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The kids took two of our stockings and put them on Greg's feet.

25 days of pictures for the December Photo Project. What a fun time it has been to take pictures every day! I am glad I participated in the project. I hope you have enjoyed them each day.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours...Merry Christmas!

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::Joy to the world::

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::gifts for our neighbors & friends::

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::swingin'::

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Christmas Ornament Exchange & Dessert

Tonight several of the co-op moms gathered at our home for a fun evening of fellowship and yummy desserts. It was a precious time had by all.

(photo credit Greg)

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::post nap::

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The Nutcracker

Several families from our co-op headed to Jacksonville today to see the Nutcracker. One of the moms from our co-op was in the performance. Tamara was the Dew Drop Fairy and she was fabulous! The whole performance was lovely. The set and costumes along with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra was such a treat. We all enjoyed it and had a fun time supporting our friend.

The kids with Tamara the Dew Drop Fairy

Several families from our co-op.

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Gabby & her friend Hope after the Nutcracker

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Gabby with babysitter, friend and favorite Publix employee, Becca!

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Guess who is enjoying Chico's new crate?

December Photo Project 2010 Day 14

~Gabby at her ballet class Christmas party~

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::breakfast::

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2 lbs of carrots + 40 minutes of prep & cook time = Curried Carrot Soup for dinner

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~my love~

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::chico::

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Matthew lost his first tooth today. Unfortunately you can't see his permanent tooth that has broken through and is sitting right behind the gap. He noticed his loose tooth a couple of weeks ago. Today while playing with Alex, Matt got kicked in the mouth and viola, the tooth is out! He was upset at first then later thought it was a cool way to loose your tooth...such a boy.

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creating, crafting & decorating @ our church's ministry house with all the ladies

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::taken @ Washington Oaks National Park::

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Today I was fortunate enough to capture Alex cross the finish line for this year's annual Reindeer Run 2010. The course follows the 1.5 mile St. Augustine Christmas Parade route. Initially, we were planning to push Alex in the jogging stroller but he insisted that he wanted to run just like the rest of the family. This 3 year old not only ran the entire 1.5 mile race and didn't stop to walk or ride in the stroller, but kept running and completed the course in under 16 minutes! We are just in awe at what this little boy can do. Run Alex, Run!

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DPP Day 2

December Photo Project 2010

::are you going to go get it or am I?::

I have decided to challenge myself -- a photo challenge that is -- for the month of December. As if I don't have enough challenges already, today was so much fun taking pictures of everyday life that I'm going to capture a moment each day and post it. If you want to participate join right in. All the info is above, just click the green badge. Enjoy! Happy Clicking!

Chico

I would like to introduce you to our new family member Chico. Chico is a 7 month old male purebred Havanese puppy. Our family has been searching for the right dog for a long time. Do you remember Winston? And then what happened? Well we did not want another experience like that. I would scour Petfinder and Craigslist, talk with all my dog loving friends and search shelters for the right dog. I was being picky. I wanted a move-in ready pup, you know house-trained, crate-trained and ready to hang with the family. I discovered the Havanese breed awhile back. I liked them not only because they were so cute, but for several other reasons. They are hypo-allergenic, a small breed, sturdy, great with small children and they love their families.

I found an ad on Craigslist for a 6 month old Havanese AKC who was house-trained. I emailed and requested a picture. We got some more info and went to meet him the next day. He came right to us and we fell in love. Chico was living with a family that had children and another small dog. They were unable to take care of Chico and wanted to find him a family who would love and take care of him. We went to lunch and talked it over and knew Chico met every criteria we were looking for in a dog. We brought him home that afternoon.

Since the Havanese breed originated in Cuba we decided to go with a Latin name for our new friend. Oh, I neglected to mention the previous owner's children had named him Cupcake, yes I typed Cupcake. I know, wrong on all levels. First, Greg's parents have a poodle and her name is Muffin that would be to many pastry names in the family. Secondly can you picture Greg calling out for Cupcake in the middle of the street? Hence the search for a new name. Everything from Castro to Uncle Rico was thrown into the mix. We all happily agreed upon Chico and it works perfectly for him.

What a sweet boy he has been. He loves to cuddle, have his belly rubbed and gets excited to see you. The kids adore him. Everyone who has met him just falls in love. We have found a wonderful puppy for our family!

Chico's first day with us. He was in desperate need of a doggie grooming.

Lake Lure

Horseback Riding in NC

Apple Picking in NC