Lessons from my girls

So, Ava asks me EVERY night, "Mommy, why it's night-night time?"

To which I respond (EVERY night), "Because God made the day and God made the night. When it is dark outside, it is night and we are supposed to rest."

Not satisfied, Ava says, "Why?" (every night...)

Me: "We have to sleep so we can feel good when it's day time tomorrow." (every night...)

Ava: "Why?" (every night...)

We go round and round and I continually try to answer her question until she is satisfied.

Ellie never asked why very much. I keep going, but we have the same conversation (and sometimes if she wakes up during the night) over and over and over again. She'll get it one day...right??


On another note, Ellie has really been thinking and talking about dying lately. This was one of our conversations...

Ellie: "Ava, we are going to live a long, long time. Longer than Mommy. Mommy will die before us because she is older than us."

Me: "Well, that is usually how it happens, but sometimes unexpected things happen and younger people die."

Ellie: "Like what?"

Me: "Well, like car accidents. People don't plan to have car accidents, but sometimes they are bad enough that the people don't live. We don't plan to get sick, but sometimes people get sick enough that people don't live..."

Ellie: "Like Lista. She died before Tishie and Tishie is her Mom."

Me: "You're right. She had cancer and the doctors couldn't save her. She was too sick."

Ellie: "Well, Lista just died because God needed another angel."

I had nothing more to say...
You're right, sweet girl. He needed a new angel and He got a good one!!

Maybe a dusting, even up to an inch in places...

So, our "dusting" of snow that we were promised before we went to bed last night turned in to
7 1/2 inches!!!!! (and that's before the drifts)

It's a beautiful snow, all powder.
Perfect for skiing!

But since we can't ski here at home,
we made the best of it and played in the neighborhood.

Jeff built a snowman (with a little help from the girls), but I don't know how...
the snow is so powder"y" that it doesn't pack well.

Is this not the cutest little snow bunny you've ever seen?!?

And since Mickey Mouse is so popular around our house,
we thought it would be appropriate to make a Mickey Snow-Mouse!

The kids loved it!

Ava is still not too thrilled about walking in the snow,
but she sure enjoyed riding in the sled today!!
Our kids love the neighbors' kids and some of them came to play with us today.
A treat for all of us - they are all in school and play ball,
so we don't get to see them very often during the school year.

Snow and Buddies

Ellie and her Diz

Ellie, Lydia, and Avie -
Lydia is Ellie's best friend that she met at Mother's Morning Out.
Lydia and Ava could pass for sisters!

Lauren, Me, and Erin
so nice to have good friends
They also have 2 girls each, so we hang out a lot!

Christmas in Murray
Ellie took this with her new camera - nice.
I've cut my hair since then...see below. One side is waaaayy shorter than the other!

So, I think they missed the forecast a little...they predicted less than an inch, possibly up to an inch...AND WE GOT 7?!? Seriously? It's a beautiful day...should make for some great snow day pics!

Happy Birthday, Issie!

Issie opening her presents -
JD was not interested!

My princesses

Dad, Avie, Mom, Ellie, and Landy

Jeff and Me

Issie turned 6!

Tea partying
(notice her pinky - Landy taught her that!!)

At the tea party

More of the tea party

My mom made these - aren't they precious?!?

Ellie wasn't fond of the gloves!!

Somehow, I ended up with no pictures of my brother and very few of Elizabeth and Cathi - I have a few more on Ellie's camera, so I'll post those soon.

our snow bunnies

Ava, 2 years 3 months

Ellie, 5 years 2 months

I love these pictures of our girls. We had a blast playing in the last snow we had. Ava was NOT so sure about walking in the snow...it took her a while. Ellie didn't think the snow on her face was as funny as I did, but I love the picture!!

Ava is now officially potty trained! It took until about 2 weeks ago for her to finally poop in the potty, but she's a pro now! No accidents ever, except occasionally at night.

Ellie is now tying her own shoes and is VERY interested in reading. We're working on sight words and she is beginning to really understand how to sound out words.

