Christmas Memories

Here is a look at the last four Christmas holidays in the Jacobs family. As I looked for these pictures, I realized how little I have digitally from Kendyll's first couple of years, but I did find a couple. It's hard to believe how fast the years are flying....here's to 2006!!


Christmas 2002
Kendyll in her brand new rocking chair (10 months old)

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Christmas 2003---Baking with Mom begins! And, lots of fun on Christmas day with this new found Santa friend! (22 months) This is also the year that we announced the upcoming addition to our family! Baby #2 was the surprise gift for our families on Christmas Day.

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Christmas 2004---Our baking skills have improved as the years have gone by! And, now we have little Carlie to help us! (Kendyll is almost 3, and Carlie is 4 months)

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Christmas 2005 We are officially having our best Christmas ever with these girls! Kendyll is into everything fun at Christmastime, and Carlie is at my favorite age! Here is Kendyll baking cookies, and Daddy with his girls waiting in line for Santa Claus! Merry Christmas, bloggers! We hope you all have a blessed holiday weekend with your families and loved ones. See you after the craziness has died down!

Christmas Trivia

I'm avoiding the chores that await me....so here is a post I've seen on many others. If you're reading it, you're tagged! (Mark makes a lot of fun of the whole "tag" thing....what a poor blog sport!)

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate, especially if it's really creamy....no marshmallows, though.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa fills each stocking and leaves the gifts next to them, but not under the tree...they are all unwrapped and ready to use!

3. Colored lights on tree & house or white? My sisters and college roommates are laughing at this one.....WHITE lights, NO EXCEPTIONS!! And, the anal side of me prefers them to be perfectly straight, all the same size, and the brighter white...not dingy yellow. (okay, so maybe I'm all anal--not just one side of me!)

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No, but I would if I had some!

5. When do you put your decorations up? I like to give Thanksgiving its proper respect, so I usually wait until December 1st, wherever that falls. (This year, my nephew was born that day, so decorating was put on hold for much more important things!)

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? For dinner, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls, and my grandmother's mac n cheese (a starch lover to the core). For breakfast, it would have to be breakfast casserole and sausage balls....mmm, love it!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Taking our annual trip to cut down our Christmas tree and then listening to Christmas carols while we decorated it. Also, the fun we sisters had sleeping in the same bed and waking up at 4 am to see what Santa brought!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Very early, unfortunately. I was always a "thinker" when I was little and it hit me one year while we were looking at Christmas lights. There was a Santa at the end of the "tour" handing out candy canes and I looked at him and just knew. All of a sudden, I asked my mom if Santa was real and proceeded to explain to her how unrealistic it was that a very fat man could fly around the world with enough toys for everyone in this sleigh of his pulled by reindeer and then fit down my chimney, all the while being an all-knowing and all-seeing old man. My final clencher...Santa always asked my name when we saw him at the mall...wouldn't he already know that? Wow, what a depressing child I was! No magical beliefs for me!!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We always did growing up. Now, we let the girls pick out their most favorite gift (judging by shape, size, and shake-ability) to open that night, and save the rest for the next morning after our Christmas breakfast.

10. What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him? Usually the slice n bake sugar kind with canned frosting on top, because the Santa that comes to our house happens to REALLY like those kind....and Rudolph always gets a carrot.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it! Love it! Love it!

12. Can you ice skate? Not really. I haven't tried in years, so it might be a scary sight!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Ever? Man, that's a tough one. No, there's too many! Last year's favorite was my gift from Mark. He went and picked out two whole outfits from Ann Taylor Loft (my favorite store) and they were beautiful. It always means more when he picks them out himself!

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Spending quality time with family and making sure my children understand the "reason for the season".

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? I'm not a huge dessert person, but I LOVE pumpkin pie or anything spice...cake, bread, etc. I also love Christmas candy, peanut butter kiss cookies, and peppermint bark. Okay, so maybe I am a dessert person!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Another hard one. As a mom, many of my favorites center around activities with the girls. Baking with Kendyll (Carlie will join us next year), decorating the house, and taking Christmas lights tours. Mark makes Christmas breakfast each year (omelettes!), which I love and we adopt a family, which always reminds us of how absolutely blessed we are. Two new traditions starting this year that might become my favorites are a family devotional on Christmas morning focused on the birth of Jesus, and taking time to decorate our guest room (& Kendyll's room!) with handmade Christmas decorations (glittery snowflakes, paper chains, and wreaths), welcoming and praying God's blessings on the many friends and family who come through and stay in our home.

