T-Shirt Time!

You all have NO idea what a shirt like this would mean to me!
LOL
:)
I love my family......... at times!

Blue Christmas Sugar Cookie Icing

Needless to say we had a lot of sticky blue fingers (ten to be exact) and some blue lips and teeth to go with them. But, oh, how he loves the icing! He actually ate some of the cookie this time, as shown in the first picture. He is growing up so fast! lol

By the way, I was annoying my sister making a joyful Christmas noise by singing all sorts of Christmas songs, including Blue Christmas, ALL Elvis-ed out too, you should really hear me :) and that was one my sis particularly didn't like. Of course it was Dylan's favorite and he even went "Eww-woo-woo-eww-woo" ALL on his own at exactly the right places in the chorus before it was over! Gotta love this kid! I forgot he was an Elvis fan. Hound dog used to be his all time favorite. Good taste, little fella.

Uncle Dyl

Doesn't this face look as sweet as can be? Don't let him fool you. He is our adorable little Dylan by day...

...And Mob Boss 'Uncle Dyl "Pickle" Smitty by night.

Yes, folks. We have our own little gangster. He takes his job oh so serious, too.

Mess with him and you get "iced."

(Especially if he headbutts you in the nose while you are playing a rambunctious game of "Let's BOX!" in the bedroom with Poppy! We are still not sure if it was broke or not!)

As Christmas Day Approaches....

As Christmas Day approaches, I have so many feelings and thoughts. I am so thankful to be able to spend it with my family, God willing. Something we oh so take for granted.

I was in such a complaining, negative mood the other night. I was just sure this Christmas was going to be "pointless and ruined." (And I don't mean any of this on the Heavenly scale of things, about our Lord or the reason for Christmas in the first place. I am speaking on human terms here.) Tonette was not coming in for sure, we didn't know if Aunt Willie was coming or not. Dylan had to be at his dad's until 7 pm Christmas Eve, and it is really up in the air as to how many days he will have to be gone after Christmas. We find out for sure Aunt Willie cannot make it in for sure due to impending bad weather. My sugar cookie icing recipe SUCKED (sorry mom) and nothing seemed to be going right. Christmas was going to be a failure this year, I had decided. (Despite the fact that everyone else in the family was still going to be there, we DID get Dylan the times we were hoping for, etc and so forth. I was in serious pout mode.)

Then I saw a video, heard a song that was written especially for my friend April and her situation she has found herself in. (I am not going into full detail here for many reasons, but bear with me.) You see, her 10 year old daughter was murdered this summer. By a driver that was DUI. Her mother was also nearly killed, and her niece was also in the vehicle to witness all this. The song, titled after her daughters name, was beautiful. Gut wrenching. So on the spot it had to come from God. It left me.... speechless. But with a desire. Well, a desire stronger than I had before I heard the song.

I graduated with April. From Kindergarten through 12th grade we knew each other. We sat together at Skyler's funeral only a mere year and half before her own daughter was to have hers. April's mother comforted Skyler's grandmother, being close friends. They had no clue they would be in the same place merely months later. Who could know?

My desire. I got sidetracked. I have such a burden for April. Have had one since I first learned of the accident when I was in Ohio with friends. But these last couple of weeks, it has been even stronger. I know there are no words that can be spoken by me to help ease her pain, to make this first Christmas without her little girl any easier whatsoever, but I know who to tell my words to. The one who can ease her agony. The one we have Christmas for in the first place. I ask anyone who may feel led to join me, please pray for April and her family this Christmas season.

Oh, how I want to share more, but my words could never tell their story. They have had so many people using them for attention for their own blogs, to make them feel better for helping someone, etc. I do not want that at all. That is why I am not even saying the daughter's name. God knows it. My facebook friends probably know it! My reason for this post is not to tell her story, but to ask for prayer for her mother.

And please, no one mention 'my big heart' or anything in the comments. I do not mean this rudely. I wasn't even brave enough to go to the candle light service they held for her while we were at church camp. I 'couldn't face it' but April had to live it. Enough rambling. Time for prayer.

**Just after I hit publish on this and went to my facebook, I chatted with April. I know I mentioned it above, but she is in dire need of a miracle, an intervention that only God can bring her. Once again, I ask for prayer for my friend.

Happy Birthday Momma Amy!

Happy Birthday to you....

....Happy Birthday TO you....

....Happy BIRTHDAY Dear MOMOOOOO!!!!

Happy Birthday To YOU!!!!!!!!!!

And Many More.......

Just in Time for the Snow

"Dylan, look at Nee Nee so I can get a very cute picture of you in your new snow bibs!"

"Dylan! Aunt Woo Woo wants to see how adorable you look! So does Net Net! Come on, Sweetie!"

"Dylan, really. Look at me. This isn't funny. Just let me take one picture."

"Dylan Smith, move that hand and let me get a REAL picture of you right now!"

"Thank you!"

"Now, was that so hard?"

SEEMINGLY!

