Dying Easter Eggs

This is the first year we really got into dying eggs.  Last year Jonah was a bit too young. I always had good memories dying eggs with my sisters so I wanted to carry on the tradition with Jonah.  He really enjoyed it and did great!  Waiting for them to get the color took some patience but overall it was a fun experience.  And I'm glad Tim was home to help us out! Our last Easter in North Carolina, things are winding down:(

So excited to see the eggs changing color!!

 We wanted them bright!

 We had to finish the eggs the next morning with stickers and decorations!

 Just love that sweet face.  He gets so excited about things and I love it!

Our last Christmas in North Carolina

We were able to to spend our last Christmas in North Carolina with Kurt, Laura, and family.  We have spent three of of our five Christmas' here with the Mosleys', other two we went home and went to Georgia to see Tim's side of the family.  So we carried on the Jardee family tradition and the Mosleys' came over to exchange gifts and make homemade pizza!  My friend Julie came over with her two little ones because her husband was on call at the hospital and her family lives out of town.   Thankfully Tim had Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off so there was not rushing, waiting, or early mornings.  It was so special to have him around since this was the first Christmas the Jonah really understood what was going on.  We had two late nights of good food and fun games.  It was so nice to spend both days with family and enjoy our last North Carolina Christmas together.  I did get some quick pictures Christmas Eve but we didn't get any on Christmas Day.  I am so disappointed because it was such a joy to see Jonah really enjoy Christmas, that is why we didn't get any good pictures, we were enjoying him open presents and take it all in.  Oh well I will definitely be better next year!!

 Some of my favorite little guys reading together upstairs!!

 Making pizza dough with Dad!

Hannah loved holding sweet Abigail.  That girl is going to be a good little mom someday!

Christmas Eve 2013.

Impossible to get everyone looking at the same time.  But hey we captured the moment!!

Christmas Time

Well it's officially January, well towards the end of January and I am finally getting Christmas pictures, and everything in between, up!  I'm not really sure what we have been up to and why I have not posted in so long, but I finally sat down and uploaded all the pictures.  Here are some pictures of my decorations and our last Christmas in our home in North Carolina.  It's hard to believe we have celebrated five Christmas's in our sweet cozy little home.  

Christmas was good this year.  I was dreading it a little after losing Ellie and all.  I didn't know what to expect, if I would have lots of breakdowns, if I would still be happy celebrating the birth of Christ and seeing my sweet Jonah open presents.  But you know God is once again good.  We had an amazing church service at the DPAC where JD preached on a Father's love.  I smiled and got teary thinking about my earthly father and what a gentle and sweet spirited man he is.  My dad doesn't ever say mean things about anyone, really he does not and that is a lot to say considering my heart is always needing to be checked for thoughts I am feeling about someone or something.  My Dad is a man of integrity, kind to all, fun, sweet, loves his girls, each and every one of them, loves my mom with all he is has which is so amazing to see, and loves the Lord.  I was pretty amazed listening to JD speak and then I lost it when I thought about my Heavenly Father who is everything my earthly father is, but so much more in a different way.  I am still in awe of his sacrifice for me and how he loves me unconditionally and took my place which I did not deserve.  I am so thankful that the Lord has kept bitterness and self pity away from me after losing Ellie.  I was afraid I would be angry, bitter, long for Ellie without contentment. But God has been there, he never left my side and I just can't get over how He has helped me overcome everything I didn't want to be.  I of course thought about my sweet Ellie through the Christmas season as I do with every day, week, and month.  But I just can't express how much God has given me peace that life here on earth was not what he wanted for her and I know she is in a much better place.  That's the only thing that gets me through the longing to hold her and have her here with me.  And I love my life and what God is doing here on earth.  I pray that I will be a witness to those around me and will be used to my fullest while here on this earth.  But I understand that longing that people have to heaven in such a different way now.  I have an overwhelming joy to join my sweet girl in heaven.

 I had some leftover butcher paper from Dad and Mom's anniversary party last year and decided that would be perfect for my wrapping paper this year!!  I loved how it all turned out!

 Making Christmas cookies.  Jonah was most excited about putting the sprinkles on the cookies.  And after they were out of the oven he was really not even that interested in eating.  He takes after his Daddy in that he does not really have a sweet tooth.