17. What tops your tree? A Boyd's Bear angel, given to me by Mark's mom our first married Christmas. Along with a "fru-fru" berry/floral/twig/ribbon arrangement. Growing up, it was this UGLY cone shaped Santa. It was the "beginning of Christmas" when we placed it on top.

18. Which do you prefer Giving or Receiving? Definitely giving, especially to my children or to other children who need so much.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol? "Oh Holy Night", hands down.

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Very yum. I especially like the Cinnamon ones!

Merry Christmas everyone!! I'm off to wrap some presents!

A Great Weekend!

(Note to my readers: I echo what my friend Holly says on her blog....my sole reason for blogging is for myself, to keep up with the ages and stages of my children...their interests, accomplishments, and our daily life...details that I would otherwise forget, since I never seem to scrapbook or journal, like many of my friends! So, I know the blogs may be boring and bogged down in detail to anyone who doesn't love these two children like I do! This is another great example of "one of those kind" of blogs....)

I think this weekend was a turning-over-a-new-leaf kind of a weekend. Maybe Carlie read my blog and realized how often I have used the word "crazy" to describe her. Or, maybe those four teeth she's been gnawing on have finally broken through. Or, maybe she is in a weird funk that will change before Monday arrives. But, hopefully, she is just growing up and we're hitting a new stage. I think she may have realized that it's alot easier to be calm and quiet than to use all her energy on being "crazy"!

Yesterday, we went to deliver donated toys from church, and she was AMAZINGLY cooperative throughout the freezing cold experience. She even waved at the kids and smiled her million dollar smile for them all, despite the fact that her hands were about to fall off from frostbite, and her head was a large icicle. (It was REALLY cold out there, can you tell?). Then, we dared to continue our outing and take her to the mall for a while. She LOVED it! She rode in her stroller so sweetly, was patient in the stores (not a common occurence), ate a good lunch, played nicely on the playground (without doing anything too dangerous for her age), and even sang songs on the way home!! This all happened two hours after her normal nap time and I was so proud of my big girl. The only thing she did NOT like about our trip to the mall, was her Santa visit.

Our girl, who is not scared of anything, was scared to death of Santa. We couldn't even get her bent enough at the waist to sit for a second. She was stiff as a board, screaming as loud as she could, and had a death grip on both of my arms. Now, this was something I did not expect! I didn't even prepare her while we stood in line, because I just knew she would be fine. The only thing I had worried about was her being too rough with Santa's real beard. Shows how much I know!

To continue our unusual weekend, Carlie had a great accomplishment this morning at church. She sat with us through the entire service! I know many of you do this every Sunday...but not Carlie! She's usually too loud. This morning she sat and played quietly and sweetly in Mark's lap the entire time. Mark said a couple of different times, "This is unbelievable!" "Who is this child?" A great surprise for us! We enjoyed having her with us. And, nothing is sweeter than hearing your 16 month old "sing" church songs with the congregation.

Okay, so this keeps going. After church, I had to run an errand (My errand----getting my NEW ARTIFICIAL CHRISTMAS TREE FOR NEXT YEAR at 60% off!!!!! Woo hoo!!!!) which took a little bit of time. Never a peep from patient Carlie except to sing a little and laugh at her sister alot. Then, we STILL kept going and actually went out for lunch! This was a small feat for us, since she is usually already home and in bed. All through lunch, I just kept waiting for the explosion...but it never came. She cackled, hugged and kissed Kendyll all through lunch and all the way home. And, now is sleeping peacefully in her bed.

So, I'm knocking on wood, crossing my fingers, and saying little prayers that this new Carlie will stick around. Don't get me wrong, I love either Carlie, and even the "crazy Carlie" is sweeter and more adorable than I could ever describe. But this new level of sweetness has sure been nice!

Catching Up...

A few pictures from our last week (see post below...I couldn't get the pictures to cooperate!)

Kendyll & Carlie posing before bed in their new Christmas PJs....









