Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

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I feel so out of the loop in the blog world, but I have been busy with the hustle and bustle of the season, the best season, that is!  Christmas is a holiday filled with many different traditions and meanings...

This has been my best but busiest Christmas ever... 

Usually by this time, I've watched a dozen Christmas movies and sat and looked at my Christmas decorations for hours at a time.  I'm one of those people who loves Christmas lights and looking at my tree to just soak up the holiday.  I just realized that I haven't had a chance to do any of those things, and I can honestly say that this has been the best one yet, even though it was a little different.

I've spent my Christmas chasing around a toddler and viewing this holiday season through his eyes (and we've been fighting a double ear infection... *tear*).  Even though I may be a little exhausted, I am blissfully happy and so very thankful for him and for all he teaches me every single day.  Here's what I've enjoyed and learned this Christmas...

1.  Christmas is a time for lights, Santa, presents, decorations, etc, but more importantly, it's a time to worship Jesus and teach your children about Jesus.  Manning loves to read his Christmas story books, and he always brings me the one about the first Christmas story.  I'm so thankful that he does.  It kept us from overlooking the most important person in the entire world, Jesus!  A couple of our friends from Wilson celebrate today by having a birthday party for Jesus.  I think that's a wonderful idea, and I'm planning on borrowing the idea for next year, if they don't mind.  Thanks, Nickie & Kaci!

2.  I no longer care about presents for myself... I only care about those belonging to a precious little boy.  When Manning's face lights up, I'm reminded that he is my special gift!  Thank you, Lord, for him!

3.  Christmas is a time of thanksgiving.  I am so very thankful for my family and my Manning.  Children make Christmas so much more fun!

4.  I just thought that Christmas was exciting when I was a kid... Just wait 'til you're on the opposite end.  I never dreamed I'd be too excited to sleep waiting on Santa at the age of 27... :o)

Santa came!

5.  I think I'll end my list with #5.  I'm even more thankful today that I'm a mother than I ever have been before.  I get emotional thinking about how blessed I truly am to have Manning.  I think I'll go check on him right now and whisper to him that he's the best thing that has ever happened to me.  

I love Santa!!!

P.s....I have so many pictures of Manning's second Christmas, but I'm just going to post a few tonight.  I'll be putting some more up soon.  I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas, and that you thanked Jesus for being the very first gift to all of us!  Happy Birthday, Jesus!

'Tis the season



Christmas is my favorite! :)

Well, as promised, here is a picture of my finished tree before the presents.  I took this a couple of weeks ago.  Now, I have tons of presents around it, because... drum roll please... I'm finally done with all of my Christmas shopping! :o)  I'm happy to be done, but I love Christmas and shopping so much, that I get a little sad when it's all over.

I feel like I have fallen off of the face of the planet because I haven't blogged in so long... I have been super duper busy.  Cody has been away for work in a snowy little town in Michigan for 2 weeks, so it's just been me and my little man at home.  I love Manning and cherish every single moment I get with him, but that little stinker wears me out, especially when I'm a single-parent due to work trips.  I am so very thankful, though, that I am the one that gets to stay home and be with him every single minute of every day, instead of being the one thousands of miles away for work.  Thanks, Cody, for all that you do for our family!  We love you and miss you VERY much!

I am thankful...

Well, I haven't posted in forever for a couple of reasons...

Playing @ Chick-fil-A on our way to Columbia for Thanksgiving

1.  I am off of work for the winter, so I'm now a stay-at-home-mommy until March.  Don't get me wrong, I'm loving every single second with Manning, but my free time is pretty much nonexistent.  :o)  He keeps me BUSY!

2.  My internet has been completely messed up for over 4 weeks now.  I've felt soooo disconnected.  Thank goodness for my I-phone and my parents' internet service. 

You haven't missed a whole whole lot in the life of the Moore's these days.  We had a pretty good Thanksgiving holiday....minus the rotten dumplins.  Yes, leave it to me and Cody to get food poisoning on Thanksgiving.  After a full day and a half of being sick, we rebounded just in time for Black Friday!  We decided to head out bright and early to hit up those sales.  We made it to the first stop at about 4 am and didn't stop until 2 pm.  Cody was such a trooper, and we really had a great time together shopping for our family & little man.  It's a tradition that I think we'll continue from year to year. 

Since Thanksgiving, we've really been focusing all of our time on preparing for Christmas.  I finally have the inside of my house looking great (not clean, but decorated nicely lol).  Stay tuned... I will take some pics of my decor and post them within the next couple of days for those of you who like looking at that sort of thing.