Happy Thanksgiving family and friends! I’m attempting to move away from Social Media, but wanted to have a way to share family updates and pictures, so I’m bringing back the blog (after a 9 year break)… or at least, it’s my plan today!!!

We celebrated Thanksgiving November 2nd! We knew this would be a year for just our family to be together and we were itching to move forward!! We didn’t want to miss a yummy meal together or the time to be thankful though, so we just changed up the calendar. We enjoyed a great meal and sweet time together! And then decorated for Christmas!!! It worked for our family to do something new this year so we didn’t focus on what we were missing out on!

So, it’s Thanksgiving Morning and I’m waiting on the repair man to fix my refrigerator (it’s just a normal Thursday here in Italy). Chad and the girls are sleeping in and then Chad will head to work to spend the day with the single soldiers in the barracks. I’m going to take the kids out to lunch after we do a little school. This is a treat because restaurants are only opened at lunch! So, I’m very thankful this morning that we did celebrate Thanksgiving early.

I’m thankful that I miss our family and traditions because it means they are worth missing! And it gives me hope to look forward to next year!!! And the hope that we together!

This is our third year doing the Jesse Tree! It has been such a blessing to our family!

The kids eagerly anticipate the Bible Story time and it helps us focus on the Reason for the Season!

Here is some information, if you are interested:

Part One:  What is a Jesse Tree, etc

Part Two:  How we do it at our house…

Part Three:  A link to all the Jesse Tree Posts and devotions

And a couple of  pictures (totally unrelated)…

Christmas Pajama Buddies

Proof they have cute Christmas Clothes is about all I can say about this one….

Elf on the Shelf

Our elf, Silly, has been quite lazy the past few years.  Last year I found him in mid January hanging out where he had been since Thanksgiving.  He is trying to do much better this year!!!

Here are some of Silly’s journeys so far:

• Turned the milk green
• Booted Santa from the Christmas Train and was driving across our kitchen table
• Took an Elf Bath
• Put Charlie’s underwear all over his pirate tree
• Was caught using the Guest Bathroom and of course he had used too much T.P.
• Propped the pillows up and watched TV all night

Tonight Silly has already gotten into position and is roasting marshmallows over a candle!  Silly fella!!!

Here are a few pictures of one morning with Silly

Here is Silly relaxing before the children discovered him—

And this is what I found just a bit later!

I guess the girls like to eat “elf bubbles”!

Charlie is SERIOUS about not touching the elf, but the girls don’t quite get it (or just don’t care)!!!

You are smiling, aren’t you???

This is a new tradition this year, but one the kids love!  We have a gazillion Christmas books (50 actually) and usually I just pull them out and then I read the same ones over and over and I have a feeling some years I don’t read them all.  I saw a great idea on Pinterest, where you wrap 25 books and each day a book gets opened and read.  I loved it, but tweaked it for us!  I wrapped 3 sets of 16 books each, making a total of 48 books wrapped.  Each child has 16 books to open between now and Christmas.  Each child has their own wrapping paper and the books are wrapped according to “age/level”, so each child gets the most appropriate books for them.  We open books on days that we need a little something special and I know we will have time to sit down and read them all!

The books under my tree!  The best part about this is it looks like we have presents under our tree!!!!

The hardest part was wrapping 48 books, especially, since most of them were paperback!

They were so excited!  It made it worth all the effort.

I really want to make this Christmas special and to say things are tight this year is an understatement!

So, this is a perfect solution!  Free, Educational, and Special!!!!

And, of course, you can see another tradition we do…. ELF on the SHELF!

Snuggling with a Baby – – Priceless!!!

“The Fancy Lunch”

We had our second annual “Fancy Lunch” this past Sunday.  I got the idea from my Aunt Melanie and just love it.  We had started buying the kids an ornament each year, but I’ll admit we had forgotten a year or so— it was always just an afterthought!  BUT, not anymore!

Every child gets a wrapped ornament that symbolizes something special to each child.  The lunch is served on our fine china and we eat dressed up and talk about proper etiquette.  (We have it on a Sunday, just to make it easier for us).

Last year Charlie got a Buzz Lightyear ornament, MK got a red purse (because she had just gotten her first purse), and Carsyn got a Baby’s First Christmas.  It was fun this year picking out each child’s ornament.

Too busy on the phone to stop for a photo opportunity!

She  loves her Princess Paper!!!!

He was secretly hoping it was a toy, not just an ornament!

Carsyn loved her Minnie Mouse ornament (symbolizing her first trip to Disney)!

Molly Kate loved her Ariel ornament!!!  Surprise, surprise!!!

Charlie loved his Dinosaur Ornament too!

Carsyn and Mommy

Chad and the big kids! (that food looks disgusting)

I hope the kids continue to look forward to this each year!

I have missed blogging!  My computer died completely ONE WEEK after having it fixed.  Some of our dear friends gave me an old one they had, but didn’t have the password for.  So after about a month off with our friend Scott, the computer genius, I have rejoined this century!!!!

Since my last post in JULY, a lot has happened and I won’t even try to catch up on all  that I have missed sharing.  I don’t know how often I will have a chance to blog, but we will see!