Love the concentration on that sweet face!!

 See the sweet little finger prints in the cookies?

Halloween North Carolina Style

It was our fifth annual Halloween with the Mosley's and it was very bitter sweet.  We are now into the countdown of our many lasts here in North Carolina and this was one of them.  Since we moved here in 2009 we have been going over to the Mosley's for Chili, Queso, and candy.  It has been such a fun tradition getting to do this every year.  Laura makes a big pot of chili, queso and chips, and then the adults pick their favorite candy from the kids buckets while the kids are distracted oohing and awing over how much candy they collected.  This year was perfect weather wise.  It was 75 degrees that day so Jonah and I headed over early to play outside and enjoy the fall weather.  Then the dads got home from work and we all headed out for some trick or treating in the neighborhood.  They have the best neighborhood for trick of treating because one, It's full of families with little ones so everyone gets into the spirit, and two, they live on a double culdesac so its so safe with little traffic.  It was fun to see everyone get dressed up and the smiles as the little ones were so excited to wear their costumes and get candy. I was unsure if Jonah would wear his costume because earlier in the day when I had pulled it out of the closet he shook his head an said no.  But the minute his cousins started getting dressed he was 100% into it.  I was able to capture a few good pictures.  Some of the better ones are on my phone which I haven't backed up in quite sometime now, and Laura has some good ones too (but who knows when I will get those:), right Lar).  Anyway these will do.  We love you Mosley's and have enjoyed every Halloween we have spent with you!

 Snow White and the Cow!

 I love how Jonah is looking at Amelia in this picture.  These two have become the best little buds.  It so sweet to see them play with each other and how much fun they have together.

 Eli the football player.

The sweetest little cow that you ever did see!:)

 I couldn't get Jonah to look at the camera the whole night.  He had other things on his mind I guess!

 Me and my sweet little cow!

Group picture that was an epic fail.  Oh well.

Independence Day

We had a different fourth of July this year and it was so fun to change it up.  Instead of the usual BBQ, stuff your face, and then watch fireworks (which I love all of the above) we decided to go to Charlotte for the day with the Mosley clan.  Our goal was to meet up at Ikea, shop around, and then head to the Discovery Children's Museum.  Well we made it to Ikea, spent way to long chasing kids, browsing and looking at everything and ended up not making it to the museum because it closed at 4:30, stinker.  Oh well Ikea was great and we ended up going to Bass Pro Shop and stayed there for almost 2 hours.  There were boats, 4-wheelers, side-by-sides, and other things to climb on and check out.  The kids had a blast doing that so we figured it was great for them to be entertained and run around and get all their energy out.  Then on our way home we stopped in Burlington and ate at "Little Italy."  It was pretty good.  One of Tim's patients told him about it and he was been wanting to eat there since ever since.  We headed home and didn't get Jonah to bed until 9pm, and I payed for it that night. Oh well, you have to skip your routine every once-in-awhile.  We didn't do the fireworks which I was super bummed because I LOVE fireworks, but we knew it probably wouldn't be much fun for Jonah.   Maybe next year!

 Tim's mom gets us matching shirts every year from Old Navy.  I love this tradition and so look forward to wearing our new shirts and getting pictures.

 These 4-wheelers were Jonah's favorite.  I can't wait to go home to Montana in a week, ahhhhhhh, and he can ride them all day at both grandparents!  He is going to love it there.

 Yep I took some pictures on the boat. I wanted to make it look like we went boating on this huge amazing $45,000 boat.  Does the background look real?

 Haha, not with that big hunting sign in the back!

My boys, love them to pieces!!

Jonah was pretty fussy by this time of day so it was movie time while we waited for our food.  And the cousins enjoyed this time as well.  Jonah loves Joshua so much.  We were walking in Ikea and I told him to hold momma's hand.  He was not listening and kept running away from me.  But then Joshua told Jonah to hold his hand and Jonah's little hand slipped right into Joshua's (melt my heart).  And Jonah wanted to be carried about by Joshua the whole time, so precious to see how much Jonah adores him.

Happy Fourth of July, 2013!