Life lately

Thanksgiving was great this year. Jake was able to come home one last time before he leaves which was awesome. The family all came over to our house which made it easier for us with Hails having to split her time. We missed having Nate, Mel, Griffy and Marlee here. They went to Georgia to spend Thanksgiving with her sister. We did however get their dog Scout. Jinglebell has liked having someone to play with for the last couple of weeks. We missed having Kate here too. She had to work. Yuck. Nyssa might kill me for putting this picture up but it makes me laugh.

Natalia ended up having a sleepover. She LOVES Hailey and is always really good when she stays over. She's only 2 (almost 3) but plays very well with Hails. They were even wearing matching outfits which were not planned but they were both pretty excited about. We call Natalia, Hailey's mini me.

Jake made the mistake of falling asleep while the food was cooking. So, unable to pass up the opportunity, we put funny hats on him and some nice eyeshadow. No one had any lipstick which was kind of a bummer. This picture cracks me up because of the way Lilly is looking at him






Unfortunately it was a very short visit for Jake, but better than nothing :) He leaves for Iraq tomorrow which terrifies me. Even though he's been gone since October, I've been able to talk to him multiple times a day and was even able to see him twice. I'm just hoping this next year goes by fast.



On a happy note, Lacey is loving nursery. I have never seen a child go so willingly. She never cried. She just walks in and acts like she owns the place. The only time you'll hear her scream is if any of the other kids dare to touch her baby. However, rather than getting a break from kids for more than 5 minutes, I of course got called to teach in the primary. Go figure. I teach Hailey's class which is a little difficult because of the age range it covers. We have a VERY small branch so I teach the 4 to 9 year olds. Bribery seems to help.

I attempted taking Christmas card pictures last night. I think Lacey actually looked at the camera once and it was the first picture. I always end up going with the first picture. I should just stop trying after that one.

I don't know how soon Jake will be able to get to a computer so I'll update as soon as he's in Iraq. His unit is anxious for him and his buddy to get there so they shouldn't have to do a lot of waiting around. I think that's it for now.