Memory packed Holiday

I will warn you, this is going to be a long blog. We packed a lot of things into five days.

Wednesday I got off at 2:00 p.m. and I went to the church to decorate. I had a migraine, but I tried to ignore it as I hung up wreaths and set up the advent wreath and nativity scene in the sanctuary. After I had done what I could do of the decorating of the church I picked up the girls. We were supposed to be meeting Aunt Becca, Aunt Sheila, Uncle Quint, Caden, Meemaw, and Paw-Paw at Olive Garden for dinner since we would not be together on Thanksgiving. I had been looking forward to this all week and was so excited about getting to eat the portabello ravioli. Well as soon as I got home my migraine made me sick so I just went in and laid down on the couch and watched the girls play. About twenty minutes later Joe got home. I told him I could not go, but that they should go. He told me he was not going to leave me alone so we called his family hoping someone could take the girls because Josie was so excited to see everyone. It turned out that they couldn't and she got so upset. She kept telling Joe that she was supposed to go to the "Garden." Then she informed Joe that "God made it that I'm supposed to go to the Garden." (Whenever she asks me questions about why things are the way they are, most of the time my response is "That's the way God made it.") He felt so bad because she was so upset he told her to make it up to her that he would take her to work with him the next morning. So at 5:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving day I got Josie up and dressed her in layers and sent her to work with Joe. She made some friends and got to see some deer and turkey. I went back to bed after they left and when Lol and I got up we sat on the couch and flipped through three channels watching parades. Neither of my girls are big TV watchers but she sat beside me on the couch for a straight hour watching the floats and getting so excited about the "horseys." After Joe and Josie got home we left to go to my grandmother's for Thanksgiving lunch. We stayed most of the day and the girls had a great time playing with their cousins. After the girls went to bed that night Santa came and decorated our house. I, I mean Santa, worked several hours decorating each room. I then wrote each girl a letter from "Santa" and put it in their toy mailbox. Josie knew that Santa was coming that night to decorate and when she woke up the next morning she was so excited and yet disappointed. She was excited about the decorations but disappointed that she had not gotten to see Santa. They were super excited about their letters. Josie's already looks like it is a 100 years old where she has had us read it to her so many times. She has also enjoyed finding Frosty every morning. Frosty is our elf on the shelf (a stuffed toy that moves each night and reports to Santa on if the children are being nauty or nice.) Frosty is more a snow angel than the creepy elf on the shelf you find in stores. After everyone was up we decided to go out for breakfast and then to head to Marvins to buy our tree. After finding the perfect tree we took it home and the girls helped Joe take the netting off of it so that the limbs could settle. That afternoon was the Iron Bowl (Alabama v. Auburn game). It was a close and very stressful game, but ROLL TIDE!!!! Saturday Joe had to work so after the girls were up we headed to Wal-Mart and then we had a birthday party. That evening we headed back to the church to hang up the wreaths on the outside of the church. After that was done we walked through the park and to the Dairy Queen. It was a beautiful night and the Riverwalk is just an amazing place with the old timey looking latern posts lighting the path. After dinner we rode around looking at Christmas lights. The girls would fight over whose side had the most lights. That night both girls were alseep within five minutes. Yesterday Josie and Jolie had their first practice for the Christmas skit at the church on the 13th. I think it is going to turn out sooo cute. Then during the service Josie got to walk up front with Other Mama as Other Mama and Lauri did the advent reading and lighting of the candle.

Thinking about these past five days makes my heart overflow. All the memories we made with the girls and family traditions that the girls will be able to look back on when they are older. December is fully of family traditions for us and it is just an amazing thing to pass down things that you loved doing as a child onto your children. We still have to decorate the tree once the limbs have settled which should be in the next day or two, we have the night advent services at church, Christmas on the Coosa, the living nativity in downtown Wetumpka, the lights at the zoo, the Christmas Eve service, Christmas parties, and spending time with family and friends. Most years I'm stressed about all of this, but seeing how much the girls are enjoying everything is making this year not so stressful. Plus we will be getting the most awesome Christmas gift, a baby niece coming any day. I'm also not as stressed because our advent service last night really hit me this year. It was a mediatative service and at one point the lights were out with only candles lit up front and it was the most beautiful scene. It was peaceful, it made me think of the night that Christ entered our lives and forever changed the course of history. It reminded me to stay centered and to make sure that amoung everything else to pass down to my children the love of God not only to them but to all of his creatures, great and small.