A FEW HIGHLIGHTS (that are on this computer)

Disney WORLD

It was HOT, but the BEST week of my life! I am already dying to go back!  It is truly the happiest place in the WORLD!

Getting ready to close the park down the last night!  Even the baby loved it!  AND Matt Buddy too!

First Day of ECHO (our Homeschool “School”)  We LOVE Thursdays!

My 31st BDAY!  Lunch at McDonald’s after Echo!!!!

Apparently, Carsyn was not digging the matching outfits!

A great weekend in the mountains with Grammy and Papa

Pretty and Handsome in PINK!

Charlie sang at church

Field Trip FUN!  The best part about Homeschool trips is that the whole family gets to participate!!!!

We have played outside a LOT this Fall!!!

We have cheered for the DAWGS!

Enjoyed rare moments without kiddos!

Happy Halloween!

Chad and Charlie got to go to their first game together!!!

Since my computer broke AGAIN 2 days after having repaired, I am now just adjusting to being computer-less.  Chad is out buying a 2nd battery for our vehicles this month, so I have the computer for a bit.  I am working on VBS plans and wishing Chad’s computer worked with our printer (which is apparently a casualty in the whole situation).  Oh my, I sound negative! I need to look at this picture for a minute and get a better take on life!!!  🙂

I will share a few more things:

1.  We are going to Disney  in a week – WAHOO!!!!  MK is preparing by caring Minnie with her EVERYWHERE!!!

2.  Don’t you love MK’s big bow???  I do and that is all that matters.  She ALSO loves a bow and makes sure Carsyn always has one in too! I got several  big bows for 2.55 a piece last week at Serendipity’s big sale.

3.  Thanks GG Dolly for the girls’ dresses.

4.  Some Charlie funnies:

• After getting in trouble a few days ago, Chad questioned his behavior.  His reply, “I am sorry I was being a tornado, like Molly Kate.”

VERY True — Yesterday she gave me a beautiful DISNEY mural — Disney stickers all over my hardwood floors — so pretty!

• Charlie told MK, ” She better stop listening to Satan and listen to God”
• Charlie told me  “Molly Kate loves to color (as she is coloring EVERYTHING with her bath crayon- the walls, herself, her siblings). She just COLORS and puts GOD last!!!”  I followed up with him the next day and asked how he knew this.  He said (SERIOUSLY), ” I can just see it right here”  as he pointed to his heart! Where does this come from.

5.  The other night we took a walk after dinner.  Chad was pushing the girls in the double stroller and I was holding CC’s hand.  He twisted his ankle 200 yards into the 1.5 mile HILLY walk through our neighborhood.  Chad carried him on his shoulders and I pushed the girls.  It was quite a workout and not the fun walk we had planned.  Charlie complained about not being comfortable and told Chad he was just so tired!!! Seriously – he rode while his Daddy carried him in the 90^plus temp and he was tired!!! DRAMA!!!

6.  MK is learning some new words and expressions.  Her favorites to use are, “I  help” (which means help me), “No cat” so the cats don’t come inside, and she loves to do roll call at bedtime!

 

My mama always told me you never know who is watching you — so you better behave!

My granny always said to look your best because you never know who you will see?  (She learned this the hard way after getting in a car wreck while in her pjs taking her kids to school!)

Well, I was totally unprepared to meet my FIRST Love at Publix this morning!

Curious, who it was???

See if you can guess???

1.  If you are in your thirties – you probably shared this same love???

2.  He can act, but not so sure about singing — Sorry, no NKOTB!!!

3.  We watched him and his sister grow up on 2 of the most popular TV sitcoms EVER!!!

4.  Did I mention they are BOTH incredible CHRISTIANS – why I was MOST excited to meet him????

5.  Recently starred in a Christian Film that made it BIG TIME!

I am sure you know by now —

KIRK CAMERON!!!!

I won’t tell you the whole embarrassing story, but know that I did giggle and want to TEXT and CALL everyone I knew and I did shamelessly peak around aisles as he shopped for an hour at Publix.  I was so flustered, that it took me 3x as long to shop!!! Who can blame me???

Here is a shot with some friends and I with KIRK CAMERON!!!

AND – FYI – I did welcome him to LaGrange and invite him to church, but I really do wonder why he is here????  Any ideas???

Hallelujah!  Praise the LORD!  My computer is back and healed (well, kinda, but good enough!)  I am uploading the 400plus photos I have taken since “her” illness and recovery!  I just wanted to share this DARLING picture of my babies from a few Sundays ago 🙂

AND this is proof that miracles do happen!!!  All 3 smiling and looking forward!!!!

But, of course there were smears on the lens — nothing is perfect!!!!

All 5 Cottles were well and at church today! WAHOO!!!  I even made it to ADULT Sunday School!!!  I tried to capture the cuteness of my kiddos before we left — FAILURE!!!  Anyways, I will still share because they are proof that we were dressed for church!!!

Probably the BEST of all THREE kiddos!

And the runner ups ….

Best of Molly Kate!

Best of NO ONE!!!

And

The Best of Charlie!

He is such a turkey about not looking at the camera.  I fuss at him for being the oldest and at times the hardest to photograph!