My aunt Tishie is finally home again from Arkansas. Please continue to pray for her strength and good health.

Landy is in nursing school and has this semester and one more to be finished.

My mom had surgery on her foot - left overs from the wreck they had over 3 years ago. She's doing well. Just trying to rest and recover now.

Dad is doing great! His hip gets better and better (after a long recovery from getting a rod put in his hip - also a result of the wreck) and he is out and about doing all of his projects as often as he can.

Pray for my sister-in-law. She is having a biopsy done on a spot that has been bothering her.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

Our Christmas, 2009

Oh, I could post hundreds of pictures from our Christmas this year. It was wonderful! My mom and I decided it was the best Christmas so far!! Here is the somewhat shorter version of some of our highlights...

So, my girls really don't care much for the "real" Santa. They like the idea, but refuse to sit in his lap. We got to go with some of our friends to have "Dinner with Santa", and Santa was nice enough to sneak in to this picture...of course once the girls figured out he was behind them, they were GONE in a flash!! I wish I had their reactions on camera, but I was so worried about rescuing them that I didn't snap a pic.

Our good friends we went with...notice Ellie is keeping her eye on Santa!! :-)

ET...phone home!

or it could be, I Spy a naked little girl named Ava!

The girls both had a little stomach bug, so Ava was playing Dr.

We got to celebrate Tishie being in remission, so we all put our hats on and went out to eat, then to a movie.

What a great night! Good company, good food, good news, and a great movie - Old Dogs.

My mom found Ava in her front window and she said,
"I watch my Dizzy to come!" She was so ready to see her cousins!

The cousins at Nonee's

One of my favorite pic of the girls this Christmas,
although I say that about every other picture of them!!

Christmas at Nonee and Poppa's was a HUGE hit!
Scooters for everyone!
I laughed so hard my stomach was hurting watching them ride in circles.

The grandkids in their jammies

When you push a button, Santa sings and dances. Ellie used to be scared half to death of him, but loves it now. This was one of my Grand-daddy's favorite Christmas decorations!

Christmas at Nannie's
I could kick myself...I did individual family pics of everyone, but we didn't get a big group picture this year...oops

Tishie with my brothers' kids.
She was feeling so good that day!!

My Tishie and me

I LOVE this one!

Ellie helped me make the cake that you'll see farther down in the pics...
(so did my mom, but it wasn't as cute to have a picture of me and her working on it together!!)

My Mom and Dad and Nannie came Christmas Day to our house.
This is the first year since Jeff and I have been a family for us to be home on Christmas Day and I was so thankful my parents and Nannie could come!! A new tradition at the Hughes house!

Avie showing Nannie her "Chicken monks" card!

Ellie was pretty excited about her new camera from us!

Something I never dreamed I would see...
my Dad brushed out Ava's hair after her bath.
They are so funny together - she loves her Poppa!
He does things with my kids that I don't remember him doing with me. Singing silly songs, combing out Ava's hair... Not to say he didn't enjoy being a Dad, he was just more worried about putting food on the table and carting us around to all of our activities...he is LOVING every minute of being a Grampa!

My cake. (with the help of Ellie and my Mom)
Paula Deen's peppermint cake.
I made one last year, one this year, and plan on doing it again next year!

My Avie and me in Murray

Luke, Meme, Ellie, Rosie, and Ava

Ellie is so proud of her "baby that looks like her"!
She changes her clothes ALL the time. When Ellie puts her pj's on, so does "Ella"

Decorating "cookies" (aka iced graham crackers) with Issy and Lydia (Ellie's bff)

BFF'S

Issy's first time ever to have Redi Whip squirted in her mouth...
that's common at our house!!

Headed out to see the Chipmunks Squeakuel!

New Year's Eve
(toasting with Ginger Ale!!)
Ava said, "Say Chairs!" (aka cheers)

Issy, Ellie, and Diz with Grandaddy Randy
Ava and Meemaw

The little girls in front of Nonee and Poppa's fire.