Just like his mama.

Do you have childhood memories of waking up in a somersault position?

What about hanging upside down off your bed?

No?

Well, I do.

I was about the craziest sleeper around.

And not much has changed. 

It drove Sonny WILD our first few years of marriage how I would slowly twist completely sideways on our bed and take all the blankets with me.

(once I woke up with my head at the foot of our bed too)

He used to try to wake me up, but realized that was useless.

(I've slept through our fire alarm twice)

 (and bad mom moment: Sonny wakes up with the kids WAY more than me. I know. awful. I try to tell him to get me, but he says that is way too much work.)

He has finally given up and now joins me in my dance across our bed every night.

Bless his heart. He has learned to sleep sideways too (or move to the couch when it's really bad)

We have recently discovered that this problem is hereditary.

Exhibit A.

Yep. The Rockstar got my Awwwwesome slumber techniques.

We have found him at the foot of his bed, on the ground beside his bed, curled in a ball (somersault position), asleep on the stairs (I never did that), and of course his head hanging off the bed.

Sadly, that is not where the sleep genetics stop.

Like his mama, he grinds his teeth all night long, has a hard time falling asleep (we're deep sleepers once we get there, but it takes a while) and yes, just like me he has some wetting accidents...
I don't know how long it took me to realize that the shiny toilet was really just a dream and that if I made it to the ocean part...
then it was too late.

TMI?

Oh wells. It's late. I'm leaving it.

:)

Sonny just read this and wanted me to clarify...
I don't have accidents anymore.
I totally stopped that around 11 (ahem 13ish). 
My apologies dana caldwell and her poor couch. ;)

The Dumbest Reindeer

Our kiddos have been playing Christmas games just about every night the month of December.

One of their favorites is Rudolph of course

(helps that we have the get-up for it)

This may have been one of those "guess you had to be there" moments,

but I had to share a giggly moment we had tonight.

The Rockstar, as usual, was telling everyone who they were going to pretend to be in his little imaginative way.

When he got to Gigi he said, "Um....How....bout....You... be Dumbo!....the Dumbest reindeer!!!"

Gosh. It sent Sonny and I into the laughs.

Maybe it's his expressions, or his cute little voice,

but that little guy makes life so much fun.

Good thing Gigi is such a good sport...

But I think she's the CUTEST reindeer!

Wish I would have gotten a picture of the director, but he was onto other things
and other worlds when I got the camera out.
Such a character. :)

Nativity

  Growing up, my favorite tradition was always getting together with cousins 

(or when they weren't around, neighbor kids)

to act out the Nativity.

SO many tender memories of mine are filled with that itchy tinsel stapled around my head (i don't think I ever got to be mary...dang tyla:)), towels draped over my brothers heads and robes 10x too big cinched around their little waists, a random cow (?) in the background, and my mom getting her old wooden jewelry box for the wiseman to bring baby jesus a gift.

We would all be so excited to act out the Christmas story as one of the Dad's read from Luke.

And afterwards, my grandpa Dunn would play at the piano and belt out "silent night"

in that booming voice of his.

Ah....Such great memories.

I get all tender hearted just thinking about it.

It's Christmas to me.

Nothing over done.

Doesn't cost a penny.

Just about family

and 

Jesus.

And I don't think there is anything that can quite capture that amazing night so long ago

like innocent little chickies humbly portraying the different roles. 

And now I get to watch my own children + cousins

and be filled with the same awe filled wonder.

Silent night, holy night.

All is calm, all is bright.

Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.

Holy infant so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night.
Son of God love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth

*thank you erica for all the photos.

you captured the sweet night perfectly.

Sonny slept with a shot gun last night.

Why?

Well, because my friends, that is what you do when you are missing your front door.

 Yep. that's right.

Sonny and I are both rather spontaneous

which leads us into doing things without thinking them completely through

like all the time.

Here's the story.

We didn't have much to do yesterday, so I was like

"we should paint the front door!"

(We'd been talking about it for a few months, but hadn't gotten around to it. Okay. We're spontaneous procrastinators?)

He was like. "sure!'

We picked out a purple color (matched my favorite shirt)

Sonny unscrewed the door, taped off the garage, and started spraying.

Sounds harmless right? 

Well, it would have been

had it been started before 4pm and I dunno....

SUMMER!

What were we thinking!?

The paint wasn't drying.

In fact, it was dripping wet and starting to freeze come 8pm

Sonny left for another trip to the Depot to pick up a space heater for the door

and the kids and I ate dinner in our winter coats.

Ha.

We started realizing that this was not going to be fixed before bedtime.

Sonny hung up a blanket to keep some heat in then rounded up every chair we own

(+ the vaccuum cleaner + a coat rack)
{and as it has been brought to my attention in the comments...a glass vase which i asked sonny about and he said "yeah, to hear the glass break." Ha. love him.}

for our own rigged security system

(apparently if a burglar were to come in thru the blanket to murder us and take everything, he would be stopped by the barstools, or atleast wake up Sonny sleeping on the couch who could quickly load his rifle and fire away.)

Brilliant.

 Happy to say, we survived the night.

And so did my new door.

Cute. right?

(or crazy?)

 I'm too tired to look for a before pic, but it used to be a boring brown.

Now it's sh-amazing.

Going in my gratitude journal tonight:
a purple door
a man who will agree to it
and a thermostat reading 73.

oh yeah, and no run ins with burglars.
and shot guns ;)

Festival of Trees!

 December 3rd

(still can't believe she did this. must be 2!)

 This was our first time at the festival

and we will never miss it again.

I'm not sure what I was expecting...but I was definitely overwhelmed with that wonder filled place.

The trees were amazing.

And almost all had been sold.

This was heartwarming since all the proceeds go to Primary Childrens

(a place dear to my heart this time of year)

It was awesome to see all the heart and generosity that goes into this fundraiser.

One tree sold with a grand piano that was donated.

Sonny and I decided that one day, we definitely want to buy one.

(wouldn't that be fun!)

We will NEVER miss out on this again.

Honestly, probably going to be one of our favorite things we did this season.

beautiful trees, dances on stage, amazing scones with cinnamon butter, designer gingerbread houses, crafts, inspirational stories, service, all things Christmas

and a giant bubble maker.

Woo-Hoo. It was great.