Birthday!

This, my 29th birthday, was filled with all sorts of fun. Eric took me to Mafiaoza's, my favorite pizza place, and then to Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb concert. Polly Jane slept through the entire meal, allowing me to eat hot food! It was treat. She didn't sleep through the concert. As I held her and paced in the back of the Ryman, I embraced the attitude "I'm so thankful to have a baby to keep quiet right now." Who knows when my cares will no longer be "Is my baby going to cry in public?!?!" The concert, as always, was absolutely fabulous - a good addition to our attempt at celebrating Advent this year.

My birthday morning I rushed off to get the kids and arrived to a huge plate of my mother-in-law's famous Mississippi Mud. Yum! That was my favorite treat of the day. We sped along to our friend's house for a little "Happy Birthday Jesus" party. I was in charge of the craft; it left much to be desired. Haven enjoyed it though, because she was able to eat a ton of gumdrops. Alexis even sang me a solo version of Happy Birthday - pum, pum, pum.

That night we ate some delicious leftovers plus cupcakes from my favorite cupcake store, Cupcake Collection. Eric had pre-ordered to make sure I got all my favorite flavors. (What a kind husband!) Oh! My present? A peach tree, already planted and re-planted. (Cows can knock them over, you know, so don't plant it in your pasture.)

That night we began our family Christmas celebration. Our immediate family Christmas is my favorite time of the season, I believe. It's just us with just our very few presents. We eat sausage balls and sticky buns. We take forever opening things. We play. We go outside. We eat more sausage balls. It's great.

Eric built a fire and made a huge bed for all of us on the floor. We watched the beginning of Elijah's new movie, Davy Crockett.




Elijah and Eric were the only ones who lasted all night. Haven was beside herself with excitement and could NOT go to sleep. She was just so happy to be sleeping in between us. She wanted to point out all Eric's body parts ("Eyes!!! Eyes!!!! Night-night eyes!!!! Elbow!!!! Elbow!!!! Neck!!! Neck!!!! etc.) I could not stop laughing at her. She was happily put in her crib soon after that. Good thing the boys are tough or all that blanket folding would have gone to waste:)