Carlie posing proudly for finding her sister's purple marker before I found it!
Aunt Cortni, Baby Braden, and a very tired Kendyll after her ballet recital....
The prettiest ballerina before her big show!

















Sweet Baby Braden...asleep and happy!





Grandad and Carlie cheering for Miss Kendyll!

Crazy Carlie, posing with her sunglasses and her new favorite "cheese" smile. Too funny!

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you swear it's only been two days long, yet the longest week ever at the exact same time? Where time has passed in "half day" increments instead of in hours but you feel like it might not end? As I read through my last blog, I couldnt' believe it was a week ago....and was laughing at how calm and happy I sounded....wow, that calmness has been challenged this week.

Mark has been gone since Monday to San Diego, and came home safely last night. I was so incredibly glad to have him back. But, not near as happy as my two girls. The moment they heard the familiar squeak of the garage door, they both took off running, screaming at the top of their lungs (which is pretty loud, by the way.) They knocked him over with the strength of their hugs and couldn't seem to stop long enough for me to get to him! Of course, my sweet husband started crying immediately and soaked it all in. Even though I felt like I had the "hard" job of the week with taking care of two very active and emotional little ones all by myself, I also realize that his job was pretty tough too....he had to go four days without those precious hugs and kisses and sweet voices saying "I love you Daddy!"

We missed him so much and today feels so much better than the last few have. Of course, I have to say that his company picked a pretty tough week to take him away! We have been busy with all kinds of fun things (which would have been more fun with him here!) I will hit the highlights of our week, with a few pictures too.

Monday was Kendyll's first ballet recital. Her fans were there in full spirit and it was the longest hour-and-a-half recital I've ever sat through. Kendyll was in two of the TWENTY-TWO acts!!! And, who wants to watch OTHER three year olds attempt a tap routine? As you can see, she was the cutest girl there and had a great time. It began at her bedtime, so she was a good sport. Along with her crazy, exhausted, very loud little sister....who LOVED seeing her big sis on stage. Kendyll was most excited about her baby cousin who came to support her. She told everyone that Braden cheered for her and clapped his hands when he watched her. Not totally true...he actually slept through the whole thing, but we did get some pictures of them together that she will always treasure.

Tuesday, I had sick kiddos, so I missed the last day of Ladies Class and lunch with good friends. And, instead, spent it at McDonald's, Wal-Mart, and the grocer store with fussy girls. NOT the best day of the week! But, there was too much to do and too many errands to run to keep them home like they needed! We got it all done, but Mommy was up VERY late and, I will admit, I wasn't the nicest Mommy ever. This is hard to own up to, but I was very impatient with my kids because of my long list, my exhaustion level, their fussiness, and the fact that I was "without my better half", who always makes these days easier.

One quote from the errand day....While in Wal-Mart, both my girls were fighting with each other in the grocery cart and couldn't seem to stop screaming "NO" in each other's faces. So, after I finally solved the problem of the moment, I said to Kendyll: "See! This is EXACTLY why I don't bring y'all to the stores with me!!" (Not nice....not nice at all. Very bad example and embarrasing to post!) But, then a few minutes later, Carlie pulled Kendyll's hair pretty hard, and Kendyll got quite mad. Then, she turned to me and said: "See!! This is EXACTLY why we should not have a crazy girl in our family!", while pointing at her sister. I just busted out laughing. It was humorous to not only hear my horrible mom-quote repeated, but to also hear what she was thinking about her sister. Well, no need to go on. That pretty much sums up Tuesday. By the time we left the store, they were both covered in chocolate from an act of desperation on my part. Yes, that's right, I pulled a bag of chocolate covered pretzels straight from the shelf and inserted them in their mouths just to get some quiet. (why was that a good idea, because then I just had to practically give them a sponge bath to get them back in the car?)

Wednesday was baking day for various gifts we were giving the next day, along with a visit to the cutest cousin ever in Midlothian for lunch. We enjoyed getting to hold Braden and I particularly enjoyed trying to avoid Kendyll's coughs landing right in his face while we were there. Kind of tough to explain to a four year old why she can't come near the couch when she loves this baby so much. But, we enjoyed our time, and even got some "awake" time with our little man.

