A new post, finally....

Yeah, yeah I know, way past time for a new post. But seriously I haven't had time! Lame excuse I know... I have been babysitting little James for Tonya and Steele four days a week. Besides the fact that I haven't really felt like blogging. I know I'm bad. Let's see October hmmm..... Oh yes, at Thanksgiving we went down to South Carolina and saw Mama's family. We got in to Papa and Grandma Jane's late Wednesday evening. Thursday we spent with Aunt Kathy, Aunt Kim, Katie, Vanessa, Jacob, Carter, Emily, Hailey, and Addyson. Beau and Zach came in Friday morning. Then we had our official dinner Friday afternoon at Uncle Wendy's with my immediate family plus Beau, Uncle Wendy, Uncle Doug, Aunt Kim, Katie, and Papa. (Grandma Jane had to work that weekend.) After we had dinner and visited for a while, all of us young folks headed to Vanessa and Jacob's house. We played music and games and watched a movie and had a sleep-over. The little girls fell asleep as soon as the movie started but Carter made it through the whole thing. The next morning Mama and Daddy came over and Vanessa and I made breakfast for everyone. It was a morning of mishaps right Ness? lol Everything ended up good. The guys settled down and watched football while we slaved away in the kitchen... After a while Carter and Emily wanted to show us their fort so Beau, Micah, Bethany, Carter, Emily, Hailey, and I went on a hike. We found the fort and the kids climbed around in it for a while then Carter took off in another direction so we all followed him. Bad idea... Carter got us lost! Beau managed to get us back to the house again after about an hour. Very interesting. Especially if you have three year old who decides she needs to use the bathroom but refuses to use it in the bushes because "That's just disgusting" and there's too many germs. She cracks me up! Meanwhile back at the house Mama and Ness were making a birthday cake for Zach. We hung around there and visited all day. Then headed back to Papa and Grandma Jane's to spend the night. Sunday morning we went and saw all our good friends at the Midway church. After church we had a birthday party for Zach with all the young people and Papa and Uncle Doug. That afternoon they were having a singing so we stuck around and enjoyed the music and were drafted to sing two or three songs. No church that night so we headed back to Papa and Grandma Jane's. Then we took Beau next door to meet my cousin Brad and his wife Kayla. The next day was Monday which meant Beau and Zach had to head back to Florida and we had to go home to Virginia. But not before we met Aunt Kathy and Addyson for lunch and then went over to see Aunt Terry and Uncle Ted. Things kept coming up and it was about four before we actually headed out our different ways. We finally got home and got back into our routine and it seemed like Christmas rushed up on us. We got snow the Friday before Christmas and it knocked out our Christmas play. The snow however did stick around until after Christmas so we had our first white Christmas in years. Beau and Zach came in on the 23rd of December. That evening, Mama, Daddy, Pappaw, Mammaw, Beau, and I went on a triple date to Applebee's in Farmville. Then next morning Beau had to head up to Salem to his grandparent's house. He came back Monday for our Baldwin family Christmas. Then he had to head out Tuesday back to his grandparent's again. He came back New Year's Eve and brought Nate with him and stayed through Saturday morning when he had to head back to Florida. We had a good visit. New Year's Eve we had a watch night service at church and Beau and Nate were able to come to that. Oh yes, Christmas presents. In our family all of us kids draw names. In other words we only have to have a Christmas gift for one sibling much cheaper than having to get one for all four. I had Zachary's name and got him the Greater Vision Live at Oaktree DVD. Micah had my name and got me a bunch of dish towels and potholders for my hope chest. All of us kids went together and got Dad a new Large print Thompson Chain Bible with his name engraved on it. We got Mama a couple of stainless steel muffin tins. Mama and Daddy got me a stainless steel spring-form pan and a stainless steel muffin tin pan. Beau got me a really nice scented candle. It is really cute it has a little lamp shade! I got him a casual shirt and a tie to match a dress shirt I had given him for his birthday. I also gave him a framed picture of him and I that he had requested and a wallet size picture of me. (also requested) The first Sunday in January a baby dedication was held at our local church for James. Brother Jimmy and Sister Vicki and all of their kids including Kaylan and Nate and their little one were there as well as Brother and Sister Creech and Sister Vicki's brother and niece. That evening we had our Christmas program. (better late than never...) Since then nothing much has happened except James is getting bigger and learning new things every day! He is rolling over and can sit up with a little support. He is being spoon fed now as well as bottle fed. It's exciting to see him grow. He is sleeping less and playing more and he can recognize some people's faces and voices. He recognizes his Mommy and his Daddy and Mama and Daddy and all of my brother's and Beth and I. He has started giving hugs! He's given his Mommy one and my Mama one and me one. He is so adorable! I know, I know, I need to post pictures of him but I don't have the time tonight. He is roughly five and a half months old and a cutie pie! Well that's about it for now. Congratulations if you made it all the way to the bottom!