what's yours?

Just a few random pics from this past week...and a question at the bottom. :)

Baby Maddox went home on Thursday...and had to turn around and go to Children's Hospital on Friday! He had a little bit of jaundice and needed to be under the bili lights.

:( A little sad to see him with the eye cover on! He didn't really mind though.

To keep the girls from having to focus on their new brother being back in the hospital, I went and grabbed them and we went to the local Christmas Parade, explored downtown with all the cool lights, and went to see a movie. It was freeezing outside, but we had a lot of fun! Reegan even said on the way out of the movie, "For a while I completely forgot that Mommy and Maddox were at the hospital!" Mission accomplished! :)

Saturday evening, Michael and I took dinner to a very bored Catrina and ended up staying for a long time just talking and laughing with Tammy, the nurse. (HA! inside joke...sorry!) :) I got to feed Maddox another bottle and was going to hand him back to Catrina when she asked if Michael wanted to hold him. He pretended to protest and say no but I knew him better than that...

He totally enjoyed holding Maddox! :}

Now Maddox is back at home and hopefully will not need to go back to the hospital again!

This week we have finally had a combination of good weather plus healthy bodies, so we got to be outside for a while Monday afternoon and today.

He looks so old here! We were kinda freezing.

Our Poppy Dip dress arrived!!! And we LOVE it!! I am very excited because it was even a little bit big on my middle child, which means it will also fit on my oldest. Later I will get her one of her own. This little girlie above has enjoyed talking about Darya, the little girl that the money from this dress went to in order to bring her home to TN from an orphanage in Europe. She will tell you that no one gives Darya any hugs or kisses and that she just stays in her crib all the time - but that because we helped just a tiny bit with all the money needed to bring her home (and because God provided all the rest!), Darya will soon get all kinds of hugs and kisses and be held all the time! :)

My oldest, who I somehow do not have a picture of from this week...(hmm...will have to fix that tomorrow!)... asked after we discussed the Poppy Dip dress if she could give some of her quarters from the "Tooth Fairy" to the family who is bringing Darya home. I just love her sweet and tender heart! :)

This is from today. It felt great outside...except for the wind that was blowing soo hard! It was good to be out in the sunshine though. My baby is still figuring out his bike. If he starts on a tiny bit of a slope, he does great. If he has to put much force into the pedaling he gets discouraged and stops. Oh well, he's only two - he'll get the hang of it soon and be riding circles around the girls! :)

So, are you crazy busy getting ready for Christmas? Or are you one of those people who was done preparing back in the fall? I did that. Once. It was GRRREAT! as Tony the Tiger would say! :) Somehow I haven't done it since. Go figure.

Anyways, my friend, Rebekah, mentioned on her blog that her family went for a drive to look at Christmas lights in their pjs the other evening. This is one of my own favorite Christmas traditions from growing up, along with going to the Christmas Eve service at church followed by getting to open one present (usually new pjs!) before going to bed, making and decorating Christmas cookies, and having family, extended family, and might-as-well-be family over for Christmas dinner.

Which brings me to my question. Well, actually, it's two questions.

The first question is...who is reading my blog?? I know a few people who regularly check in...but that cannot add up to all the times my little counter number goes up! I would love to hear from you and what you are thinking after you read one of my posts!

Second, what was your favorite Christmas tradition in your family when you were growing up? Is it something you still do today with your own family now? Or have you started a new tradition that you love?

So leave me a comment and let me know who you are and what your favorite Christmas traditions are! It's not hard! And I would love to hear from you - anytime you have a comment you want to make! So start typing! :}