Wednesday night was a going away event for some dear friends of ours who are moving three hours away. We had fun, and the kids had a blast playing together. It's always a blessing to attend a party where most of your and your kids' good friends are all in one house. Although I was there alone, without my better-half-kid-chaser, I did okay and so did the girls. It was worth the trip and the effort, because we love the Beards so much...

Thursday....man, I don't know if I can blog about it, it's that fresh. Thursday was the last day of Sunshine School before Christmas break. Pure craziness. That's all I can say. From the moment I packed the car that morning with teacher gifts and school bags, I knew it was going to be a day of Christmas craziness. After controlling my own children, plus controlling ten other children all day, the school day ended in two Christmas parties with sugar and adrenaline levels at an all-time high.....pure craziness. But, pure fun too, for the kids.

But, then, we were surprised with a husband and Daddy an hour earlier than we expected!! We went to dinner at our favorite Mexican food place and came home, put the kids in bed, and caught up on THREE finales for our favorite reality TV shows. What started crazy in the morning, ended with greatness---my reality TIVOed shows, my husband, and comfy flannel sheets, which I hit by 8:15 pm.

And here we are at today. A quieter day at home, with the whole family reunited! Tonight, we are visiting my other favorite baby, Mia Jing Maulsby (aka Min-Min)!!! We can't wait to catch up with our good friends and just to soak in Mia in every way. Kendyll keeps asking me when we get to leave to see our baby!

The rest of the weekend will be fun, with lots of Christmas activities in store. A family Christmas picture finally taken tomorrow, a trip to the Gaylord to visit Santa's workshop, delivering toys with our church to needy families, shopping on Sunday, and seeing lots of family. I look forward to a slower paced weekend....with my better half and a better attitude!

One more highlight...

Oops! Forgot my most favorite highlight (goes with post below--wow! I've made two posts in a day!). Anyway, after seven years of real trees with my sweet husband and many more years of real trees with each of our own families growing up, Mark finally said the words I've been wanting to hear for three years now.

"I'm done. No more of this."

Now, this was said while we were "readjusting" our tree last night for the fifth time, to try and get it straight. As we did this, needles fell everywhere, and even though they smelled good as they fell, it made us both cringe, because our entire living room is covered in these sticky, poky pieces (which Carlie loves to find). I wasn't sure I was really hearing him right. So, I said, "You're done? Done with what?"

"I'm done with this tree thing. You win. I want a fake one."

WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!! After I stopped dancing the victory dance, I told him that this was a bloggable moment and he started dying laughing (probably more about my dancing than my statement). The reason it's so "bloggable" is so that NEXT YEAR when he changes his mind back to the real tree, I can find my post and prove to him that he gave me his word.

So, that's it. We're done with the real tree thing. I think we were both convinced after a very cold night out with the girls trying to find a tree, plus getting it into our house, putting all those hundreds of lights on, and now cleaning up after it (which will continue for the next six months). I might be offending other "real tree lovers" (which I have been for many years), but it's too tempting to have a "fold it up and put it away" kind of a tree for next year.

After Christmas sales, here I come!! For a pre-lit artificial one, baby!

Highlights from SNOW DAY #2 (both good & bad):

*We had Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast....at 8:30!! (Usually we're already on our way to school by then!) It's the small things on the snow days that make us all happy around here!

*We tried to leave for the airport to welcome Mia to Dallas at 9:00, with no luck. VERY SAD moment for us. We couldn't even leave our driveway without hitting our fence (three times). So, we talked to Chad & Amy and welcomed them home "by phone" instead.

*We have continued the process of cleaning out toys for charity. Kendyll is doing amazingly well with this and is giving away more than I even want her to! I have learned alot about myself and have finally began to adopt Kendyll's "spirit of giving".

What I've learned from her that has surprised me:
*She knows exactly what she wants to keep and exactly what she wants to "give to the kids". There is nothing hard about these decisions. If she loves it and it stays, she is matter of fact about it. If she is ready to give it away, she is also matter of fact about it. (Even though I spend 10 minutes reminding her of why she loves this or that toy....)
*Me "reminding her" of why we should keep something has shown my over-attachment to things. This is something I already knew about myself, but it becomes much more evident when your three-year-old looks at you like "Mom, let it go! It's just a toy!"
*This process has made her more thankful for those things she has chosen to keep. She has played with things today that she probably hasn't touched in a year. Those material blessings have become even more treasured and important than they ever would have been if she kept everything.
*Kendyll is longing for the moment when she gets to meet these kids who will be receiving practically brand new baby dolls, books, movies, art supplies, stuffed animals, and toys. She keeps saying "Oh, I bet a little boy will love this! He will probably hug me, huh?" or "Oh, a little girl will say "Oh, thank you thank you for this pretty baby! She is my favorite!"

