Randomness

Obviously December is busy for everyone, but with a birthday, baby dedication, and tube surgery I feel like it was a little extra busy for us.  So here is my attempt to get all of that randomness into one post.

I am only posting my selfie with Santa to show you this scary/cool thing Google is doing with my picture.  After I uploaded it to Picasa this snow effect began.  Our Christmas tree picture also did a similar thing, but with glistening lights. It is pretty cool, but scary at the same time that Google is able to tell what is in my pictures.  Actually, it's just creepy.

Mary Frances.......  In her defense this shirt has been small for her since I bought it, but I ordered it online for $3 and it wasn't worth returning it.  When I put it on her I guess I pulled it down far enough that it looked fine until she started moving around.  The worst part about this is that I did not notice her belly hanging out until after I had given her a second nutri-grain bar.  She is not going to be happy about this picture when she is 13.

My Rook man at school!

This was after Jackson admittedly told me he was not sleepy and did not need a nap.  Yea, right.

And while he was asleep in the car I stopped for gas.  After we stopped I saw a Santa across the street ringing a bell and thought Mary Frances might like to see him.

Apparently not.  This was her face when I pointed him out.  Needless to say, we didn't go say hi.  Maybe next year.

The next three pictures are just keeping it real!  This is just a typical Saturday while Matt is on call.  Three kids and one parent equals disaster.  I try to let it not bother me, but it does.

And at the end of the night I have to clean everything up.  Some nights I wish I could just go to bed and not let it bother me, but I can't do it.

More weekend pictures while Matt is on call.  He gets blown up with pictures so he can keep up with the kids.  I got some post nap cuddles in with this chick while the boys slept.

And Jackson made me a 'block necklace.'  Look out David Yurman, you have some competition.

And on Sunday this dude did some serious snoozing before church

and after as he cuddled with me.  I am not sure why, but he would not sleep unless it was with me.  The bigs were asleep so I was not complaining.

Here are some more pictures from school.  We don's have a desktop at home, only an iPad and laptop so Jackson has never used a traditional mouse other than at school.  I didn't even know he could!  But the likelihood computers will need a mouse by the time he starts school is slim!

These pictures are from Mary Frances' actual birthday.  I had a different dress picked out for her to wear, but this is the one she wanted.  She's only 2 and she is already making the rules.  God help me.

And in another mommy fail, I didn't make her any special muffins or pancakes so this is what I resorted to.  2 candles in a nutri-grain bar.  Maybe she'll forgive me one day.

And this dude, well, he is just a mess.  He wanted to see a picture of his Under Armour Super Man socks Gaga gave him.  He is going to love this picture even more when he is a senior in high school.

More pictures from school.

I promise Jackson does not have a mullet.  His hair was long, but his sweater has a brown fur around the inside of the collar. It also appears that he is about to beat up those other kids, but I am pretty sure that is accurate.

This was from Rook's doctor's appointment where they confirmed he would be getting tubes on December 31.  I hope they help him sleep better.  Since the end of November he has woken up most every night and the only way he will go back to sleep is if I feed him.  I am going with it for now, but after his tube surgery he is on his own.  This mama is worn out!

These pictures are from Rook's baby dedication below are not only funny, but accurate.  Franny is crying, Rook looks confused and Jackson just wants some candy.  Story of our lives.

A big thanks to Grandmaw and Pawpaw for the playhouse for Christmas and Frann'y birthday.  The kids love playing in it!  And being able to play in shorts outside 4 days before Christmas makes it even better.

Daddy and Franny just hanging out on the back porch.

I had to throw this in here.  Rook on the top and Jackson on the bottom.  

And I FINALLY took Jackson for a haircut.  Lauren cut for days and actually had to use the thinning sheers.  This has NEVER happened to me.

And last and most certainly least, I captured my June Clever attire.  I was cooking in a skirt and hose.  All I needed was my stand of pearls and I would have had to start calling Jackson Beaver.  I mean, I broke out an apron!  It was a momentous occasion.  

That about wraps us our December.  Now on to 2014.  I am excited to see what it brings and bring your more Miller Mayhem!

Christmas

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  Literally.  I love the smells, the shopping, the Christmas trees (looking at them, not decorating them), the food (eating it, not cooking it), the kids' excitement, the parties, but most of all the reason for the season.  The anticipation for Christmas Day starts immediately after Halloween for me.  I start making lists and checking them twice, whether it's a list of food I will serve (buy/have catered), what I want to get for the kids, or my Christmas list I have lots and lots of lists.  But to be fair, that is true in my everyday normal life as well.  

But back to the anticipation.  I feel like all the anticipation builds and builds reaching a fever pitch on Christmas Eve, exploding on Christmas morning.  And by Christmas night all the presents have been opened, the refrigerator is full of left overs, the dishwasher is full of dirty dishes, the recycling bin is full of 8 tons of wrapping paper and boxes, and most everyone prepares for a normal day the next morning.  But, I want to challenge that.  It has always bothered me a little that Christmas night is not the climax.  On Christmas night about the time I was loading the dishwasher was probably about the time that Mary gave birth to baby Jesus in a stable (with no anesthesia).  Now I know that on my birthday I prefer to start my celebration the second I wake up and I am winding down as I go to bed, but I do think we should all make a better effort to recognize Christmas night for what it is, the time in which Mary was in a city that was not her home and giving birth to our savoir (with no anesthesia).  And thank God for him!  He is the only thing keeping me from eternal damnation for the words I uttered while sitting in shopping traffic the last Saturday before Christmas.

I don't say any of that to make people feel bad or make it sound like I am more reverent than 95% of the world because I am not.  I actually have only had this thought over the last 3-4 years (soon after giving birth for the first time myself.).  I just thought it would be worth blogging about to help us all (myself included) remember that after all the presents are opened, food eaten, garbage taken out, and the sun sets that is when a young teenage girl gave birth to the baby (with no anesthesia) that would save all of humanity.

Now back to the Jackson, Mary Frances, and Rook show!  Someone should have put the brakes on Santa! He went a little over board.  When I uttered those words in front of Matt as a joke I thought he was going to choke me (considering the fact that he told Santa several times that the kids had too many gifts).  Oh well!

I would like to point out that Christmas was a little disappointing for Jackson until he opened his bike helmet from Gran and Paw.  Even with all of the toys seen above, his first questions was "Where is the helmet?"  God love him.  As for Franny she slept until almost 9:00 and when she finally got up she immediately started washing clothes in her washer and dryer!  Big R says Santa was sexist with his toys this year (a washer and dryer and vacuum cleaner.

But, I think Rook's giant house toy was the biggest hit.  Before Rook woke up Jackson explained to us that Rook would share and began playing with Rook's loot before the poor little guy got up.

Riding a bike inside you just received from Santa might be the most fun thing ever!

How adorable are these boys playing together?

And my big boy on is Lighting McQueen car!

Franny finally got up!

Sheshe got Rook his Pottery Barn Kids chair and now we are riding 3 wide in the playroom as well.

Franny tried it out and liked it.  Please notice her Minnie Mouse Shoes that Gaga got her.  They have heels on them and she is in love with them and walks in them very well (she is my daughter after all).  I have a feeling that they may be the only shoes Franny wears for a while.

Jackson made his rounds and played with ALL of the toys Santa brought including the Disney Princess Castle.

The kids got so many toys we have annexed the dinning room.  Not to worry though, the bikes will be going outside and the vanity and train table will be going in to bedrooms as soon as I have time to rearrange!

Check out these adorable shirts I bought on sale before Christmas for Christmas 2014!  They came in the mail yesterday (the day after Christmas) and we are all set for next year!  I know, I am nuts, but they were on sale and had all the right sizes.  I just couldn't resist!

Overall, The Millers had a great Christmas and Jackson even told us it was "the best Christmas ever!"  The bike helmet put us over the top.  It was the best Christmas ever, it was our first Christmas with 3 kids with many many more to come.  We have been blessed beyond measure and I could not ask for more.  Well, I do keep praying for more sleep, but I don't want to get greedy.  :)

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!