Happy Birthday Jesus

I started practicing "Happy Birthday, Jesus" with Janey this afternoon. As you can hear, she is getting the hang of it. Now I hope she will sing it on Christmas night when we have Jesus' birthday cake at Nana and Grandaddy's house:))

Christmas Cookies

This year MV wanted to make Christmas Cookies. I told her weeks ago that we would, and got all the supplies (not slice and bake this time) together. Well, we had a "practice" run about 2 weeks ago, and I used too much margarine and the dough was too "wet", so we ended up doing drop spoon cookies, but still had fun decorating. This time I got REAL butter and was very careful to how much I used. The dough turned out perfect. Janey got a little "out of sorts" when MV started mixing, so I put her in her high chair with some flour. She "finger painted" with flour for a long time. All together we all had a great time and I think that we will start making REAL cookies as MV calls them more often!



MV using the mixer



Janey "protesting" the mixer sound


Working hard


This is much better


Flour beard


Janey did not understand the decorating...she just wanted to eat!!



Mary Varner did not leave one spot on the cookie without an inch of icing and LOTS of sprinkles


Some of the finished products

A Visit with Santa

We took the girls to see Santa Saturday night at Bass Pro Shop. We got there at 5:40 and as soon as we were getting up to the door all the people coming out told us that Santa was on his "lunch" break until 6:50. So, we decided to go get something to eat since by the time we waited on Santa to get back the kids would be starving and it would pass the time. Well, after we finished supper at a little pizza place in the shopping center, we walked back to Bass Pro. Santa was back but so was everyone else. It took us about an hour to get through the line, but Jim kept the girls entertained by taking them to look at the big fish tank and all the other "neat" stuff in Bass Pro while I kept our place in line. As you can see in the picture, Mary Varner LOVED seeing Santa, and told him she wanted a Princess Fishing pole(2 weeks ago she wanted the Barbie..Santa may have to do some exchanging) and a pink bath robe. Janey was saying "Santa up" the whole time we were in line ( meaning up in Santa's lap) and I would ask her if she wanted him to bring her a baby and she would respond "baby Maw-wee". She calls all babies (real or fake) baby Mollie. She was excited and totally fine until I put her in his lap and walked over to the side. She started SCREAMING!! She calmed down as soon as I got her back, and as we were walking out she said "Santa up" and waved bye-bye!

Counting down

8 days til Christmas, Mama!! Mary Varner really is getting excited about Christmas! She gets up every morning and puts another Nativity figure up on her Advent calendar and then tells me how many more days are left. This is the first year that she REALLY understands and remembers Christmas.

Christmas Tree

We put our tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving. The girls were SO excited about the tree this year especially Mary Varner. She is old enough now to remember last year and the only thing she was confused on was why it was not Christmas day yet. She thought that if we put up the tree then it must be Christmas day. I explained that we put it up a few weeks before to enjoy the "Christmas Season". I look at our tree and laugh because we only decorated from about waist up because Janey kept pulling ornaments off, and then what is decorated MV would put four ornaments on one branch and only in certain areas. Needless to say there are lots of ornaments in some spots and many "holes" in others. I like it because it shows what "season of life" we are in!! Janey has gotten better at leaving the tree alone now that we have had it up about a week or so. Every morning when she comes into the den, she points at it and says "tee".

This and That

Fun, Fun, Fun....


Thanksgiving Luncheon at Mary Varner's preschool



Giggles and Grins



MV first time bowling at a friend's birthday





Painted mustaches

Trick or Treat

We took the girls trick or treating around our neighborhood Sunday evening. Mary Varner was a Butterfly Fairy and Janey was a pumpkin. When we first started getting dressed I did not think that Janey was going to wear her headpiece or pumpkin shoes, but once MV encouraged her she did. They both enjoyed themselves, and Janey even got the hang of it. She would say "teet" (treat) when people opened the door. I put a little makeup (blush, lipstick) on Mary Varner and she kept showing people her lips. Mary Varner got just as excited once we got home and she handed candy to the kids that came by our house too. I was very please that we had very nice and wholesome costumes that came by our house...MV tends to get scared easily!


Janey in meltdown over the headband and shoes


Ahhh...happy again


Sweet Butterfly Fairy showing off her lipstick


ALL loaded and ready to go


Trick or Treat...




On our way home....Janey is DONE!!!

First Stage Performance

Mary Varner had her first ballet "stage performance" as she called it Friday night. She was VERY excited for Jim to see her dance for the first time with her class (he is at work during her normal practice time). I did not know what to expect since she had told me over the summer that she was not going to get on stage and dance in front of people. Well, she stalled a little in the beginning, but soon started up and did the dance very well! We were VERY proud! (Tried to upload video but it was too long..will e-mail to grandparents and also try to post on facebook)

Excited and waiting for the dance to begin


Janey hanging out having a snack before the show


Her performance was held at the Fair, so after the dancing we ate some fair food, MV got her first cotton candy, and pony ride. The pony ride was just as big of a hit as the dance was. She talked about riding that pony the rest of the night. They also had a small petting zoo that we went in to feed some of the animals. Mary Varner loved it and Janey was very interested and smiled at them from a distance, but as you can see when the pig started bumping its head on her shoe she did NOT like it at all!

Vettes and Cousins

John, Rena, Ben, and Mollie came down for the Vettes at the Village show this past weekend. John and Jim entered both of their vettes this year in the show. We really had a fun weekend playing and hanging out together. Maybe this will become a little "tradition" for the Elder group!


Mary Varner holding Mollie when they first got here on Friday


John and Jim's Vettes at the show


Family shot


Ben and MV rolling down the big hill



Jim and his girls!


Janey "looking" for Mary Varner playing hide-n-seek


Janey "counting" while playing hide-n-seek


Mollie snoozing through it all


Janey checking on the "BA-BEE"


Rena jumping with Ben in the bouncy house at the pumpkin patch


Face Painting


Having FUN


MV picking out her pumpkin