OUR WEEKEND GET-A-WAY AT CEDAR GROVE

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BAILEE'S CHRISTMAS FIELDTRIP

Bailee had a wonderful Christmas field trip. Bailee and I have been looking forward to it for weeks.
I followed the bus to the mall where we saw the movie Madagascar 2. We had already seen it as a family, but never get tired of seeing movies. After the movie, we got to go to the food court and choose where we wanted to eat. I took Bailee and one of her best friends with me, and of course, they choose MacDonald's!

After the mall, we arrived at one of our local nursing homes. This was the best part of the trip,Bailee was so excited about singing to the people. This was right up Bailee's alley. She LOVES to sing. She is always in her room with her microphone singing. I knew Bailee was going to have such a wonderful time here!

I got to sneak on the bus, and found Bailee and Ashley practicing their songs. I was so moved at the fact that this really meant a lot to them.They were so precious!

Hand in hand, they were ready to meet and sing to the elderly.

Of course, we had to stop and talk to Good Old Saint Nick! Bailee and Ashley told Santa that they have been real real nice this year!!

The kids all gathered around the Christmas tree and sang their little hearts out!

The elderly really enjoyed the children's singing. Some of them even sang along with them!

I was so proud of each one of the children.

I love going to the nursing home. I feel so bad for some of them. Some don't have any family, and sometimes they don't get visitors ever. They are so eager for conversation and fellowship. I am glad that we got to give it to them.

I hope that we can all learn a lesson from this, we should always help those in need to can't always do for themselves.

After the singing, the kids got to hand out Christmas cards to some of the elderly.

We had such a great time meeting and visiting with them all. It was a wonderful and humbling experience for me and Bailee as well. She really took to some of them, and she spoke to them, her words were so genuine, and she loved talking to them.

What was really special was that Bailee got to read her Christmas card to a blind woman. I was almost in tears watching Bailee so kindly reading her card to her, it was such a heart warming moment for me, Bailee has so much compassion for people in general, but she really has such a giving heart when it comes to those less fortunate. I enjoyed this trip so much, and I was so glad that I got to go with her!

CAIDEN'S MUSIC RECORDER CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Caiden had his little Christmas musical program Wednesday.

I was so looking forward to it. I love music and any type of musical, especially when it involves my children!

I was so glad that Bailee got to sit with Jerry and I. All the 4th grade classes got to come and see what they had to look forward to next year.

Each class performed a different Christmas song. Caiden has really enjoyed music class. He looks forward to Friday to get another chance at a new belt! Great job Caiden, we so enjoyed listening to you play!

OH CHRISTMAS TREE....

How beautiful you are! I am so excited that we FINALLY got our Christmas tree up and decorated! We waited on Jerry to come home before we did anything.
The kids were so ready to put the tree up and put on their special decorations.
Bailee was most concerned with putting up the Mickey Mouse blow up toy!! That is her favorite thing to do!! She can't wait to plug it in and watch it fill up with air! Caiden and Bailee have always loved this special Christmas Decoration!
I love this time of year!! It seems that our family really tries to focus on the blessings we have!We really get into the Christmas spirit!

We had our traditional Christmas music playing while we put up the tree, we laughed and joked around, enjoying every moment together. I hope Caiden and Bailee will continue this tradition with their own families!

I love to see Jerry and Caiden together, these are the most impressionable times in a boys life, Caiden is at the age where he really looks up to his father, and he wants to be like his dad, I think that is so wonderful, they are building a strong father and son bond.

I love watching Jerry spending time with the children, they were so happy that we waited till he got home!

This brings make so many memories of my childhood.

My mom, brother, and sister always had such a wonderful time putting up our Christmas tree. My mom had Ronnie Milsap Christmas Cd playing, she always was in the kitchen, cooking, making our favorite cookies and candy. We each had our favorite, and she ALWAYS made each one, it really meant a lot to us, those are some of the best times that I will never forget!

I was so glad that Jerry was there, I think he was too!! The picture says it all..don't you think??!!

Caiden asked me if he could help but the beads on the tree, he really enjoyed it.

This was my most favorite part of putting up our tree. Caiden and Bailee had their very 1st Christmas ornaments that they had ever made. I always cry when I pull these priceless little ornaments out of the box. I can still picture them bringing me these ornaments, they were so proud of themselves and they couldn't wait to put them on our tree! I look forward to many many more Christmas' of them hanging them up, and I will always cherish each year I see them hang them, even when they are 16, I will still cry, and still appreciate the innocence they had when they made them! And I and will cry when I give them to them when they leave home to put on their own family Christmas tree with their own children.

These are the times that I cherish with my children, I am so blessed to be able to watch them hang these special ornaments!

I could not imagine my life with Caiden and Bailee.

It was now mine and Jerry's turn to hang our special ornament together. This represents our union as a couple, that we were united together by God, and he in turned blessed us with a family of our own. We has so much fun putting up our tree. I cooked Trash, made everyone's favorite Christmas candy. After we finished decorating the tree, we turned off all the lights, made some hot chocolate, and set in the living room with our Christmas music and admired our Beautiful Christmas tree! These are the ties that bind, and make us realize how much we have to be thankful for!

COOKIN WITH 4-H

One of the best things about entering the 5th grade is the chance to join the 4-H club. Caiden was excited about getting involved in it.


The 4-H club put on a cookie contest, and each member had to come up with a homemade cookie recipe, summit it, and cook it. Caiden decided on Peanut Butter Blossoms.These are some of his favorite cookies, his Kay Kay cooks them a lot and he loves them! Bailee Grace even helped out. She unwrapped the Hershey kisses.

I love watching them together like this!

After stirring the dough, Caiden rolled the dough in to little balls

Then he dipped the balls into a bowl of sugar

This is the best part of all, placing the little kisses on the cookies!

The finished product! Caiden brought his cookies to school and the kids enjoyed eating them, he didn't win, BUT he did say that 3 other students brought the same cookies and his cookies were the only ones that got ALL eaten! It was a great experience for him! He enjoyed making the cookies!