DECEMBER

Okay, here you go.  An overwhelmingly long post that bundles all of December into one!  

The month started out with a trip to Nashville by way of Birmingham.  We spent an early Christmas with Woody's family and enjoyed a couple of days of play...

Chloe seems to be taking after her big sis, Esther, with looks to kill!

fun at the park

sitting 'round the Christmas tree enjoying the train with Dagan

opening stockings...

After celebrating Christmas, Woody and I were able to leave all 3 girls (for the first time!) and head up to Nashville for a little anniversary celebration and to attend a dear friend's wedding.  Woody and I were able to spend some time in downtown Franklin...love this place!

The bride and groom... a beautiful couple and a beautiful venue...

Woody and Michael helping take chairs to the pavilion while Katheryn and I were bundled under a blanket with our hand warmers!  Katheryn, it was so great seeing ya'll and I'm glad we got to keep each other warm or at least try! :)

I still think it's so neat that Woody and I both know Amy, but from before we knew each other.  Woody and Amy were in youth group together and remained friends over the years, and Amy and I were partner teachers in China...wo ai ni miss amy!

Back at home, we really enjoyed going through an advent devotional book with the girls each night before bed.  They also really got into singing Christmas carols this year, as well as role playing the Christmas story!

For those who may have seen a post on facebook of Arden and Esther playing Mary and baby Jesus, here are the pictures...

Arden said to Esther, "When you grow up, you're going to die on the cross, ok?"  Esther replied, "I don't wanna grow up."

playing shepherds in the yard

One Friday evening, we went to the church where Arden goes to school for a fun night of lights and activities...

At this display of the "Charlie Brown" nativity, they had a recording of Lionus (I think!?) reciting Luke 2:8-14.  Arden also learned these verses this year and thought it was so cool that he knew her Bible verse too!

the annual Holly Jolly Trolley with our church...Esther isn't pictured b/c she was in the arms of one of her favorite people, Danielle, the whole evening!

we got together with some friends from church to make "gingerbread" houses...

Chloe sneaking some graham cracker goodness. 

Esther's final masterpiece.

At home, making Christmas cookies...

This was our first Christmas to be home for Christmas Eve and Christmas day with the girls. Christmas Eve our church had "Carols by candlelight" where we sang and Scripture was read from the downtown gazebo.

Christmas morning, we had our neighbors over for brunch and enjoyed the day relaxing.  Woody took the girls to the park in the afternoon while I packed and got us ready to go visit G.G. and Papa for a few days.  Here are a couple of shots from Christmas day...I really didn't take many, believe it or not!

We also sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and had a cake (not my finest creation by any means!!), but the girls LOVED this and it brought up a lot of great questions and conversation with them.

This was my gift to Woody.  For more of an explanation, see the previous post!

And moving on to our final happenings in December...visiting my family in GA.

Before the madness of opening presents with everyone!

our first afternoon it snowed!!  okay, so it didn't really stick.  at all.  but for this FL family, it was quite the treat!

Arden maybe lasted 5 minutes outside, but this little girl could have stayed out all afternoon if we had let her!

Jenni braving the cold to be out with us...

Curt and Chloe, eyeing the goodies he was feeding her!

And viola, there you go...our December happenings!  We really had a fun filled time with family and friends celebrating the birth of our Savior throughout the month!

my hero

This was my Christmas gift to Woody. 

I got the idea last year from my friend, Jessica, on her blog.  Starting last January, I kept a calendar and wrote down things each day that he had done that made him my hero...from cooking us dinner to watching the girls so I could have some alone time, to video chatting with me 'til i was asleep when we were in 2 different states for 8 weeks!  I tried my best to keep up with it all year and only had a few days that I didn't write anything down, and no, it didn't mean he wasn't my hero that day!  Anyway, I gave him the calendar for Christmas and he said it was one of the most thoughtful things I'd EVER done for him and I think he even shed a few tears. :)  He also couldn't believe I'd kept up with it all year without him knowing!  

It also really encouraged and helped me to really honor and respect Woody, my husband and thank God for him!  Anyway, although january is almost over, if you're interested in trying this, feel free to let me know and I can give you more details if needed...after all, it's still the beginning of the year!!

15 months

Our Chloe turned 15 months in December... she's a very busy little one and has become quite the climber.  She continues to keep us smiling and laughing and we just love her tons.

Here are a few pics from a not so great attempt at some 15 month shots...these were the only decent ones I got that were not of her back running away from me-ha! 

Merry Christmas from the Baughers!

Family Roster Christmas Card

Shutterfly has classic, elegant Christmas invitations for your party.

View the entire collection of cards.

fall fun

Here's a look at the rest of October... 

We were able to visit Birmingham for a few days and got a chance to go out to one of my favorite places... the Grand Ole Pumpkin Patch!

Back at home, we visited a local pumpkin patch with friends from church and went on a hayride.

And here's a look at our first ever pumpkin carving!  Esther wanted nothing to do with touching it, so Arden and I did all the dirty work. :)

These two pictures make me smile... one, because they do a pretty good job of showing the girls' personalities and two, because they all wore these outfits last year!  Chloe's is the most surprising because it's a size 3 month.  It was huge on her last year, but I never dreamed it would fit her this year!

The night of Halloween, we went to a fall festival at the church where Arden goes to school.  Here are our fairies and ladybug...

memory walk

The first weekend of October we traveled up to Georgia and participated in the Alzheimer's Memory Walk in my hometown.  In the United States, 5.3 million people have this dreadful disease and it's the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S.  

Our family walked in memory of my grandmother, Allene Groover, (pictured above and below) along with 7 of the 10 Groover siblings (which my Daddy is a part of)  and a few of the grandchildren and great grandchildren.  It was a beautiful day and a beautiful way to remember my Grandmama Groover, who suffered from Alzheimer's and went to be with our Lord in 1991 (I was in the seventh grade).  I've seen pictures of her with me as a young child before she had the disease.  My only memories, though, are of our family visiting her in the nursing home where she would be sitting in her chair or lying in the bed... she did not know us and was not able to communicate with us. 

I'm thankful for stories I've heard over the years about my grandmother, as well as poems written by my Aunt Gale.  

My grandmother, Allene Groover, was a kind, beautiful, hard working woman that loved her family.

The Groovers that were able to participate in the walk.

Woody and I took turns pushing the usually empty stroller...now that I think about it, I'm not sure why we kept pushing it. :)

Papa was a trooper and carried either Esther or Arden on his shoulders the entire time he walked!

Remembering Mama

By Gale Groover Smith

Oh!  Mama's gardenias grew in a bush by the well,

Their sweet fragrance filled the air and made my heart swell.

You see, Mama loved those flowers that bloomed in May,

And like an old family recipe I love them still today.

Long, summer days full of work and very little play,

Mama washed clothes, and cooking filled most of her day.

She had a way about her, so gentle and kind.

She never raised her voice, but all of us kids would mind.

I often think back when I was a child,

And wonder how many times I must have broken her heart acting foolish and wild.

Oh, Mama, I sometimes wish you were here,

There're questions I never asked before your illness made me fear.

While you were lying in that nursing home for years staring at the wall,

Did you have anything on your mind at all?

We all loved you as much as we could,

And prayed that you'd get better, but we knew that you never would.

Alzheimer's robs one of the heart and soul,

And takes away their dignity leaving them out of control.

I hate this disease that took Mama from me.

My only consolation is now she's in Heaven, and her mind and body are free.