Jesus Came to Save the Naughy & Nice!

These are our 2008 Christmas pictures! Once again, my friend from HS, Jeni Deason, made the Naughty & Nice shirts and tutus. My girls were actually her models for these adorable outfits on her website (http://carabellas.net/). THANKS Jeni!

Lori Moore, another friend from growing up, took the pictures of Claire & Anna (http://lorimoorephoto.com/). She has done our last several professional pictures. I was thrilled with the way they turned out! I will post our Christmas card on Christmas Day so be on the look out!

Also, just to clarify... neither one of my girls is truly naughty (although we all have the tendency!!). Claire & Anna are both very nice little girls! I knew when I was designing the Christmas cards that I wanted to incorporate the true meaning of Christmas into the Naughty & Nice theme. So I thought about it for awhile and it came to me! "Jesus came to save the naughty & nice". It's so true! When Jesus was born as a baby in the manger, he became human (still God at the same time) so he could be among us and eventually go to the cross and die an amazingly torturous death to save EVERYONE. He didn't die for just the good, loving, nice people of the world. No... he came for even the mean, the nasty and the naughty. Really, we are all naughty and in desperate need of a Savior. His blood covers our naughtiness if we accept his free gift of salvation!! AMEN for that! This is the true meaning of Christmas. Not Santa and gifts and the crazy hustle & bustle of the Holiday. Let's all SLOOOOW down and remember the amazing birth of Jesus and indescribable sacrifice he chose to make so we can spend eternity with his Father in heaven!

Anna's 11 Month Quilt Pictures

Anna is 11 months old! She is actually just a couple weeks away from her first birthday on December 21st! I was just telling Ben that it really seems like yesterday that I fell and broke my arm and went through labor & delivery just 12 days after the fall. I still can't believe I had a baby with a fractured arm in a sling. Maybe because it was such a memorable experience that her birth is so vivid in my mind. I remember so much more about Anna's birth than I remember about Claire's. Weird!!! Anyway... my sweet girl has almost completed her first year of life. It is such a fun time! She is toddling around all the time now and taking up to 10 steps or so at a time. Claire is definitely her biggest cheerleader! It's fun to see their interaction! Happy 11 Month Birthday Anna! You are our surprise baby and truly the BEST surprise I have ever experienced! Love you bunches Anna Banana!!!

I could NOT keep Anna sitting for her quilt pictures. She is a girl on the go and with a purpose!

A very squeezable face!!

Don't let this relaxed look fool you! It only lasted about .68 seconds!

A couple pictures of my girls in their matching outfits!!

Air Force Museum

Ben took off most of Thanksgiving week so he decided he wanted to have some one-on-one time with Claire during his time off! Claire really likes airplanes so he thought she'd enjoy the Air Force Museum so Ben, Papa & Claire headed off! Claire loved seeing all the airplanes and told me all about it when they got home! Her favorite part was getting inside the airplanes. We'll definitely be making a trip back!!!

I love this from behind picture of Claire & Papa walking into the Air Force Museum!

Ben & Claire walking out of one of the large cargo planes that is open to walk through.

Inside on of the cargo planes!

Claire loved Papa sitting behind her in the airplane!

Papa helping Claire out of the plane!

The pilot with his little co-pilot!

The next several pictures are Claire in the airplanes! She had so much fun!!

Ben really enjoyed his time with Claire!

Thanksgiving ROUND TWO!

Thanksgiving pictures with the McDowell's! It was a great day!!!

The beautiful Thanksgiving table!

The girl's table!! I love how Claire is showing off her mashed potatoes to the camera!

Anna loves her Nuna!

Not Uncle Shawn so much!! Must be the bald head!

Caroline was so sweet with Anna! She helped Anna walk (well it ended up being more of a run!!).

You can see in this picture how excited Anna was when Caroline was helping her walk! Anna actually reached for Caroline's hand at one point!

Anna was exhausted at the end of the evening because her cousins walked her around the house the whole day! She has now taken 10 steps by herself! Must've been all that practice!!

Grandma McDowell & Daddy watching Anna take a couple steps!

I have to apologize to Connor. The only picture I have of him is the one Claire took! She's our budding photographer!

Uncle Scott playing peek-a-boo with Anna!

My Uncle Craig, Kristen & Shawn

My parents & Kristen


The girls!



Uncle Scott, Aunt Heather & Catherine

Ben & Anna!

Thanksgiving ROUND ONE!

This year we spent Thanksgiving Day with the Cutting family and Saturday with the McDowell fam. It worked really well that we were able to split up the busy day (it's hard trying to eat TWO delicious meals in ONE day!!). Both days were so nice and relaxing and, as always, the food was wonderful!! Thanks to both of our mom's for all the hard work that goes into all the food preparation!

Ben and I are truly thankful for our families. We are so blessed with wonderful parents. They are the best grandparents to our girls!! We have so much to be thankful for this year. At the forefront would be thankfulness for our salvation. Who would we be and where would we be without our Lord? It's scary to think. I am the most thankful for my relationship with the Almighty. He has blessed me with two healthly little girls and a loving husband!! We all so have much to be thankful for! I hope everyone was able to take some time to reflect on all the blessings in our lives.

Our Little Turkeys!!

Anna's shirt says "Baby's First Thanksgiving".

The Cutting Family (minus Grammy who was taking the picture!).


Claire got to help Grammy make the pumpkin pie and the whipped cream! Claire loves licking the beaters!


Grammy's lil' helper!

Claire enjoying the pumpkin pie she helped make!

Anna & Uncle Brad! Even though the girls don't see Brad very often they warm up to him really quickly! Sooooo sweet!

Chilling out with Uncle Brad & Papa!

Pre-Thanksgiving

Last Monday Uncle Brad came into town from Atlanta for Thanksgiving. We were so happy to see him! We were also excited to meet his girlfriend, Sharon, who came along with him! I know that meeting the Cutting clan was probably a little nerve wracking, but we really enjoyed our time with Brad & Sharon!! Claire is still asking where "Sherry" is!

Claire & Aunt Beth making a tower! Claire's favorite activity right now!

Uncle Brad & Sharon with the girls!


Aunt Beth with her "look alike"!



~Brad & Sharon~


Claire and Anna playing with the wooden blocks and letters that their Daddy played with over 30 years ago! They both had a ball playing with these toys! So neat!!!


Grammy loved seeing the girls enjoying the toys her kids played with!