(So, any advice on where to go to get these directly into the hands of children? We are looking into some children's homes options, or maybe a hurricane relief organization. If you know kids who are in need (who Kendyll can hug!), let us know!)

*Carlie, on the other hand, has had a busy day in a different way. "Tas" (her loving nickname given by her parents for her similarity to the Looney Tunes character) has been in full effect. She can destroy anything in a matter of minutes. She can sneak out of a room in a matter of seconds. And, she can put herself in danger in no time flat. Her new thing is climbing. Yesterday, I ran Kendyll upstairs to her bed, while Carlie sat in her highchair for a snack. Came back downstairs to my little munchkin sitting ON THE DINING ROOM TABLE! She climbed out of her chair onto the table and was "stirring" Kendyll's cereal milk. This has continued today with climbing into the bathtub, on top of the potty (standing on top!), up the stairs (very scary), on a stepstool (to the top), and this was all while in the same room as me!! Crazy girl!

*The rest of the day is hopefully going to be spent doing Christmas shopping online, and taking the girls to Toys R Us to make their Christmas lists. This is Kendyll's surprise reward for giving so generously. We plan to just spend time playing there for a long time, while also figuring out what each child is "into" enough to put on "THE LIST" this year (Yes, family, we are finally making a list! Thanks for being patient with us!). Hopefully, the weather will cooperate for this outing!

The Weather Outside is Frightful...

And I love it (the weather I mean)!!! Because it truly is the "most delightful" thing to me, as the Christmas carol says. To be stuck in the house with nowhere to go, and nothing to do but be home is one of my favorite things! These are the days that my little "organizer" brain goes into overload. Since we had a day full of plans today (visiting my new nephew, Christmas shopping with a friend, going to a 4 year old birthday party, and then to Bible Study tonight), it was an unexpected day of productivity for me and a much needed day of play for my girls. Those are the best!

I woke up to Fox 4 News alerts of icy streets and wind chills in the 'teens, turned off my alarm, and snuggled deeper into my flannel sheets. Ahhh, nowhere to go. (although I was definitely disappointed to not see my little Braden today!) Then, shortly after the "crawl back into the sheets" moment, the overdrive mode began. Immediately thinking of all the things I could do with my time, I shot out of bed, dressed in layers, and began unpacking the last of the Christmas boxes sitting around the house. As the girls woke up, we opened the "Christmas box", which consists of all the random Christmas goodies left from last year, including a Frosty flashlight that doesn't work (Carlie's favorite), some sno-globes, a snowflake slinky, books, stickers, a reindeer kazoo, and some Christmas jewelry. It's amazing how occupied they can be with this junk! Daddy braved the "storm" (ha ha) and got us McDonald's for breakfast, so that Mommy could have her Starbucks from next door! (Best Daddy ever!!)

Then, the fun began. I organized the kitchen while they ate (replaced everyday plates and cups with more festive Christmas ware), started a load of laundry, and started in on the "arts and crafts" closet. Wow....that place can get scary fast!

After breakfast, we all moved upstairs to the girls' rooms for the REAL cleaning out. Because of our Hawaii trip in the middle of November, I had put off cleaning out the summer clothes. Now that we are officially done with them all, it was time to do the closet clean-out. This takes some major coordinating. Putting summer away in the proper bins, to go back in the attic until the warmth returns outside, packing some boxes for friends, moving others to Carlie's closet from Kendyll's, and then some go to the donate pile.

While I was doing this, I started Kendyll on the "Project Toy Donation". This year we have decided to attempt a new concept with Kendyll, and have explained that there are kids who don't have Christmas trees and new toys at their house, because they don't have the money to buy these things. Now, we will also be buying new toys for the Toy Drive at church, but we also wanted her to learn another lesson of generosity with giving the things that are her own. The things that she has loved and played with for as long as she can remember. The idea that others deserve those things too, and that we are called to give away our belongings because we are so blessed, has been sinking in slowly with her (as well as with us!). So, I started her on this process. I asked her to go through her story-books (she has shelves and shelves full!) and decide which ones were her favorites. After she did this, I asked her to go through these favorites and pick out the ones she would like to give away. I told her that the ones we give to other children, we would not get back and they would get to keep forever.

