Christmas decorations, events, preparations and fun!

Woodland Festival of Lights...Frosty was there!

Hard to tell from the pic, but that's Santa waterskiing.

American Round, as Sam called it. (a merry-go-round)

Beach Christmas. Yes, that would be nice, thank you.

Sydney talking to Mimi at Breakfast with Santa at FUMC.

Bobby trying to dig up a pic of LuLu to show Mimi on his phone because Audrey is DYING for her to see her. :)

The girls talking to sweet Santa (Tate Fischer).

Audrey, Maree, Syd and Sam

Presley

Gathering to wait on the (sucky) Starkville Christmas parade.

Tish and Maree. Awww!!! :)

Bobby and Matt's homemade Christmas tree of lights.

Mine and Tish's Advent wreath masterpiece.

Yay! Happy holidays and Merry Christmas from our MSU household!

Bobby and I have...another...GIRL???

Our four daughters have begged us for the longest time for a....PUPPY. I have ALWAYS said, ummm, NO. I have ENOUGH to deal with in my day as it is. I don't need something else to take care of. Well. Let's just say Bobby persuaded me on Friday to 'just go look' at Woodland for a Maltese (what I wanted) and I said, "OK! JUST TO LOOK. Nothing more. We'll LOOK." Shit. Try taking four little girls ages 4 -12 and walk out without a puppy. And you know what? Really, what was worse? Try taking BOBBY to a place full of cute puppies and walk outta there without one. We probably spent an hour there holding every single Yorkie, Chihuahua, Maltese, Schnauzer, Shih-tzu there. Well, guess what. I didn't get a Maltese. I was very overruled and this is who we left with:

MyGirls' LuLu Grace (a Shih-Tzu) (and) (no, I didn't name her.)

Yes, now I have to deal with four girls tugging on her, arguing over her, and loving her all at once. Yes, now I have to hear her whine in the night. Yes, now I have to make a chart for who does what because yes, they argue over that. Yes, now I have to leave to go home at lunch everyday to let her little guinea-pig-lookin' self out, etc. And yes. She is that freakin' sweet and that stinkin' cute that I'm not bitching too much about it. Yet. :)

Thanksgiving fun at my parents!

Mississippi State....ice hockey??

Yes, Mississippi State has an ice hockey team! For the second year in a row, as a matter of fact! And Bobby and I LOVE ice hockey so when the Bulldogs took on Ole Miss in Tupelo during our Thanksgiving week off, I told the girls, "Let's GO!!!" Plus, our church offered free tickets in exchange for a few canned goods. Great trade off, if you ask me. :)

Yes, Sydney. Trust me. You'll be GLAD your mother made you dress like this once you get there.

Sam looks thrilled here, doesn't she? Well, she was...just a bad shot. Ha. The girls did have fun!!

Presley was pretty impressed that I was right when I had talked to her on the way how ice hockey is a LOT like soccer. That made her more happy about it. :)

I couldn't believe the crowd! There were a LOT of people there for their Bulldogs! There were even cowbells there! Bunches of 'em!

Of course, from experience, I have always sat behind the home team by the penalty box. It's the stinkiest, loudest, funnest seat in the place. ;)

(State beat Ole Miss that Monday night, btw. Both games that weekend. Oh...and went on to beat 'em in FOOTBALL, too, later on that next weekend!! GO STATE!!! :)

More Pics from Audrey's birthday...

Birthday girl and her sisters.

Aw...sweet little seven-year-old. :)

The twins are thinking, "Whoa. I can't wait to get into that icing."

She loved her karaoke Wii games we got her! Maybe we'll have a budding Hannah Montana soon! :)

Dear Audrey...

Today you are seven. SEVEN!!! When did this happen?? Wow. Happy 7th birthday, sweet Baby Girl Audrey!!! Time sure flies...I remember...

~being told that your daddy and I couldn't even have children together. Boy were they wrong and I'm so thankful and grateful they were!!

~being pregnant at the same time with our favorite Keryn Page while we worked together at Starkville Daily News. Oh my she was sooooo miserable carrying around unborn Bella Agnes...and I look back now remembering feeling more pitiful for her during her pregnancy... and feeling bad that mine was so simple. And what is so sweet about that bond (to me) is that you and Bella are the bestest friends to this day...y'all were destined to be, if ya ask me. :)

~what a chunky baby you were! And now...well, now you're just the tiniest little thing.

~that you were a really great baby. Always smiling, always inquisitive, always sensitive. And you still are.

~how you'll never forget that I broke your arm as a toddler. Yep, I broke it. ACCIDENTALLY of course, but nonetheless, you'll never let me live it down. I was heartbroken. All from horsing and playing around. :(

~that you were a HUGE Daddy's Girl. Like an OBSESSIVE Daddy's Girl. All of our friends were always amazed by it and even feared other siblings coming along because he was YOUR Daddy and no one else's. Well, needless to say, you came to your senses and now you are ALL ABOUT your Mama and think that Daddy is icky. :) I couldn't be more proud.

~how much you've always adored your older sister, Presley. You've always looked up to her and have wanted nothing in return but her friendship and her approval. You are a great soul.

~and how you proved me so wrong when the twins came along. Here again, with you being such a Daddy's Girl, we were all fearful of you not only gaining ONE baby sister, but TWO, that it would just set you over the edge. But you have NEVER shown anything BUT love to your little shadows. You are a great role model to them, you help them on a daily basis, and you play with them like they were your best friends. You are the BEST big sister EVER!

~taking up for you when everyone thought you just weren't 'listening.' I knew better...and after a trip to the ENT, a couple of surgeries, and recovery time...you 'hear' everything. And soak it all in on top of that...even when you shouldn't. ;)

~how apprehensive you were about starting kindergarten. You didn't find the 'joy' of starting school like your older sister Presley did. But my how you have blossomed into that straight 'A' student and act like being a first grader in second grade reading is 'no big deal.' Before I know it, you'll be graduating med school at the top of your class and probably still thinking it's 'no big deal.'

~how you worry about me. I have no one in my life who worries about me like you do. NO ONE. You can't stand to leave me alone while y'all go to Wal Mart for fear of me being by myself. You always put me first and you love me unconditionally and I love you SO much for that.

~how you write me notes, draw me pictures, read me stories, make me laugh, keep me on my toes, take up for me no matter what, remind me of things, help me cook, never ask anyone for much, help your sisters, help me with chores, volunteer your time, go walk with me, love all animals, take up for peers being picked on, usually mind me, take my side over Daddy's, love your grandparents, love your friends, make me proud beyond words.

Happy 7th birthday, Audrey Brandon McReynolds. I love you more than you could ever know and probably ever will know. I can only hope that I can ever bring you as much joy in your life as you have in mine.