haircut

i decided it was time to cut susanna's tail off in the back...it was not a cute look :) i saved her little wispy hair. it was easier for me this time...i didn't cut caroline's until she was 2 1/2. of course, my poor girls are just like me in the hair dept. it takes all of us a long time to get any! a million christmas pics to come very soon hopefully!

caroline's christmas party

rudolph sandwiches :)

susanna helping me get stuff ready!

caroline showing off her cookie

the class eating their goodies

caroline and mommy

mrs. kampen quizzing the kids

opening her present from mrs. kampen

4K class - minus one who was at disney world

taylor grace and caroline

caroline and mrs. kampen - can you tell caroline loves her??

caroline had her christmas party at school on friday. i made the kids rudolph sandwiches - how cute are they???? i stole the idea from the blog of my very creative friend lauren. i think i was more enamored with them than the kids! we read a story about how God gave us christmas and tried to keep the kids from jumping out of their skin with all the sugar and excitement. the high in charleston on friday was 82 so they played outside on the playground in the sunshine before saying their goodbyes. caroline is going to miss her wonderful teacher and friends for the next 2 weeks. she LOVES school so much!!

festival of lights

checking out the santa sand sculpture...always amazing!

little man joshua

getting ready for the train ride

a little excited!

the fortney girls

charleston scenes

waiting patiently to see santa

the big girls sitting on santa's lap

5 seconds after being placed on santa's knee :)

riding the carousel

susanna's fav part of the night...the puppy painting!

one of our annual traditions in charleston is to go to the festival of lights on james island. this is actually the first place caroline saw santa when john did a rotation at musc his 4th yr of med school. hard to believe that was 4 yrs ago when she was 7 months old!! we went with the mclain family and had a blast! we missed you, white family :( unlike last year when it was freezing, the weather was so mild. you never know what it's going to be like here during christmas. we rode the train, the carousel, sat in santa's lap, roasted marshmallows and saw the beautiful lights. so much fun!! except of course the babies and their dislike of santa :)

the torture continues.....

not a santa fan...

we went to the holiday festival of lights last night on james island and had so much fun! susanna and her boyfriend joshua (he's 9 days younger) were not fans of dear ole' santa as you can tell from the pic. as soon as i put her in his lap, she completely lost it! i was expecting this reaction remembering how caroline was at this age, too. i love the pic, it's a classic :) i also had to include a cute pic i got of the girls before church last sunday....

guess what she's happy about?

finally.... i get to face forward!!!!

woohoo, a whole new world!!!

these are cool, but where did my hands go?

we'd love to get up this ladder and help with the wreaths!

finally getting to put the star on the top!!

susanna is happy b/c she finally gets to face forward in the car!! i finally caved and decided to turn her around a couple of days ago hoping she would be more content in the car. well, i don't know how much it is helping with that, but i sure do love looking at her cute face in the rearview mirror! 2 precious girls to stare back at me now :) i also added some pics of the girls helping us decorate for christmas. i love experiecing christmas with them...everything is simple, magical and fun!

thanksgiving 2008

the kids blowing out the candles on my uncle's b'day cake

susanna and aunt kristen

luke, andrew and susanna playing some cards

my cousins cicely, macy and allie

caroline and papa

my cousin cali and susanna

caroline, sarah and luke

me, my cousin ashley and kristen

my cousin josh and his fiance jen

susanna loving on her new cousin anna

me and anna

the oldest fortney grandchild with the youngest fortney grandchild

a long, pretty table for lots of people

abby, kaitlin and caroline = trouble!

susanna enjoying the food

camo and helmets are the attire at the farm

daddy and caroline going for a ride

mommy and caroline going for a ride

john called this our twin picture

my sassy susanna wanting to ride the 4 wheeler

uncle david and a sleepy anna

the fortney grankids - caroline, abby, caleb, susanna, rebekah, anna and kaitlin

the best shot of my girls in the matching pajamas :(

caroline and caleb

hanging out in camo once again

susanna and aunt connie

bekah giving susanna a lift decorating the tree at the farm

grammie and her 2 piano proteges

we had a wonderful thanksgiving!! as always, we ate lunch with my family at my parents' house first and then headed to john's parents' farm farther north for dinner and spent a couple of nights there before heading back for another night with my parents. we've perfected the art of bouncing from place to place when we're in georgia! i can pack and unpack all of us with my eyes closed now :) we had such a great time with everyone, but there is always one problem...it's never long enough :( thank goodness christmas is just around the corner!! i am thankful for so much this year and the list would be forever long, but i'm most thankful for my loving husband, precious 2 little girls and my Heavenly Father who has "an unfailing love " for me, Psalm 107:21!