Surprise "Personal" Day

If you have tweens, you know how hard it can be to surprise them. They typically have a "been there, done that" attitude toward most things. Thankfully, Miss Bailey isn't a typical tween and we are still able to surprise her from time to time . . . like this past Monday!! I got up early and got dressed (unusual for me!) and got Bailey ready for school. When it was time to leave, we all piled into the car and headed on our usual route to school. Bailey exclaimed when I didn't make that first left-hand turn, but I laughed it off and told her we'd turn around once we got to the main drag. Nope! We turned in the complete opposite direction and then told her she was taking a "personal" day from school and we were going to Asheville to see the AMAZING gingerbread houses at the Grove Park Inn. She was so excited!! So, we made a quick stop at the gas station for a fill-up and a traveler, and off we headed for one of our favorite towns. It was a beautiful day! We started our adventure with breakfast at The Corner Kitchen, my favorite breakfast place in Asheville! Then it was off to the Inn. Here are some of our favorite gingerbread houses.

Pictures of the kids to follow . . .

Christmas Memories

I can't believe it's only a few days till Christmas. The tree is decorated, the gifts are wrapped, the treats are baked, and I am working very hard to put my mind and heart where it should be this time of year. Every year, I face the same struggle. I rush around like a crazy woman buying gifts, baking goodies, wrapping, decorating, preparing, and preparing, and PREPARING! Preparing so much, I fear my head will explode, my arms will fall off, my legs will stop working. But this year, I made a conscious effort to focus more on the spirit of giving and focus on the birth of Jesus, and I've done pretty well . . . until this week, when I feel the weight of last-minute gift procurement and I pray that I have instilled in my family some of the joy and peace of Christmas.

Morgan with her leaping frog (hilarious!) and Bailey with the reindeer cookies we make every year!

Bailey letting Morgan smell the fresh herbs at Walk Through Bethlehem and Bailey with this year's (epic fail!) gingerbread pile!

Party Frocks

Last night, we went to a family Christmas party so I took that opportunity to dress my girls up in their finest. Little did I know how completely stunned I would be when Bailey walked out of the bathroom! She looked so grown-up and glamorous . . . I was completely overwhelmed! Little Bit wore her new snowman smocked bubble that I just completely fell in love with. The best part? Her sparkly blue shoes that are just too cute for words! It took Morgan a while to warm up to the party, but once she did, she had a great time. We all ate way too much delicious food and even more delicious desserts . . . the caramel cake and gingerbread cookies were my fave. Merry Christmas, babies!!

See you soon!

Turkey Pot Pics

Yes, we're still alive, but Miss Morgan is so very busy all the time that I rarely get to sit and blog, but Chris took the kids to the store, so I'm taking this brief moment of peace to post a few pics that I just took today. We had a bit of a nontraditional Thanksgiving this year. Sadly, it was because of sickness. Morgan got sick on Monday, Chris got sick Tuesday morning, and by early Wednesday, I had caught the dreaded stomach bug. Fortunately, Bailey never got it, but my sweet Mama did, so we never got to eat our traditional Thanksgiving dinner with them. We had hoped to get together today, but mom still feels puny and didn't think she was up to a get-together, so Chris fried the turkey and packed some of it up to take to my parents along with pumpkin & pecan pies, Christmas Ketchup (cranberry relish), and onion souffle. Mama sent over cornbread dressing casserole and pretzel salad, and we celebrated separately but together.

Last year, we propped Morgan up in the turkey frying pot and took her picture. It was so funny!! So, this year, we did the same thing! Notice what a difference a year makes!

We made the best of it, but we're all praying for a illness-free Christmas! Here are a few more turkey pot pics!

I'll try to update more regularly! See you soon!!

Halloween Recap

So, on my other blog, I posted pictures of the crafts and cooking I did during the month of October, the most glorious of all months! Since this blog is devoted to the little Lemmons in the house, I'll post some sweet pictures of Morgan and Bailey and the things they did this month.

Our sweet little lady bug at Trunk or Treat.

Morgan's first popcorn at Trunk or Treat.
Bailey, the gypsy, at Trunk or Treat with her friend, Halle.
Bailey & Morgan and friends at the Halloween Party.

Happy 1st Birthday, Sweet Samuel!

Our sweet nephew, Samuel, was born a month after Miss Morgan, so today we went out to the farm to celebrate his first birthday. It was such a beautiful day and we all had a great time eating, talking, chasing the young 'uns, taking lots of pictures, and enjoying the warm, breezy afternoon. Four of the five Lemmons families were represented today so there were lots of kids running around. Morgan only slowed down a few times, mostly to play with Abby, Samuel's English Mastiff. She's a great big hunk of a dog, but she is so sweet and docile, and let Morgan play all over her for quite a while. It was so cute to watch!! And you may think that the appropriate attire for a day at the farm is overalls and perhaps even boots, but you'd be wrong. It's actually white pants and a top festooned with ribbons!! A girl has to look her best even when she's rolling around on the ground with dogs!

A majority of the Lemmons family - Chris is holding Morgan, Scott (orange shirt), John (on Chris's right), their grandmother, dad, and stepmother, with assorted kids!