Susie's Real Motives Revealed

One of Dylan's greatest joys in his sweet little life right now is none other than a good visit with his Doo Doo. Little does he know, she may be his Doo Doo now, but she was our Susie FIRST. Momma Amy called her Sue Sue, if I recall correctly. I am sure I all but called her Ursula, as my mother was a HUGE advocate of phonics her first child-go round. (She scarred me for life, really. Who cares if "You were in the top reading class in Kindergarten and technically couldn't read! You can thank me for that!" I can also thank you, dear mother, for barely being able to simply say TREE at the age of 30, instead of "Tah-Tah-Tah Tree. T says Tah." Moving along.) Not sure what Tonette called her and obviously Sharon called her Mom, our dear old Susie has had no choice but to put up with all her nieces and now great nephew for long time periods cause we just loved her so much and she wouldn't say no to our visits!

Recently I put some pictures on my laptop from Susie's SD card, and something was revealed to me. Now, I admit, we have done some doozy's to poor little unsuspecting Dylan in the past, (Buzz Lightyear jammies and a stiff blue ducky raincoat)

but Susie has once again out shone us. Here is what I found lurking on her SD card. Yes, Susie uses Dylan as an outlet for her hat, and I use the word hat loosely, obsession.


A JEFF GORDON hat? Seriously? You know we are Earnhardt all the way. Sheesh.


Mixing up a batter of meanness?


Just because Woody has on a similar one doesn't make this hat okay from Dylan's point of view.


Lowell & Hardy? The Rat Pack? The guy from silent movies whose name is eluding me at the moment?


Just don't turn him loose in the river!


Sadly the fact that our 2 year old boy is pushing a baby doll in a stroller is not what is wrong with this picture!


It's the fact he is doing it with his Hanes on his head!

All jokes aside, being at Aunt Susie's house has ALWAYS been the happening place to be. Without her, who knows how all us yahoo's would have turned out. Our creativity would certainly NOT be the same, that is for sure!

Love you Doo Doo!

T-Shirt Time!

Okay, I am soooo stealing this from Natalee, but at least I am giving her credit, right?

Once a week, I will post a t-shirt that I find amusing and just have to share with you all. Natalee always does it on Wednesdays, I will be lucky to get it in twice a month, so here goes my first t-shirt for It's T-shirt Time!

Running Away With Our Manger

Right after Thanksgiving, Dylan got to help Grammy with something he has never done before. He helped her put up the Nativity Scene that we have had since I was a very little girl. Poppy and I got the house ready (as ready as it is gonna get, anyway) with the icicle lights on the front peak and the garland and bows on the porch banister a few days ahead, so all that was missing was some lovely plastic people that hopefully wont blow away in the winter wind.

Dylan has more than one book about Christmas and the nativity scene and such. He knows all about the star in sky, the shepherd's, Baby Jesus. He was so excited to help Grammy with the great feat of placing the manger in our little front yard.

As a matter of fact, he was so moved, he decided to......


wait for it.....


pray for them all!



Yes, Everette Maynard (my Papaw) lives on, folks. Dylan prayed for ALL members present.


He thought of this all by his own little two year old self. We thought it was the sweetest thing ever, but we also had to hide our giggles at him too. He was SOOOOO serious!


After they got everyone arranged and lit up, and after all the picture taking was over (we thought) we announce we are finished and Dylan is ready to wrap it up. He promptly grabs an arm full of sheep and heads inside!



"Wait!" Grammy yells and so begins the conversation of how the sheep will NOT, in fact, be too cold outside no matter what and that they need to stay with Mary & Joseph, etc.

Well. Dylan concedes, puts the sheep back in the place he originally chose for them and once again, we think all is well and we turn to go in.

But not without Baby Jesus, it seems! (FYI: He also comes by this honestly, as well. My Great Aunt Jo had to knit Baby Jesus a blanket so I could wrap him up in it all nice and warm before I would leave him outside when I was young, as well. Cause the hay didn't cut it, you know. We are either too concerned or weird, and I choose too concerned! LOL)


Guess he wants to take the "Christ" out of Christmas! (Sorry, couldn't help myself!)


Once again, Grammy's logic won out, and Baby Jesus stayed with his crew out in the front yard. (So help one of the animals if they knock something over.)


Grammy fixed the spotlight and here you have it:


Dylan LOVES it all lit up. He is too young to realize we are not at all related to the Griswolds.


Every time he goes anywhere, he has to come in the front way (instead of how we normally go in through our garage) just so he can look at everything. Someone has to make him go and so far he has left the manger in peace.

Since we had to leave the candles up for a couple months last year, wonder how long we shall remain festive this year with the nativity? Time will tell!

Bloggy World, I Seem to Have a Problem

Okay, for three days now I have tried to upload some really adorable pictures of Dylan being his cute ole self, and to show you all the amazing/unusual things this child comes up with! BUT..... I pick the pictures I want to upload, press upload, then................

Nothing.

I waited as long as 20 minutes last night trying to give it ALL the time it needed, but that little green line would not make the full trip across the screen. I even tried one picture at a time, etc, and nothing worked. I do not know if blogger is having issues, if I am having issues, or what is exactly the deal.

Tuesday is my 'busy day' so I will have to wait until this evening to try to figure out what is going on and how to fix this. Sad, I actually am trying to post and now my pictures wont work. :( And this story needs the pictures to go along with the story.

So, cross your fingers, eyes and toes that I can find a solution (or update or whatever!) to this problem.