Laken has bangs

Laken has been asking for bangs for a little while now. I have been trying to discourage her for some reason. I finally decided she should get her hair done however she wants it done-choose my battles, right : ) So I made her an appointment with our neighbor, Misty who did a great job. I think Laken was sooo right about the bangs-I should have let her do it a long time ago. Her ponytail-which she likes to wear most days- looks alot better with bangs too!!

Hand me downs save the day...

For church Addyson has been wearing red for the past month and a half. Well, this Sunday when I tried to find something for her to wear, I couldn't find any shoes to match any of the outfits that still fit : ) She has several smocked dresses that I could put a white sweater with, but no shoes. And of course I waited until Sunday morning to figure all of this out. Luckily, I had a bag of summer clothes my sister had passed down. Mostly size 2 and 3-keep in mind Addy is only 14 months old!! Anyway, I found this precious outfit that I believe my neice wore as a capri outfit on her THIRD birthday in the month of July. So I winterized it by adding the dressy white shirt and she had these cute pink shoes from Emma Kate Smith and wah lah- I think it turned out pretty cute...

What a difference a lamp has made...

Cade got this bed with the built in desk when he was three. He has really never used the desk. This year his papa decided he needed a lamp under there, so papa went shopping. He found this lamp for Cade and now Cade, who we used to nag and nag to do his homework, goes straight back to his room, turns on his lamp, posts his spelling words on the bulletin board, and gets to work. Cross your fingers that the newness doesn't wear off!!

Busy, busy

My days of getting things done while Addyson is awake have come to an end. Yesterday, this was the first thing she "got into." After this she found a bottle of red food color and squeezed it onto the wood floor, patted it and smeared it around her mouth-I thought she was bleeding when I first found her. This is all before noon while I was trying to update the blog... After nap she had some juice. So you know what happens after babies drink juice-if you have a weak stomach, stop now. Addyson found her dirty diaper in the trash and brought me a wipe from the inside!! My life has officially changed-goodbye to those easier baby days, I have a toddler on my hands!!

Swimming

This past weekend Laken and Cade competed in a swim meet in Starkville. This was their first meet since July. They both did very well dropping lots of time in all the events they swam. Brad was busy helping time, etc so I pretty much took care of Addyson alone on Sunday (my parents were there Saturday to help) which is quite a job!! I guess that's my excuse for only getting one picture! This is Laken with the A relay (which is a big deal for her to make). For those who are interested, our next meet will be in Tupelo on Feb 7, then Cade's state meet in Jackson on Feb 14, then Laken will have state meet in Oxford on Feb 21.

Ratliffs visit Grenada

My sister Marianne and her husband, Bill, and two children Britt, 19, and Kayce, 16, visited in Grenada while Amy's family was visiting. It was so sweet of them to drive from Knoxville, and it's always great to see them.

Addyson's first Santa picture

Last year I refused to let one month old Addyson Clair get her picture made with Santa. I just thought that costume had way too many germs on it. So this year I made it a priority to have her picture made with Santa. Also her sister and brother thought it was necessary for her to meet Santa so he would know who he was bringing gifts to!!

Christmas with my parents and my sister's family

On the 28th we left home again. My sister, Amy, her husband, Matt, and their two children, Mary Katelyn (4) and Holden (2)arrived at my parents house in Grenada. It's so much fun to be back at home with all the family there. We really miss seeing Matt and Amy and kids (they live 15 hours away), so we try to stick around Grenada for most of their visit. As you can tell by some of the pictures Holden really has a thing for Laken; they really have a special little bond. Mary Katelyn loves everybody, but she really likes trying to keep up with Cade. It will be interesting to see how Addyson fits into the picture as her personality is developing.

Day after Christmas celebration with Vickers family

After leaving my aunt's house we went to Jackson to celebrate Christmas with Mimi, Aunt Angela, and Uncle Charlie

Day after Christmas Celebration with Byars family

The day after Christmas it was time to visit extended family. Our first stop was at my Aunt Yandel's house. This is a picture of my mom with her two sisters. We get together several times a year with my two sweet aunts and my cousins and their children.

Home for Christmas

This is the first year that we haven't packed the kids up to visit relatives as soon as they see what Santa brought. The day was very relaxing and the kids were able to actually enjoy their toys. Most importantly we were also able to put more of a focus on celebrating Jesus's birth.

Santa baby on Christmas Eve

Addy with her first taste of gummies-her favorite stocking stuffer!!

Happy Birthday, Jesus party

Laken and Cade enjoying their new electric scooters:

Cade's school Christmas party

Cade's class had a Polar Express Christmas party this year. They got to wear pjs and have hot chocolate at school. This picture is of Cade and his two favorite classmates: Griffin and Payton.