Sorry I've been a little MIA lately!  My little family of three joined my mom, brother, and his girlfriend on a fun Christmas trip to the mountains.  The Smokey Mountains to be exact.  Sadly, the rest of the family couldn't make this trip, but there are more coming up!  Which is one reason everyone couldn't make it to Gatlinburg.  You've gotta be pretty flexible to roll with this group!  Ha!

Russ and Millie Janalee

We made a little stop in Chattanooga on our way to Gatlinburg Friday night.  My parents honeymooned in Gatlinburg, and they spent their first night at Chattenooga Choo-Choo, so this stop always makes for fun stories and a few trips down memory lane.  It just so happened that Santa was in the building, so Millie Janalee got her picture made again...of course!  Ha!  We ate at a yummy restaurant with live music.  The waiters and waitresses sang Christmas music all night, and it was so much fun!  Millie Janalee was a champ the entire meal, and she fell asleep right on cue before we loaded into the car.

Dustin and Sheila

This was a long road trip for a four and a half month old, and she did fantastic.  Until she woke up after Chattanooga!  Lately, we have decided we're scared of the dark I think.  She screamed and cried on and off the remainder of the trip.  I'm not too proud to tell you what gave us some relief...Barney.  On Netflix on Russ's cell phone!  I'm thinking, as much as we travel, a portable DVD player is a must for this sweet girl.  We arrived at our mountainside condo around 10 or 11, unloaded, and snuggled into bed.

The only way to start a Gatlinburg vacation is to eat at Pancake Pantry!

Susu and Millie Janalee

We drove into downtown Gatlinburg, found a parking spot, and strolled Millie Janalee over to the long line in front of Pancake Pantry.  The temperatures were in the 60's the first few days of our trip, so it was a delightful wait as we anticipated the deliciousness we were about to show Millie Janalee!  This is a monumental experience, you understand.

Mama, Daddy, and Millie Janalee on her first trip to Pancake Pantry

Millie Janalee was so happy to see the pancake options.  She sat right down beside me and began to browse the menu.  She gave me her list of favorites to try...when she is able to actually eat solids.  Ha!  Until then, she will just have to observe.

After another all star meal at one of our favorite Gatlinburg restaurants, we strolled around a while browsing shops, taking pictures, and planning the rest of our day.  There was plenty to keep us busy downtown!

Party of Three

Dustin and Sheila

While we shopped around and enjoyed a few free tastings, Susu and Millie Janalee enjoyed the beautiful day rocking in the rocking chairs all along the way.  Anywhere there were bands, guitars, or banjos...Susu and Millie Janalee sat a bit to enjoy.

Dustin and Sheila found their real calling...posing as outlaws.  You may remember during our girls' trip last year, we had our old tyme portraits taken.  Dustin and Sheila needed their turn for sure!  You can tell from the picture just how excited Dustin was.  Ha!  The end result was worth it!  I'm sure he would agree.  Sheila looked adorable...as always.

Outlaws...with Russ's editing skills

Millie Janalee can really hang with this group!  She's a trooper!  Her feedings are even convenient.  She waited until the perfect opportunity to get a little hungry.  Maybe she just enjoyed the music so much, she wanted to stay a while.  Susu fed Millie Janalee by the sound of the bluegrass band while the rest of us did some shopping and more tasting.

This is the life!  Mountain life.

"Hey Daddy!  Don't you like that music?!"

I think it's safe to say that Millie Janalee loved her first day in the mountains!

Dustin and Russ decided they were up for a quick 5 mile hike, so the girls headed back to the condo to rest a bit and let the guys get in their car.  I don't know much about their hike...except that the last part was in complete dark.  Not my idea of fun.  Or safe, for that matter!  I guess that's all part of the adventure for guys.

Dustin at Alum Cave Bluff

Sheila and I ended up doing a little shopping at The Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge while Susu and Millie Janalee napped and spent some quality time together.  By the time everyone got back from their adventures, it was time for supper.  The Peddlar was the food of choice, and it was delicious!  Millie Janalee wasn't really a fan, but we survived.  I think the hour and a half wait was all she could handle.  As soon as we were seated, she decided she didn't like this place after all.  Ha!  I think what she really wanted was a little playtime...

Sheila and Millie Janalee playing with her fun ball!

Just hangin' out with Uncie Bucket.

It was a full first day in the mountains, and there was more to come for this mountain baby!

Christmas Through the Eyes of a Child...

 

The bulbs
The tinsel
The lights she sees
All lit up on the Christmas trees

The snow
The Presents
The food, such fun
All excited the little one.

Santa
The reindeer
The elves
All the toys on the shelves. 