Weekend at Grammy & Emmie's

We left Thursday night around 6:00 p.m. to head to Grammy and Emmie's house in Panama City. The girls did really good riding down there and Jolie fell asleep maybe about 20-30 minutes away from their house. Of course once we got there around 10:30 they were ready to play. Friday Grammy and Emmie had to work so once we got up and dressed we walked over to their work. They both work for the foster care system for Florida and so it was like trick or treating for the girls. Everyone had goodies at their desk for the girls. They walked away with Tinkerbell megaphones, a a handmade quilt a piece, stuffed animal (both dogs), and balls. They loved it. After that we rode down the strip and then ate lunch. After lunch we played a round of putt-putt. The girls were too cute. We actually played at a place I remember playing as a girl. Jolie's method was to take the ball and place it right beside the hole and then try to hit it it. Both of them were so cute to watch. The place was decorating for Christmas and so that made it all the better. We got to walk over candy cande bridges and play to Christmas music. After putt-putt we went to a little store to buy hermit crabs. Joe has always wanted more since he had one as a child. So we found a pretty cage decorated with a Dora piece and then they picked out their crabs. Josie picked out one that had spider man painted on the shell, and Jolie picked out one that had dragonflies painted on it. So now Spider Man and M.J. have joined the Burdick family. After that it was back to Grammy and Emmie's for naps. After naps and dinner we went and walked on the beach. We saw shrimp, crabs, a jellyfish, and heard lots of fish jumping. After that we went to Pier Park and the girls rode the carousel that used to be at Miracle Strip (an amusement park they tore down a couple of years ago). Again, it was neat for the girls to be riding on something I had written on as a child. Then they wanted to jump. They had these trampolines with bungees cords so you can jump really high, yes my 3.5 and 2 year olds wanted to jump. So we let them. These are just pictures of them in the harness because we could not get any while they were in the air.

Jolie:


Josie:

The loved it. Both smiled and laughed the whole time. Saturday we had Thanksgiving and played on the playground. We left Grammy and Emmie's around 2:30 yesterday and got home a little before 7:00 p.m. We had a great time and it was just a good family get away.

Christmas Pictures

I finally have the Christmas pictures in. I am so excited (as Josie would say) to be able to share these with you. They turned out soooo good, and my girls are just beautiful. They didn't send me all of my pictures :(, but I will be sending them out to everyone as fast as I can.

Pictures with Santa

Okay, I know I was just talking about not passing up Thanksgiving, but here are pictures of us with Santa. Joe and a co-worker went to Bass Pro Shops last night, and Joe wanted the girls and me to meet him there. So as soon as I got off work I picked up the girls and went straight to Bass Pro Shop. Well as the girls and I walk in the greeter makes sure to let the girls know that Santa is there, so of course we had to go see Santa. Jolie refused to sit with him by himself or with just her and Josie so again we have family pictures with Santa and then one of Josie and Santa. You will never guess what Josie asked Santa for--- jelly beans and a sucker. Man she is easy to please. They also have lots of free stuff for children to do, so the girls had fun shooting the nerf guns and driving the remote controlled cars. They were also amazed with the all the decorated trees. This year is going to be so much fun because Josie finally has an understanding of what is going on and if you have met my girls lately, monkey see monkey do. Everything Josie does Jolie insists she gets to do, so I can't wait for all the fun December has in store for us.

Blessings

The holiday season is approaching fast, and I am not sure that I ready to deal with it. Josie has already been talking about Santa and Thanksgiving has not even passed us yet.

Not a whole lot has been going on in the Burdick household lately, but enough to keep us busy. Last weekend (the 7th & 8th) we went to Santuck (a huge flea market)and the girls loved it. Josie kept calling it Santucky. That evening we met Rebecca and Angie for dinner and then went shopping at Sports Academy. Sunday we had Sheila's baby shower for Ansleigh which went really well. Sheila and Ansleigh got lots of pink stuff :) Then this past Friday I took the girls to Joe's course when I got off work. They love riding around the golf course. Daddy's work is much more fun than Mommy's work. We even saw some deer which then had Jolie calling for deer the whole rest of the night. Josie kept trying to tell her that they had gone to sleep but Jolie just wasn't buying it. Saturday morning Other Mama and I took the girls to the Sonshine Park at Mulder Methodist. The girls had a blast. Then we had their Christmas pictures made. The girls did sooo good. We only had to retake two photos. I can not wait to get them in which should be on the 23rd. Last night Mary Kelley, Tim, Jesse, and Catie came over. The girls love having friends over. We leave this Thursday evening to go to my mom's for the weekend. We have not been down there in a year and a half and she has moved since we've been down there last, so it will be nice to see her new house. My dad had surgery on his other knee this morning. He just called me and he is out and the surgery went well. However this knee was worse that his other where he had been favoring it all this time, so I think the healing time will be a little longer. We also have a precious neice that should be gracing our presence sometime between now and Christmas. I can't wait to meet her and we pray that she hangs tight for a little while longer (she is due on Christmas Eve), but the doctor is thinking she will come early.

Mary Kelley and I will be working with the kids 5 and under for their Christmas skit at church. It will be during the service on the 13th if anyone wants to come. It will be really simple and short becuase it will be kids ages 1-5, but still they are contributing their part to the Christmas festivities at church.

Well as I said before the holidays are approaching fast and I feel that sometimes Thanksgiving does not get its full credit. Please everyone take the time to remember and thank God for all that you have. Joe and I are so blessed. We have been married for almost 8 years now with two beautiful girls. We both have jobs, a roof over our heads, vehicles to drive, shoes on our feet, food to eat, wondeful loving supportive family and friends (too many to list everyone by name), a great church family, and a God that loves us and has chosen us to be his own. With the economy it is, it reminds us that we can not take anything for granted. Our neighbors have lost their house and it has gone into foreclosure, so many people have lost their jobs, children are going to school without proper winter attire, and I could go on and on. Sometimes we get bogged down with all the negative things that happen in our lives, but stop and try to start looking at the positive. It is such a better way to look at life. If you are receiving this please know that I am so thankful that you are in my life and we love you.