You know the saying about little girls. Anna Grace is just that mix. She is the sugar that loves on everyone, especially her baby brother. And she's the spice that loves to get into a little trouble here and there, play hard, be a little tom-boy, and try new things.

{exhibit a: playing cars with Henry. She calls them "her hotwheels".}

I have to take a minute to brag on this little gal. I recently had a conference with her preschool teacher. Anna adores her teachers and loves to go to school. I figured before our meeting that she would say she is socially on the up-and-up. She doesn't have a shy bone her body! Having been a teacher myself, I was also prepared for a few critiques. Maybe she talks out of turn or can't sit still during group time, all pretty typical for preschoolers. Anna has a hyper streak and tends to be loud and a little rough with her siblings at home, so none of that would be a shock to hear. She also has that super loving side too, so I was eager to learn how she interacts with her peers.

{getting some sister hugs}

As the conference began, I was handed a developmental check-list of things that Anna has mastered, all of which were checked. At her age, most of the skills listed were geared towards social interactions. Her teacher went on to tell me about how well she plays with others, but also alone--for long periods of time, intently thinking about how she's playing--something she said many children her age are not able to do just yet. She also said she's a great helper--loves to help clean up (ha! total opposite at home-she loves to have others do everything for her).  When I asked her teacher if she spoke out of turn, was too loud at times, had trouble listening to the first request, or exhbitied any hyper behavior, she said no and was kind of shocked that Anna would do any of those things! I also was a little surprised that she was so angelic at school, but the teacher in me knows that most children are perfect gems at school and save their rowdiness for home!

Looks like we have an A+ student on our hands for now! We're pretty proud of her report and, of course, we wouldn't have our little sugar and spice girl any other way!

It's always nice to get away for a few days, but it's especially nice to head to warmer weather when your neck of the woods is super cold, icy, and snowy. We were lucky enough to spend a few days in one of our favorite places, Folly Beach. You can't beat the views, great food, and its close proximity to the other towns we love-Charleston, Edisto Island, and Kiawah Island. While it wasn't super hot, it sure beat the weather East Tennesse was having! We missed the dusting of snow and frigid temps but, at our house, the beach is always better! It was sunny everyday. Temps were in the 50s-60s during the day, so mild, but the wind was pretty fierce at times. We still wore our long sleeves and jackets. You could definitely tell we weren't from around town--the beach natives were still braving shorts and flip flops!

Our condo was right on the beach and we had great views! The girls loved their room. It's always a plus for them when we travel because they get their own TV in their room :). Their were games, puzzles, and extra movies so when we weren't out we spent time putting puzzles together and playing board games. Luckily, even though the weather was cool, we were never bored! As usual we made our way over to Charleston for the day to walk around Market St. and the South Carolina Aquarium and also to Kiawah Island to do some shopping at our favorite place, Freshfield Village. Oh, and Bob made his TV debut on a local Lowcountry show to speak about a great cause, Learning Through Loggerheads. Want to learn more? Click here.

Time passed by quickly because we kept busy! Here is a look at our vacation in pictures...

{beach views are a plus no matter the season!}

{the three amigos headed for the pier}

{under the pier}

{We love all the restaurants on and around Folly. The girls picked Charleston Crab House for dinner the first night we were in town. The kids loved their hush puppies! If you're ever visitng Folly check out Rita's--best burgers on the beach!}

{goofing around at the aquarium}

{touch tank! Anna Grace let Emma do all the touching ;)}

{We love Charleston!}

 Next stop...Disney!

Whew! I truly can't believe that Christmas has come and gone and a new year is almost here! December is one of my favorite times of year and, as usual, it was a very busy month! We started off December with our annual trip to visit Santa and have brunch. I was anticipating a Henry meltdown. He isn't one for strangers these days and I just knew when he sat on Santa's lap the waterworks would begin aka screaming toddler santa picture. Boy was I wrong! He was kind of in awe of his glasses, beard, and suit. We once again bypassed a Santa photo meltdown!

Santa asked Henry what he wanted for Christmas but he was too in awe to answer :). The girls asked for air swimmers, dolls, and a Princess Celestia My Little Pony.

The rest of the weeks leading up to Christmas we baked cookies, went to see the local boat parade on the lake, and made gingerbread houses. The girls and Henry had their Happy Birthday Jesus parties at school and of course the girls made their letters for Santa.

On Christmas Eve Eve we celebrated our friend Eleanor's thrid birthday. Eleanor and Anna Grace are just nine months apart and the girls love getting together with her. She had a great party with yummy food, ice cream cake, and games. We always have a blast at her house! After the party, we met up with our friends the Millers at Dollywood for some Christmas fun. Emma and Anna were so happy to be reunited with their friend Taylor. We haven't seen them since our beach trip in 2010, so it was a very happy occassion for us all. The girls had a ton of fun riding rides and we topped off the night with Polar Express 4D (Henry LOVED the train!) and a late dinner at Calhoun's.

{Waiting for Taylor so we could get the fun started! And before any of you think I am a bad mom, yes, Henry did have shoes, but he refused to keep them on. Luckily it was not a very cold night, so the socks kept him warm enough.}

(Daddies and Daughters!}

We didn't make it home from our Dollywood adventure until after midnight. The kids were exhausted and slept in on Christmas Eve morning. We relaxed for a little while then loaded up to head over to my parent's house for Christmas Eve dinner and presents. We all had a great time spending time with family.