The choo choo's
The trucks, Trolleys
and so much more
All laid out displayed on the floor

The excitement in her eyes
As Christmas grows near.
What a joy it is to see
On her face, the cheer

Her eyes,
how they sparkle
She smiles,
how her face does beam
All the excitement,
The joy and happiness it brings.

Christmas seen,
Through the eyes of a child.

As this Christmas approaches, it's hard not to get excited about all the lights and tinsel, toys and wrapping, carolers and hot chocolate, Santa and reindeer.  Honestly, I get excited about all that too!  I pray that as Millie Janalee grows and joins the millions of other excited children during this time of year, Russ and I continue to teach her the true meaning of Christmas.  Yes, the pomp and circumstance is fun and all.  But it is not why we celebrate.

Christmas is a season of great JOY!  Not just happiness...but JOY.  Christmas is when we celebrate God's Son sent to Earth in the form of a newborn baby.  Of course we celebrate Jesus's birth everyday.  I think of Christmas as one huge birthday party!  How incredible that the entire world celebrates this day...this day that originated as a celebration of Christ's birth!  Let's join the celebration!  Christ's birth brought great joy to the world!  Great hope!  Great wonder!  Great anticipation!

This joy, hope, wonder, and anticipation is what I want Millie Janalee to know as we countdown to such a special day.  The JOY of knowing Christ as her personal Savior one day, the HOPE that God gives those who believe in Him, the WONDER of His marvelous works and His plan, and the ANTICIPATION of a home in Heaven with Him.

May Millie Janalee always look at Christmas full of anticipation, hope, joy, and WONDER.  I pray she (and all of us) always see Christmas through the eyes of a child - the Christ child. 

Brotherly Love

 We pay so much attention to Millie Janalee.  I know it's hard for you to believe, but poor Farley gets the shaft quite often.  He's still our "firstborn," and we can't imagine life without him.  However, we don't "oooh" and "ahhh" over him as much as we used to.  He always seems to be in the background these days. 

Do you see him?

 Millie Janalee does something new every day it seems, and we try so hard to capture it all.  It's impossible to capture every first!  But I'm thinking we've done an okay job judging by the number of pictures on my computer.  [I'm embarrassed to disclose that information.]  She started trying to pull up when she's reclined a week or so ago, so tonight I sat her on the ottoman to see what she could do.  And, look at that girl!  Stop growing, Millie Janalee!  Please!

Such a big girl!

 Farley gets a little jealous from time to time of Millie Janalee's camera time.  He wants to make sure we still capture his best side too.  Ha!  It may be all the high pitch voices we use to get Millie Janalee's attention, but he loves to interrupt our photo shoots.  And sometimes that is just perfect!

Sibling love!

Millie Janalee, on the other hand, thought it was all about her.  "Ummmm.  Mama, I thought this was MY photo shoot."  Ha! Sometimes we have to share, sweet girl.  Sometimes.

"Excuse me, Bubba, but I was in the middle of a photo shoot here."

These are the days!

Starry Nights

As we continue to relish in these December days, I can't forget taking Millie Janalee on her first carriage ride to look at her first Christmas lights!  Paw Paw set up a wonderful hour long carriage ride through Shelby Farms for whatever family members could join.  Of course, Russ and I jumped in.  Kristin and Lee are always up for a fun memory too.  Sadly, Dustin had school and Mama had to conference call.  So it was just the original Daddy and his girls.

Party of Three!

Kristin and Lee

Kristin, Paw Paw, me, and Millie Janalee

I will forgo the driving experience I endured while bringing Millie Janalee this far alone.  She has decided she's scared of the dark these days I guess, because she gurgles and screams during nighttime rides...unless someone is in the back with her.  After about 45 minutes, I called Russ and told him to stand outside the hospital as I drove by and jump in the back seat! Ha!  The original plan was for him to meet us there.  No way!

By the time we arrived, my nerves were on edge as Russ seemed to be getting smiles and giggles from the once wailing angel.  Hmmmm.  Until we saw the beautifully lit and jingling Cinderella looking carriage!  Millie Janalee loved it!  As soon as we all loaded, she began giggling as she looked around at Uncie Lee, Auntie Kristin, and Paw Paw.  Yes, we got it all on video.  First carriage ride...documented!  Check.

It was frightfully cold...much cooler than I anticipated, but Millie Janalee didn't seem to mind one bit.  She was bundled in her new coat from Susu and her hand crocheted hat from Maw Maw.  Of course, we brought one of our favorite blankets made with love by her cousin, Julie.  I'm thinking she was nice and toasty...and probably had the best seat in the carriage snuggled in my arms with all cameras and eyes on her.  Hopefully, she saw the first few minutes of the lights, because I'm sure the adults did not.  Ha!

My sweet family - Excuse the miscellaneous item around Russ's neck.  Whatever works to warm us!

Paw Paw, Kristin, and Lee

Our horse drawn carriage took us past giant light displays and under tunnels of lights as heard stories of proposals and kept our eyes out for deer.  Of course we stopped under the tunnels of lights for photo opps and took pictures and videos of it all.

We rode past Mistletoe Village where Santa resides, vendors were set up, and camel rides were available.  We opted not to experience Mistletoe Village this time.  But, maybe next year.

Millie Janalee was quite comfortable and lulled right to sleep by the jingling of our carriage combined with the vibration of the ride and beauty of the lights.  She slept so peacefully under the "Starry Nights."  It was a sweet moment.

It was a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas season!  Surrounded by family, lights, jingle bells, and a cuddly baby wrapped in hand-crocheted blankets.  A BIG thank you to the man behind it all...Paw Paw!  He's always up for making memories...and so am I!

We finished the evening with a delicious dinner at Bonefish Grill before heading home for visions of sugar plums and comfy pajamas.

First December Slumber Party

This weekend was the St. Jude Marathon weekend.  Our family always has runners participating.  Russ ran a couple of times, his brother's family always runs, and we have friends running every year too.  I have participated in a couple of ways: taken pictures for friends and family, eaten at the pasta dinner with friends, and babysat our niece and nephew while the rest of the family runs.  I am very happy with my participation level.  And, although I'd love the satisfaction of being able to complete a half or full marathon, I don't see it in my near future.

This year, I kept our youngest niece and nephew overnight so that our family of runners could rest, wake early, and run!  Leah and Sam stayed with us last year too, and we had such fun.  Really, they probably had the most fun with Farley.  This year added a little extra excitement.  I met Jimmy, Roan, their family, and all their running friends at Spaghetti Warehouse for supper Friday night.  It was a delicious meal of pasta...the recommended meal for runners prior to a race.  I was not running, but I did get my fill of carbs just in case the opportunity arose.  After dinner, we packed up Leah and Sam's belongings and headed back home.

Millie Janalee was very excited about her first slumber party with her cousins!  She played, giggled, observed, and maybe even learned some things.  She was very happy to wake up to two playmates!  Leah and Sam entertained her before breakfast.  Sam even read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.  He did a wonderful job!  

Leah was such a great helper!  She loves Millie Janalee and thinks every little thing is "so cute!"  She loves her little toes, her long eye lashes, her little fingers, her round belly, her roly poly knees, and her little nose.  Every time she played with Millie Janalee, Leah would name something else she loved about her.  It was so sweet!  I was able to take a nice long shower...AND shave my legs!  Let's just say that's a luxury these days.  Ha!  When I got out of the shower, Leah was walking the hallway with Millie Janalee because it was the only way she was happy.  It was so funny, because Millie Janalee is probably half Leah's body length.  I absolutely loved all the extra help!  And I loved staying up late giggling over popcorn and movies!

We all dressed and got ready for our day, took a stroll, walked Farley, and met the rest of the family and friends for lunch at Huey's.  Millie Janalee enjoyed more playtime with the older girls and their friends while I ate another healthy option...fried cheese sticks.

We timed everything perfectly, because by the time we left and I got Millie Janalee settled in her car seat...her eyelids were a little heavy.  She fell asleep before we left the parking lot, so I took advantage of a Target run!  We did a little Christmas shopping and grabbed some necessities just in time for Millie Janalee to wake up in the checkout line.  Score!

In case you haven't heard, the SEC Championship was on tonight.  Of course we watched it!  Russ was working out of town all weekend, so the girls curled up in the chair and watched some football.  Well, I did.  Millie Janalee decided she'd rather snooze.  And that was fine with me!

All in all, I'd say we had a busy and fun weekend.  Of course, it's not over yet.

 But it is December!  Time for full Christmas mode!  I laughed and laughed at Millie Janalee tonight.  I sat her in the recliner to get some pictures by the Christmas tree.  [Imagine that.]  She had so much fun, she decided to recline for a while.  Of course, I also pulled out my video camera as my laid back diva chilled with her little arm on the armrest.  She squealed, looked at the tree from top to bottom, watched Farley, and played with her hands.

She's pretty excited about December.  So far, she loves everything about it.  She's loving the Christmas lights and the Christmas music and the Christmas outfits.  See...

What do I have on now?

She even loves the Christmas socks!  Every little girl has to have Christmas socks.  Don't act like you don't have any!  I love these little socks.  I got a set of three pair for a shower gift this summer, and I am so glad to see them on these little footsies!

We are just waiting on December weather...which is unlikely in Mississippi.  I told Millie Janalee about an upcoming trip to the mountains we planned.  I told her about snow, ice, hikes, bears, and cabins.  She couldn't believe what all is in this great big world that she has yet to see!

Oh, it's a great time of year for us!  I don't want to rush it.  I want to soak in every day of December!