The Joy of Love: Generations

"Generations" was the title of the next assignment. I have kind of sat on this one for a couple of days because I realized that I don't have many pictures of my kids with their Grandma and Grandpa Moore. We need to change that. Next time we get to spend some time with them, my sole mission will be to take some amazing photos (or at least just some photos) of Brian's parents and our kiddos!! In the meantime, here are some pictures of Mersadie and Braden with some of their "generations" from my side. Enjoy!

This is a picture of me and my Grandma Yearta.

My mom (Mimi) and the kids!

Mersadie and her GG (Great Grandma Yearta).

My dad (Papa) and the kids!

This is Grandpa Charlie with the kiddos. Grandpa Charlie is my "adopted" Grandpa - he holds a special place in my heart and it's always fun to spend some time with him and all of the York family when we can!

The Joy of Love: What they Love

The assignment this time was really supposed to be "Who the Love". "They" being the love(s) of my life. Instead of trying to fit in all the people they love in this post, I decided to change it to "What they Love". Although there are a lot of things my loves love, these are the things that happened yesterday that I was able to photograph. Enjoy!

Mersadie "LOVES" ice cream. Yesterday, chocolate was her favorite flavor when asked. Sometimes it's vanilla, sometimes it's pink, but yesterday it was chocolate and that is what she got!! I love this little girl so much! I "LOVE" discovering all of her loves and am so blessed to be her momma!!

Yummy!!

Braden "LOVES" all of Mersadie's toys! Especially when she is playing with them! Here he is enjoying some "Sadie's toys time" all alone before she comes in and finds him!! Braden LOVES all sorts of things these days! Just yesterday he was LOVING watching the birds by the ocean - he just squealed with delight. As with Sadie, I LOVE discovering what he loves and am so incredibly blessed to have him call me "momma" - which I'm pretty sure he LOVES to do! ;)

Brian "LOVES" to read!!!! And this Kindle was one of the all-time best gifts for him! He reads EVERY DAY - 8 books so far this year!! I am so blessed to have him in my life. He is a magnificent husband, father and God-chaser!!!

The Joy of Love: Love to Hate

There is a photographer that I came across who is doing a "Joy of Love" challenge for the month of February. Every day she gives you a different thing to photograph. I got in on it on day 5 and the topic is "Love to Hate". The assignment was to photograph the one(s) you love doing something you love to hate about them - the picture doesn't have to include people every time, just as long as it covers the theme. I don't really like that this was the assignment I came in on, but the pictures to follow are of my loves...minus Brian - you'll see what his photo is. I am going to be doing the assignments every day, but you may not see them posted daily. I might post a bunch on the same day.

My biggest "love to hate" with Little B these days is the fact that he is 15 months old and the first time I gave him Lucky Charms cereal, he figured out that the marshmallows are the best part and now picks through and eats all the marshmallows and discards all the grain on the floor!!!

I "love to hate" that Sadie won't give me a real smile anymore! She always has to be silly for the camera!!

I "love to hate" that Brian leaves his clothing/shoes RIGHT where he takes them off. The only thing that doesn't bother me about this particular pair of socks being right in the middle of the floor was the conversation I heard surrounding why they are there.

Sadie: "Daddy, take your socks off."

Brian: "Why?"

Sadie: "Because I have mine off."

Brian: "Oh, okay!"

Sadie: (a few minutes later) "Here comes the tickle-bug!!"

Brian and Sadie: Laughter and Squeals!!

My heart is happy to have those socks on the floor RIGHT where he took them off! Best Daddy EVER!!!

I couldn't "gripe" about what my family does that bugs me without sharing something that bugs me about myself: I HATE laundry!! It's a never-ending cycle. I like it when things have a beginning and an ending. I feel accomplished that way. Not the laundry. NEVER done. Anyway - here is the laundry that I have been doing in stages. It got washed and dried. Then it sat in a basket in the laundry room. Then I took it upstairs and dumped it on our bed. Then it stayed there for a while until I folded it. Then I went to do something else and FINALLY put it away. I have another load waiting downstairs for me!!

Mersadie These Days...

Oh my! Miss Mersadie!! This girl is 3 1/2 going on 13!! She's such a hoot these days. One minute she is sweet, the next she's sassy! She drives me wild - in both good and stressful ways. All that said, I wouldn't trade her for ANYTHING in the world! I love this girl - she is smart, beautiful and fun, fun, fun!!!

Sweet Sadie!!

Sassy Sadie!!!

And you can tell both of these faces happened withing mere seconds of each other by the way she has her hands! I'm telling you, life is not dull in the Moore household!!

Visit With Santa

We braved the mall one week before Christmas to take Sadie and Braden to see Santa. We had a surprisingly short wait for the week before Christmas. While we were waiting in line, I took a few pictures. Sadie is really into making silly faces these days. Braden is just chillin' in the stroller while sissy is silly! Enjoy!

The picture I took with my camera. For his first time visiting the "Jolly Guy", Braden did very well! No screaming baby! Sadie told Santa she wanted a Buzz Lightyear and Woody. She also told him that Braden wanted socks.

The official 2010 picture with Santa.

The Building of the Gingerbread House

About a week before Christmas, we had family fun night at the Moore house! It started with homemade pizza and then we built a gingerbread house. Sadie was so excited to do this (note her face in the picture below). We had a blast, but in the end it looked like what I imagine a "Charlie Brown Gingerbread House" would look like if he ever built one. Enjoy the pics.

Ready to get started!!

"Whoa, the roof is going on!!"

Carefully placing the star candies on the roof.

Now for the gumdrop lined roof.

Braden couldn't help us build the house because he was too little this year, but surprisingly enough, he was able to eat the gingerbread - no milk or eggs in it!!! Here he is deciding on his plan of attack...

I wasn't surprised by his choice - head first!!

"Ta da!!" Finished product!

These gumdrops slowly disappeared in the days after the house was built. Not sure who could have eaten them ;)

Our humble abode!!

"Oh Christmas Tree" 2010

We (by we I mean Sadie and I) set up and decorated the Christmas tree this evening. This has never been one of Brian's favorite things to do (although he LOVES the finished product) and that is okay with me because I'm a little particular. Brian has always helped by bringing in all the stuff, but when it comes to the decorating, it has always been me. Until this year that is. Mersadie really got into putting the ornaments on the tree. She was thrilled to help and I was thrilled to have a helper. Even if it did mean that I had to let go of the "symmetricalness" of the ornament placing.

Here is the finished product. Mersadie wanted to know where the presents were.

Mersadie's placement of many of the ornaments. All in one place, all in front, all about the height of her shoulder.

Another shot of how close Sadie liked to place her ornaments together.

The "old" me would have moved those to different spots on the tree once Sadie went to bed. The "new" me is letting them be because they were placed there by my VERY excited daughter and I do not want to squelch that spirit!!

Although I love the tree, my favorite part of this evening was when I was cleaning up and overheard Brian reading to Sadie in the living room. It was "Piper's Night Before Christmas" by Mark Lowry.

So, so sweet!!