Merry Christmas!

Contrary to popular belief, I have NOT fallen off the planet.

Since I last blogged we have:

. . . created birthday invitations for our niece's 2nd birthday party . . . Dee created a three-tiered ladybug birthday cake & ladybug cupcakes for the 2nd birthday party . . . lost Dee's beloved grandmother, Sara Taylor on November 7. . .had a deer hit us and do significant damage to the Gatormobile in the wee hours of the morning on November 9 outside of Huntsville, AL (on our way to Nana's funeral) . . . planned and enjoyed our older daughter's wedding on November 22 . . . created wedding invitations for said daughter's wedding as well as one for a client . . . created and completed invitations for a January bridal shower . . . created, but not completed, wedding invitations for my Mom's wedding on January 30 . . . created, but not completed, baby shower invitations for a baby shower on January 31 . . . in the planning stages for a dear friend's daughter's October wedding invitations . . . made many Christmas gifts . . . finally decorated our house for Christmas on December 20 . . . celebrated Dee's dad's birthday on December 21 . . . planned and will be preparing a Christmas Eve dinner for approximately 12 people, a Christmas morning brunch for 8, and cooking for a Christmas evening potluck dinner and gift exchange for 17 people at my sister's home.

Oh, yeah . . . and all of the day-to-day stuff you have with a 5 year old at home. Can't forget the precious babies we care for five days a week -- who are not really babies anymore! Layla is 2 now, the twins turned 1 in October and Lexie is 9 mos. old. NEVER a dull moment at our house!!!

Whew! When I can catch my breath, I have many photos to post! But for now you'll just have to accept my best wishes for a safe and joyful Christmas and a very happy New Year!

~ Jennifer

We Will Never Forget . . . God Bless America

I know where I was on September 11, 2001. Do you remember where you were, what you were doing?

A phone call . . . go find a TV and turn it on . . . a plane has crashed into the World Trade Center! I got there just in time to see the second plane hit. I watched in horror as the buildings came crashing down. I was stunned when the announcer said that the Pentagon had been hit and then when another plane went down in Pennsylvania. What was happening to our world? What kind of people would do such a thing?

I think I watched the news reports 24 hours a day. I couldn't turn it off.

Eight years later, we are still sending our young men and women to die on foreign soil fighting the terrorism that shook the USA. Eight years later, I still cannot fathom the hatred that would send thousands of innocent people to their death. Eight years later, I am still proud to be an American.

Thank you. Thank you to the Moms and Dads of service men and women everywhere. Thank you to their spouses, children and loved ones. Your sacrifice has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. But most of all, thank you to everyone who serves in our armed forces -- may God bless you and keep you from harm.

Back-to-School Blues or Hoorays?

Our baby starts Kindergarten tomorrow. I'm torn . . . . my emotions keep running back and forth from tears to joy and back again.

There are tears because the "baby" chapter of our daughter's life is ending and joy because she is so ready to learn and start the "big girl" chapter of her life. And tomorrow morning, while her Mom is in tears, our daughter will be jumping with joy because the day she has been counting down to since the end of Pre-K is finally here.

We went Friday and met her new teacher and saw her classroom. Demi has been on the waiting list for "Project Friends" -- a multi-age classroom program -- and we didn't know that she was in the program until Friday morning! The basic idea of this program is that the children will have the same teacher and classroom for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades. So the children that start Kindergarten together will be together in the same class for all three years. The advantages to this is that the older kids mentor the younger kids and the younger kids can work at their own speed instead of at the speed of the slowest learners in the class. Which is great for Demi -- we were very worried about her becoming bored and not being challenged. Another concern we had was consistency and transitions - both issues for her with her Sensory Processing Disorder. Her teacher is very sweet, sensitive to Demi's special needs and seems equally as excited for the new school year to begin.

Whether I'm ready or not, Demi is -- ready to learn, ready to explore, ready to make new friends, and ready to jump feet first into a wonderful new world called Elementary School!