Then, I continued on to Carlie's room, to continue my own cleaning up. After a little bit, Kendyll came to get me, saying she had finished deciding. I did not get the response I had expected. Now, this girl LOVES her books. She loves to read and she loves to be read to---she always has. So, I really thought she would have a hard time with giving away her "favorites". The sight I saw when I opened her door brought tears to my eyes. She had moved all but two books into her "give away" pile!!!! I couldn't believe it. I went back over the concept with her, in case she didn't understand what she was doing. But, she did. Then, I found myself talking her out of it!! "Oh, Kendyll, don't give this one away. Grandma brought this to you when she visited Arizona and we read it all the time!" "And, this one was your very favorite book when you were only one!" "And, this one? Are you sure? You always read this with Daddy!". She was sure. She said "Mommy, I know the kids will just LOVE these! They will be so surprised!!" Wow. I was speechless. I couldn't do it, but my almost four year old could. Generosity without hesitation. Man, am I lacking in that area!! I haven't decided what to do yet. They're still stacked in her floor. We haven't even started on the toys either! This may be yet another way that God teaches me a lesson through my child.....

So, my day of organizing has been a wonderful one. Full of surprises from my little girls. Carlie has enjoyed finding "treasures" she had forgotten about, lost in her room behind played-with-everyday-toys. She has enjoyed her rocking chair as she "rock-rock" her stuffed animals. And, she has learned new words today...grape and chicken. "Dape" and "nittin". What a wonderful day at home.

As I type, both girls are asleep, the washing machine is chug-chugging away, the dishwasher is humming, and the Christmas lights are twinkling. The sheets are all changed, and the closets are all clean (well, except mine...). And, my daughter is learning the real meaning of Christmas with each passing day. I am a happy mommy!

Braden is Here!

Well, after a full day of labor, we have a baby boy!! With mommy's eyes, and daddy's nose, and both of their fat baby cheeks, Braden Henry Henke finally decided to come see his family at 7:24 pm last night. Cortni was a trooper and did such a good job with this labor thing! I arrived for my coaching job at 6:30 am yesterday, armed with Starbucks and breakfast for Adam and me. We watched Cortni contract for 4 hours before she really started having any pain at all. After her water broke around 1:00, she finally started the REAL labor pains! A little while later, she had her epidural and all was happy again in Cortni's
world!

What none of us anticipated was just how BIG this boy would be! After almost two hours of pushing, Braden was born. And, to our surprise he was even bigger than expected!! A whopping 9 pounds, 8 ounces....and he technically had two more weeks to go until his December 12th due date! He is so healthy and is the best little baby already! The only cry he's made was when he breathed for the first time. And, since then, he has been as calm as can be, looking around and studying everyone's face. He is already eating well, and slept great last night, according to mom.

So, another blessing of a healthy birth and healthy mom. The whole thing is just amazing evidence of the Lord's Hand in creating each of us and being on this side of it was just awesome. I'm so proud of my sister, and I'm so proud of Adam too. They already are such wonderful parents and could not have been happier to welcome their baby boy into their arms. (as you can tell by the picture of them moments after he arrived....just a few tears were shed by the two of them, as well as all of us!)

Thanks for all of your prayers on their behalf. Continue to pray for their new family of three and that all will continue to go well for them, as they head for home tomorrow. And, say a special prayer for Cortni's recovery. She has a long road ahead, since Braden was such a fatty!! :) But, it's all worth it, isn't it mommies?

Of course, Kendyll was the most excited of the bunch for her new baby "tuzzin" (cousin). She just kept giggling so hard when she saw him, saying "Awwwww!!" Then she told him that she was his biggest "tuzzin" and that she would take care of him. Nothing's more precious than watching your big girl get that excited about a baby. And, to think of the friendship they will all share as cousins or tuzzins or whatever they will be.....that is a prayer my sisters and I all pray---that our children will be as close to each other as we are.

Have I mentioned yet how excited I am to be an AUNT?!