Candy Shop!

Grace's 4th Birthday Party

For Grace's birthday this year, it was set up as a candy shop. Each "customer" was given 100 pennies in a bag to spend for the candy they wanted. Erin was just excited it was a party and there was candy. She wasn't at all concerned about "spending" her money!

Candy necklace creating

All smiles...

Birthday girl!

Cake and ice cream!

Erin and Grace-while I am attempting a picture....

Erin had a great time and was only slightly sugared!

Take a picture of me...

A day in the life of Erin...

Some might say (and I dare them to say it to me right now...) that having wonderful ladies come and clean for me every 2 weeks is a want, not a need... BUT I know better. Sanity, because it is one less thing that I must do, is not over-rated!

Erin loves to see what the ladies create with her animals on her bed. When she walks in the door, that is where she runs to and then hollers for me to come and see. This particular day, she then instructed me to get the camer and "take a picture of me." I had to post these since she was acting like it was a photo shoot and she had to stop and look at each picture that I took. I just love that my girl has no problem with self-confidence... may she always and forever be that way!

Posing... wish I could see what she is imagining as she goes from one pose to the next...

Love this smile!

New Year's Eve

Sometimes it becomes glaringly obvious that our life is completely different than it used to be...

New Year's Eve and the fact that Erin goes with us to Chipee and Betsy's party is one of those times. Erin loves a party and has a blast. She doesn't even come close to making it to midnight though. We end up leaving by 11:00 so we can make it home before midnight.

Anne and Rob

Luckily, Erin and I had been to Wal-Mart the previous day and found the perfect accessories...

Then we shamed eveyone there into having their picture taken. Before Erin, we didn't have the great accessories and we certainly wouldn't have been able to get everyone to have their picture taken!

Randy and Laurie...
I think that Randy was the most reluctent.

Erin and Chipee

Family picture! You know I love these!

Pops and Gramma

Chipee and Betsty with Chipee trying to be gangsta

Shane and Robyn

The Squeakquel

In your head, you should hear Erin singing, "all the singlettes, all the singlettes..." to the tune of Beyonce "All the Single Ladies" or as eveyone else may call it, "Put a Ring On It."

The Squeakquel was Erin's first movie theater experience. She was so excited about the big seats, big drink and lots and lots of popcorn!

Notice that the Icee is the same size as Erin. After over an hour of sitting still, Erin did start asking when it would be over. She prefers to dance and sing around while watching movies at home and since she has always hated to be confined to one thing at a time, she was ready to be on the move. Months later, she asks for me to play the "singlette" song. I don't correct her because it is just too cute and I know she will eventually figure it out so I am enjoying it while I can!

Imagination...

Erin created a birds nest, got in and called me to take a picture. I was impressed that it looked like a birds nest with a mama Erin and her baby dolls.

When Erin calls, you really never know what she is going to say or show you.
I love that she takes something and pretends it to be whatever she needs it to be. May she always be able to create...

Ideal Mall Trip

Train Ride

Erin's ideal visit to the mall includes little to no shopping, even for her, but must have a merry go round. So, after Erin asking for awhile, we made the trek to Mall of Georgia for a day of Erin fun. This was the first time that we noticed they had a train for her to ride as well. You can imagine that this made her day.

Merry Go Round

Christmas Eve

Tha annual Angel Bread creation...

Every since I was a little girl, we have always made Angel Bread to have for Christmas morning breakfast. As Chipee and I got older, we added egg nog with Maker's Mark for a toast...

With Erin, Christmas morning is a little more hectic so we don't always make the toast so now we have margarita's while making the bread. It's always important to toast your family and friends at the holiday season. Gramma always rolls the dough into balls. Erin and I rolled the balls in butter and Pops has become the cinnamon and sugar roller. He might be a little particular about making sure that each one is covered perfectly. There needs to be enough to make the bread gooey in the middle.

This is the first year that Erin actually helped with the Angel bread. In the past, she always talked about it but never quite stuck with it very long. She was actually very helpful.


I love all of her facial expressions. I hoep she is always able to say so much with just a look, especially if it is to everyone else and not her mother with attitude!

This year, we made gingerbread cookies for Santa. Once again, Erin decorated each one beautifully and then picked which ones she wanted to leave for Santa to enjoy.

Christmas Party at Lake

Since it was Chipee and Betsy's turn to be in Tennessee with her family over the actual days of Christmas, we celebrated with the Barry family on the Saturday before Christmas. It is always a fabulous day of opening presents, stockings and good food!

There is a definite theme to the Barry family Christmas... Betsy "somehow" appears to be part of Erin opening the first present. She has an incredible knack for being at the right place, at the right time for Christmas presents... Hmmm....

As Erin opened the pink Legos box, she exclaimed "Just what I always wanted!"



Toy Story legos with Buzz Lightyear and Woody.

A Disney Princess piano book

Erin was convincing Betsy to open presents and directing her on which one it should be...

A WHOLE box full of stickers... the smile says it all!

A Barbie for the lake... again check out the smile!

Beads to make jewelry...in the appropriate colors of pink and purple.

Betsy with a Georgia Girl hat!

Erin wanted to make sure that Gramma noticed that there were pictures of her on the calendar that Betsy made. There are pictures of everyone. Erin still loves to look at all the pictures.

Hungry Hippo...

I think it is safe to say that Erin has her own rules and isn't afraid to cheat so that she wins. She has no problem using her hands to block your hippo from getting "her" marbles. All and all, it makes for quite an entertaining experience!

Gramma and Pops getting the apple pie a la mode ready. Yummo!

Puppy Bingo...

Betsy was the "chosen" one to play with Erin. I think that there was less cheating this time...

A fabulous day with family... just what the holiday season is all about.