{opening presents at Nanna and Grandpa's house}

Christmas Eve night was another late evening--we got home after 8:00. Henry was pretty cranky since he missed his nap time that day. We got all snuggly in our Pjs and left our our cookies for Santa {and the kids had some cookies too :)}.

{Santa made his deliveries!}

On Christmas morning, Henry was the first one up. He is definitely my early riser! By 8:00 we were still waiting for the girls to get up and Henry was tired of being confined to the upstairs so we sent him in to wake up the girls.Those girls can really sleep in these days, especially when we have a few late nights that are out of our routine, but they didn't hesitate to jump out bed since it was Christmas morning! Here are a couple pictures from the present opening...

{The girls were very excited that Santa brought them Barbie Princess Charm School dolls!}

Henry loved all his new trucks! He was so happy when he opened his stocking because those trucks were ready for immediate play and not in packaging :).

After all our presents were open and the kids got in some playtime with a few new things we made our way over to Bob's parent's house for lunch and, you guessed it, more presents! We loved all the food, family, and fun we had while we were there. Henry loved their tree, mostly because it had a few car and truck ornaments. He was dying to get his hands on them!

{I want those trucks!}

Since our Christmas adventures ended we've been pretty lazy and had a low key week. The kids were all tired of being on the go so we spent the day after Christmas enjoying all our new toys and games. We've all played Chutes and Ladders, Whack-A-Mole, and Barbie more times than we can count! The kids have enjoyed a couple of their new movies and hot cocoa from our new Keurig (thanks hubby for the great gift!) and a couple of days in their pajamas for cozy playtime.

We hope everyone had a blessed Christmas!

Now on to New Year's Eve and 2012!

Does anyone else feel like Thanksgiving is kind of the forgotten holiday? Halloween is so hyped up, especially when you have kids. And, no joke, as soon as we woke up November 1st we started seeing holiday shopping ads. McDonaId's and Chick-Fil-A both have their peppermint specialty drinks for sale, which I love, but I'm still on a pumpkin spice kick :). I know a lot of people have been doing the 24 days of thanks on Facebook, but I don't really feel keeping up with it so I thought I would list 24 things i'm most thankful for in this post.

1. A husband who does it all! There is not one thing this man hasn't had to do in the past few years. When we were both working, he picked up breakfast and daycare duty. Now that I'm staying home he works extra hard to provide for us all (and still goes to the grocery store in between!).

2. Great parents and in-laws. We're blessed all around in that department!

3. 3 super kids! I prayed for what felt like a long time to become a mother. I prayed for God to give me healthy babies and got triple the blessings!

4. Our two SUVs. Sorry, mini-van mommas, but I wouldn't trade our super-sized SUVs for anything!

5. Being able to stay home. I can now say I've been on both sides of the fence. Each is great and, of course, both have advantages and disadvantages, but being able to stay home during these early years is something that I could never replace!

6. My brother. I'm thankful I didn't have to grow up an only child :).

7. Our house. In a day and age when some families can not afford food, healthcare, or adequate housing, I'm so grateful to have a roof over our heads and a house that is just the right size for catching the girls in "the act" :).

8. The crockpot. 'Nuf said.

9. The children's preschool. It may not be a "fancy" place, but it is just right for them! They have wonderful teachers and enjoy going to school, which is what is important to me.

10. Online retailers. When you have three kids, getting out to shop for them, or yourself, doesn't always happen. Shopping online is makes my life SO much easier!

11. Friends. I am lucky to have some great girls in my life.

12. My health. I have my own battles, but it is nothing compared to what others have to endure. It could be so much worse.

13. My work experience. I truly enjoyed my teaching experience and loved second grade!

14. Friday Night Steaks. I'm lucky enough to get dinner cooked for me by Bob almost every Friday Night.

15. Peppa Pig, Tom & Jerry, and My Little Pony. Those shows grant me a few quiet moments during the day.

16. Books. Luckily, all three of my children love books. It makes for great snuggle time!

17. Pumpkin Spice Lattes and Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes. They are so yummy and are my holiday treats!

18. My washer and dryer. Sadly, without these two pieces of equipment I'd be neck deep in stink. :) So glad I don't have to hand wash clothes or go to a laundromat.

19. My sorority. Cheesy to some, but I have great friends that I would have never met otherwise. I'm thankful we have a great group still in town that I can be part of.

20. Travel. I'm thankful that I get to travel so often with my family and sometimes with just Bob. The trips are always fun and memorable!

21. Silence early in the morning and noise during the day.

22. 8:00 bedtimes :)

23. Pants that fit. Hey, when you have 3 kids so close together you wonder if you'll EVER make it back into any kind of pre-pregnancy clothes.

24. The wonderment of holidays. Christmas, Halloween, and all the other fun family holidays are always a good time when you have great people to share it with, but the fun is magnified x100 when you get to share it with your own wonderful children.

What are you most thankful for this year? I'd love to hear about it!

I have to say, I'm so glad Halloween is over :). I was asked a million times by the girls, "Is it Halloween yet?" for the past couple weeks. So, I'm glad I don't have to hear that anymore! This year we trick-or-treated around the neighborhood and another neighborhood close by. The girls really racked up! Their pumpkins were filled to the brim! We, or more like the girls, decided to buck the whole theme idea, so I let them pick their own costumes. Anna Grace went with a witch and Emma chose a black cat. Henry was our little skeleton. I guess there was still a theme--traditional Halloween figures, ha!

Apparently the stars have to be aligned just so in order to get all 3 kids to pose together. Sigh.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween!