Christmas 2010

We had a great Christmas this year. It started the week before when my parents came to Dallas for Christmas with them and the annual Sudan Christmas Cookie Decorating contest. It was super fun! Emery Kate really enjoyed decorating the cookies (or actually just eating them!).
She LOVES sprinkles!

Jason and Christy

Mary Beth (the artist)
some of the cookies

the winners ( I was excited to place 3rd as I haven't won in many years)

the losers :(

We went down to Blake's dad and Debbie's house aka the funny farm on the 23rd. Below is PawPaw and Bebe with their grandkids.

Emery Kate loved unwrapping the presents. She was good at it!

We went to the First Methodist Church of Waco's christmas eve service. It was really sweet. So important to focus on the reason why we are celebrating Christmas. I want Emery Kate to understand what it is all about. I look forward to next year as I'm sure she will understand it so much more.

EK and PawPaw

On Christmas Eve after the candlelight service we went over to Blake's mom's house for dinner and that's where Blake, EK and I spent the night. Here are more pics of the grandkids. EK has fun with all her cousins and gets a little spoiled being the youngest. I don't know what she's going to do when she has more competition

with Molly's arrival :) Her Aunt CC and uncle Jon gave her this shopping cart. She was very excited about it!Aunt CC and EK

our fam of 3 (soon to be 4!)

For Christmas we got EK a kitchen. Blake put it together Christmas Eve (it took about 3 hours) and it was so fun to give it to her Christmas morning. She starting playing and then looked over at us and said "thank you" ....so sweet!

Her Grandmommy got her fun kitchen cookware and plastic food.

I LOVE these two.

I feel like it was a special time for us with Emery Kate as things are about to change in a few days. We are so excited for Molly's arrival, but I know I am so thankful for the past 20 months of our time as a family of three. Blake and I are so blessed to have Emery Kate. She is so sweet and such a joy. I know she is going to be an amazing big sister. Pray for her during the upcoming transition. I am also so thankful for Blake. He is such an amazing daddy to Emery Kate and I know she has completely stolen his heart. He is about to have a house full of girls, but I know he wouldn't change it for the world. I am so blessed and I am eager to see all that 2011 holds.

A not so jolly Santa visit and other pics

Emery Kate had her first visit to Santa this weekend and as you can tell she did NOT enjoy it. When we left Blake said "it's probably good for her to have a healthy fear of an old man dressed in a costume." True...
Sweet pics from today

I feel like this is a face I gave my dad a lot when he would want to take my picture.

Aunt B took some cute ones of EK the other day when she was watching her.

P.S. Thanks for all the comments about the name for baby girl! I loved hearing everyone's opinions! We are pretty sure it is going to be Molly Elise Marable but Blake won't let me make an official announcement yet!

Shutterfly Holiday Cards

I love the Christmas season and one of my favorite parts is getting everyone’s Christmas cards in the mail. It is so neat because each one is different! Shutterfly is a great website to find your Christmas cards on! The collection this year is so adorable, I am having the hardest time deciding which one to use now that I have the pictures I want to use! Click here to see the holiday cards and click here to see the photo cards. I can’t wait to order mine for this year. I have used their Christmas photo cards in the past and was very pleased with how they turned out. It is so easy and they look so nice. They also shipped it to me very quickly which is great because I tend to procrastinate on Christmas cards. Not only do they have cute holiday cards, you can make holiday invitations here or cute birthday cards here. Shutterfly has a lot to offer. Check out their website before you buy your holiday cards this year!

If you have a blog and want 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly, Click here to go to Shutterfly for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season, and make sure to select Clever 1000 as the referral source.

names for our baby girl

Blake and I have had the hardest time deciding on a name for this precious baby girl. It was so easy with Emery Kate. Last week we talked and we had decided on Karsyn Elise. It was Blake's favorite among our three name options: Karsyn Elise, Molly Elise and Elise Blake. I like the name a lot but loved the name Molly Marable. How cute is that? Anyway...Blake was talking to me the other day and said that maybe he was starting to like Molly. I had already put an order in to my friend to monogram a pillow with Karsyn's name on it so it would be official. Now we are back to undecided. I know for sure that Elise is going to be in the name b/c I felt like I heard that from the Lord and Elise means "consecrated to God"...how amazing is that. Just wondering the thoughts of those who read this on our name options? I like hearing people's opinions! Let me know what you think!

Thanksgiving 2010

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. Blake and I hosted it for the first time which was really fun. It was definitely a team effort. Mary Beth was in charge of decorations and it looked beautiful. Cindy made the turkey and dressing which was a huge help and everyone else who came brought stuff too. I know I couldn't have done it by myself. God is so good. I have so much to be thankful for. I am truly blessed.
Blake and his mom, Cindy

We had 16 adults and 4 kids so there were three tables and a "kids table"!

We all had a verse on thanksgiving to the Lord to read.

kisses

sweet

EK was VERY into her Mimi. She wanted her over me and Blake. Tear...

the artist

Coach and Campbell

EK and Campbell looked so cute in their matching dresses.

Duncan was really into the chex mix.

cute

Sadly Christy had to work but she came over after work for some leftovers.

mom and cindy

the football game

Baylor vs. Kansas State
A huge storm hit the field during the first quarter. We all got SOAKED!

Emery Kate was a TROOPER. She got so wet but stuck the game out with me. We had fun and wished that Blake was there b/c Baylor did awesome and become bowl eligible for the first time since 1994! Go bears!!!

Mary Beth took this beautiful pic after the rain.

homecoming

We started the weekend going to the zoo with Mimi and Coach! It was great! EK loved the otter slide!

Baylor Homecoming parade

Sweet Mary Beth made Emery Kate a Baylor clip...and she made one that I got to wear too! Aren't they cute! Visit her website at www.marybsudan.etsy.com.

Emery Kate's Bebe gave her this cheerleading outfit! It was so cute on her! She could be a future Baylor bear :)

Blake had to miss it this year due to a work trip! The Ogden's were out of town too...we missed them all!

Homecoming is only homecoming if the Forrester's are there with us! I love their family so much, they are perhaps the most fun family to be around in my opinion! We are blessed to have them as friends!

I love my mom and dad. Thanks for starting the Baylor tradition and for supporting all of us through it. Even though I am half auburn tiger half baylor bear when I go to Homecoming and with a family of baylor bear's my true colors come out (green and gold :) ). Rachel and Sarah...don't hate me for saying that :)