The close of this year has been a whirlwind couple of weeks/months, but so so blessed and good all the same. We have stayed on the go, but have truly savored each moment spent with family. What special memories...the kids at this age. Finding myself wishing I could just stop time here lately...
We spent Thanksgiving morning/lunch in Bartow with the Jordan's, Todd's, Fennell's, and the Hall's. We enjoyed spending time with family members we don't get to see quite so often...and especially enjoyed sharing memories and photos of our sweet Aunt Patsy, who went home to be with the Lord just one year ago Thanksgiving week. Oh, how we missed her presence this year.
Matthew
Kate on the swing set at Magnolia Mornings
Watching the train run through town
Grammy & Matthew
Beautiful Magnolia Mornings
We left Bartow late afternoon and headed back to Augusta for Thanksgiving dinner at Grandmama and Grandaddy's.
The kids getting "treats" from Grandmama
We got our tree up a little early this year, seeing as Thanksgiving came late in the year. We had major artificial pre-lit tree issues this year. It finally bit the dust. Not sure what kept happening, but each time poor Joe managed to get MOST of the lights back working, we'd wake up the next morning to even more lights out. :( Time for a new tree.
Kate and Rachel in their matching PJs in front of the trouble tree
Kate helping decorate
We all got together for the Wallace White Elephant Christmas party the first weekend in December. Always such a fun time!
Opening gifts...poor Kelly was about to pop
Tequila Paige!
Papa scored a pink tool set
Everyone showcasing their gifts hoping for a swap ;)
We went to our neighborhood Christmas Party, where Santa also happened to show up! He was an awesome Santa. Very patient with our screaming kiddos. We have not exactly reached the age yet where we actually appreciate Santa... :/
Sweet Greer and Mary Harper
Will could not get enough of Santa. He LOVED him this year. Joshua was a little timid at first, but quickly followed suit.
And then....came our family. The boys were just not into it.
Help us!!!
Roasting marshmallows
We took some cousin Christmas pics:
This was Kate's first year singing in the "Share the Light" service at church. We have a TON of kids in our church! They sang "Away in a Manger" and "Angels We Have Heard on High." Too cute:
Kate is right in the middle in a green dress
Kate's precious classmates with Jessica...my sweet friend and fellow "room mom" ;)...and also Hadley's mom. They had just finished playing a game where they dressed up the moms in snow gear. I have somehow failed to get a good pic of Kate with her precious teacher this year, Mrs. Head. We sure lucked up this year with her. She has been a real blessing...Kate really loves her, and it is so easy to see she truly loves what she does.
Christmas with the Todd's:
Julee & Kate
Parker & Julee
Mattie's face...lol
Family shot
Love that Aunt Julee
New hat from Grandpa
Kate's fav gift
Opening presents with Grammy
Opening presents
Grammy and Grandpa gave the boys their own toolboxes complete with tools of their own! John opened up his tools and went straight to work on our fridge. lol
New MagnaDoodles!
Super Mattie!
Also this year our family was blessed with the BEST Christmas present ever. A new baby. Caroline Leigh Hughes was born December 20...our first baby niece! Another precious, precious blessing. Oh how sweet to snuggle a tiny newborn again!
Kate has been enamored with Caroline. She is beside herself over having a real life little girl cousin.
Will and Joshua are proud big brothers...especially that Joshua. It is all he can do to contain his excitement around that sweet little baby girl.
Thank heaven for little girls!
Will and Joshua got new camo pants for being new big brothers.
\
Ummm....how much longer are y'all gonna make us wait?!
Cousin pic redo's once Caroline got here:
Kate was not happy in this picture because she was not the one holding Caroline.
Happier here when we moved Caroline over to her lap. Notice Will's face. He was not happy that we took the baby away from him ;)
Cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve
Christmas Morning Chaos
Christmas Morning...ha, just noticed Matthew crying in the background. We have been having some serious terrible two moments in this house lately. No telling what sparked this one.
Christmas at Grandmama and Grandaddy's:
Grandaddy playing "Santa"
We finished off our year with a visit to Lights of the South last night (Dec. 30)...the last night they are open until next year. Great way to "say goodbye to Christmas!"
On the hayride
Love my sweet family
This has been one heck of a great year. As the kids get older I am finding myself on many more occasions just wishing time would simply slow down. So funny, since I have been guilty on many counts of wishing time away in the recent past. Those sleepless, ever-so-exhausting nights just this time two years ago...seem light years away. We get these kids all to ourselves for 18 years. We are already 4 1/2 years into those 18 years with Kate. My goodness how it flies.
So what's up for 2014? Kate will begin 4-K in the fall at First Baptist Augusta and the boys will begin 3-K. Since Kate's birthday is in September we will have an extra year before having to send her to kindergarten. At this point in time I am truly grateful for that extra year ;) I think about sending her off to kindergarten and get the biggest lump in my throat. Oh help me, Jesus! We are also planning to take Kate for her first Disney trip this year. I am really excited about that. She doesn't know it yet ;)
Signing off 2013 with some precious words from none other than...Taylor Swift?! Not exactly my fav artist, but pretty sure I can't put current feelings into words any better than she does here:
"Never Grow Up"
Your little hand's wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light
To you everything's funny, you got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
I won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart
And no one will desert you
Just try to never grow up, never grow up
You're in the car on the way to the movies
And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off
At 14 there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out someday and call your own shots
But don't make her drop you off around the block
Remember that she's getting older too
And don't lose the way that you dance around in your pj's getting ready for school
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
No one's ever burned you, nothing's ever left you scarred
And even though you want to, just try to never grow up
Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone
So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
It's so much colder that I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on
Wish I'd never grown up
I wish I'd never grown up
Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
I could still be little
Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
It could still be simple
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
Won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
And even though you want to, please try to never grow up
Oh, don't you ever grow up
Oh, never grow up, just never grow up
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light
To you everything's funny, you got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
I won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart
And no one will desert you
Just try to never grow up, never grow up
You're in the car on the way to the movies
And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off
At 14 there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out someday and call your own shots
But don't make her drop you off around the block
Remember that she's getting older too
And don't lose the way that you dance around in your pj's getting ready for school
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
No one's ever burned you, nothing's ever left you scarred
And even though you want to, just try to never grow up
Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone
So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
It's so much colder that I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on
Wish I'd never grown up
I wish I'd never grown up
Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
I could still be little
Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
It could still be simple
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
Won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
And even though you want to, please try to never grow up
Oh, don't you ever grow up
Oh, never grow up, just never grow up
A very happy, blessed, and prosperous 2014 to everyone!
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