They had a ball!
At the parade last year, Blythe and Joy were about 5 weeks old and slept through the whole event in their double stroller in their carseat cozies. What a difference a year makes!
Leaving that parade drives home the fact that Jake and I are really small-town people in our hearts!

Christmas Cheer

I could just eat this kid up.

*Huge props to my mom- took a pair of consignment sale pantaloons that none of us liked, cut them off, and voila: cute vintage-y Christmas top (there's are old-school-looking smocked Santas across the front!)

Joy's news

She started walking on their 13 month birthday! Here's proof. Ignore my obnoxious my-baby-just-started-walking voice. I'm not too embarrassed because you know you've done it, too!

By the way, is anyone else having trouble uploading videos straight to your blog? I'd rather do that than link youtube every time!

Tis the Season

We got our tree on Sunday- it was classic... Jake and I approved it with each other, then Abby Jane goes, "Wait Daddy, hold it up so I can see." [walks around it, stands back] "That is a GREAT tree! Let's get that one."

After continuing our pizza on tree night tradition, Jake and I got to work decorating after bedtime so when the girls woke up...

it would be to a Christmas-sed home!

Abby Jane introduced them to the Little People manger scene.

We saved a few ornaments for Jane to do the next night...

and we let this year be Joy's year to put the angel on the tree!

One new part of our Christmas this year is our Jesse tree. Here it is with two ornaments on it. I intend to make real ornaments next year, but got too late of a start this year. So Abby Jane is decorating our ornaments after each day's devotional, and I think it's her favorite part!

Tailgate Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving with the Gross side was a tailgating day for the Iron Bowl...

Sandy had Auburn decorations out, and I used my Auburn plates...

Joy got some GiGi love...

Man time

Blue-eyes Joy with blue-eyed Bets

All the little cousins, including two darling beautiful second cousins in two not beautiful dresses. But we sure love them anyways... :) And I do have to give credit to their mom and dad for being awfully gracious that first half of the game.

All in all, tailgate Thanksgiving was such a fun way to do it, and I believe it will be a tradition as long as the Iron Bowl is on that Friday!

We gave thanks...

Thanksgiving Day was with the Elliott family, and we were all there except Jodi, Chris, and kids, who were with their Birmingham family. Mom made the turkey "talk" about eating up fruits and veggies as she stuffed it- Ashley and Abby Jane thought it was hilarious.

Jake did the honors with the turkey, and of course we had to sample for quality control.

Consuming delight on a plate...

Scott, Abby Jane, and Ryan did a great job taking part in a devotional Mom arranged for us all to participate in, based on the verse, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise."

A few of the reasons we are thankful this year...

No Thanksgiving would be complete without a dessert "Boo-fet" from my fabulous Aunt Boo- had to include a picture of her beautiful pumpkin pie- the maple cream was delish with it!