Morgan had a blast wallowing with Abby!
Bailey playing big sister to sweet Eliza
The birthday boy, Samuel, with his own little cake!
Morgan and Samuel checking each other out in the front yard.
Sweet Morgan's pumpkin photo op.

See you soon!!

Pumpkin Patch Magic

I am sooooo terribly behind in my blogging. We've actually gotten back to our old routine of busy-ness and I am so thankful that I'm able to participate! My knees are a bit problematic due to arthritis (boo!) and I've already had cortisone shots in both of them. But I've wearing a knee support every day and I have already lost a few lbs. so I am hopeful that I will be back to my old self in no time!!
Anywhoo, we went to a new pumpkin patch/corn maze on Sunday and had a blast!! We hadn't been to one in a few years but now that Morgan is 1, we decided it was time for her to experience some of what our glorious fall season has to offer! She had a blast and Bailey did, too! Bailey orchestrated several beautiful photo ops and Morgan toddled around checking out all the newness of the farm. She loved the pumpkins and tried her best to chew on their delectable stems, but someone was always there to thwart her plans! The corn maze was the best part and Bailey & I had so much fun pulling the ears of corn from their stalks and forcing the kernels off the cobs so we could pelt each other with them. It takes a truly cool mom to throw corn kernels at her daughter and allow that same daughter to throw them at her!! :D We finished the day with a mini corn of ice cream made right there at the farm - the perfect ending to a lovely fall day!
See you soon!!

Party Hearty!!

Yesterday, the day I'd been planning for weeks finally arrived!! Morgan's first birthday party!! I tried really, really, REALLY hard not to get stressed about it because, after all, it's only a birthday party and it's not like we were inviting the president or Martha Stewart or anyone who is hyper-critical! OK, so I got a little stressed out!! But we had a great time with our friends and family, and Morgan was an absolute angel! She loved the polka-dot balloons and trying to walk in those big ol' tennis shoes. Chris fixed delicious hamburgers and we had lots of accompaniments. It was a gorgeous day with a nice breeze, so we really enjoyed being outside. The tent we borrowed from John & Kelly was perfect - I attached balloons to it (LOVE those pink polka dots!) and the photo garland I made with pictures of each month of Morgan's life - it really turned out cute! After Morgan's cupcake trial run on Friday, I couldn't wait to see what she did with her little baby cake - she LOVED it! She went at ti with both hands and ate quietly until it was all gone!! It was so sweet! I knew she'd never finish in time to open gifts, so I took care of that and she got some great things - cute clothes, fun toys, and some pretties. It was a wonderful time to spend with the ones we love!!
I'll post more pics tomorrow!!

See you soon!!

HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY!

Happy Birthday to our sweet Morgan!! I cannot believe it has been a year since our precious little "bonus blessing" was born! I never thought I would be able to be a new mom again at nearly 40 years old, but Morgan has brought out the best in all of us! We have enjoyed every milestone and are so thankful to have such a happy, healthy baby.
Her party isn't until Sunday, but we celebrated a little bit today. She wore her "happy birthday" dress (& looked ADORABLE in it!!) and her new tennis shoes. After supper, she devoured her very first cupcake with gusto! She'll have no trouble with her little cake on Sunday!! I'll post some party pics on Sunday (after my nap!!) Happy birthday, sweet Morgan! We are so looking forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you!

See you soon!!

Remembering September 11 . . .

I remember September 11, 2001, almost like it was yesterday. The day started off like most other days did at that time: Chris was at work; Bailey, who was almost 9 months old, was in her high chair after having had breakfast; and I was in the kitchen with her, fixing my own breakfast and watching "The Today Show" on the little black and white television I had on the counter. I was watching intently just as the first plane hit the first tower. The newscasters were stunned and obviously shaken, as I was, too, as I thought, "What a horrible accident" until the second plane hit . . .

While my family did not personally know anyone who died in the attacks of September 11, it is impossible not to be affected by the tragic events of that day. Everyone who died that day was someone's husband, wife, son, daughter, sister, brother, friend, co-worker, mother, or father. And while the death of a loved one is difficult and painful under the best of circumstances, losing someone in such a violent, senseless way must produce a pain that is impossible to explain and even harder to overcome. It is my prayer that the families, friends, and co-workers left behind in the attacks of September 11 feel the love, support, and prayers of those around the world who are remembering them and their loved ones today.

See you soon!
Angela

Circle G Ranch

Bailey, Morgan, and I had the most awesome time at the Circle G Ranch last week! We'd been trying to get to an animal park all summer but the only one I knew of was quite a distance away. Luckily, I stumbled onto the website for Circle G Ranch, which is quite a bit closer so we checked it out. IT.WAS.AMAZING! Bailey loved it - she told me it was the best day of her whole summer! You drive through the grounds in your car or ride their vehicle - since Morgan was with us, we drove our car. You roll you car windows down and the animals walk right up to check you out and eat food if you buy a bucket (or 3!). We kept the sunroof open the whole time, but we had to put the windows up when the emus came by because they are flippin' scary!! Here are some of our up-close-and-personal pics from the day!