Friday, December 17, 2010

Putting up Christmas

Who are these little cuties?




I don't even remember my girls this little! These pics were from November 26, 2007, 3 years ago, the day before their 1st birthday. We were putting up Christmas; Rebecca & Mary-Gail were my little elves then, and they're my bigger elves now. I am so sad they are getting bigger. Rebecca insists she is 5. "I'm FIVE mom; at my birthday last year I was FOUR and now I'm FIVE." (Everything with Rebecca is "last year"). And Mary-Gail can't wait to be big like me, "Look Ma, my tummy's getting bigger like yours." (Yikes!) Had I known then that these little angles would be my last, I would have relished every day - every moment - instead of trying to rush things on. I know I can't stop time, and I certainly can't stop Rebecca & Mary-Gail from growing...but I will relish every day and every moment. Especially now...especially now.



Christmas 2007
This Christmas season has been such a delight already. Becca & Mary-Gail have been hysterical to watch: they are super, duper excited about everything! I should have been filming their responses to each plastic tote and cardboard box that Lovey brought out from the crawl space. Let's just say there were lots of "Oh my goodness!" and "Still more stuff?" exclamations.


When we set up Christmas this year, I was just 2 weeks and 2 days recovery from surgery, and didn't know how much help I'd be. I started to get totally bummed thinking about it, but seeing the delight and surprise and joy in Becca & Mary-Gail's eyes brought me back to life. Lovey had to climb under the house to get all our boxes & since the plastic totes were clear, Becca & Mary-Gail would scream out what was in each box. I love that they don't hold back their emotions!

Rebecca was (and still is) completely mesmerized by Christmas lights. It was her insistence that made Lovey put up Christmas lights outside. (But let's be honest, I would have done it while he was at work). Mary-Gail focused her attention to the Christmas tree ornaments, wanting to unwrap and hold each ornament and talk about them: where they came from, what they were. I continued a tradition my mom began of getting a new ornament each year with the date on it, and I have one from each year since Lovey & I were married (1999). I thoroughly enjoyed watching Mary-Gail unwrap the ornaments and helping her and Becca put on the ornament hooks to hang on the tree.
White Christmas lights dance across Becca's lap
Mary-Gail studying the ornament of the Rainbow Row houses (Charleston)
w/Santa across the top
If it looks like the Christmas tree's bottom right branches are lower than the others,
it is because they are!
Becca & Mary-Gail placed most of the ornaments there
The overloaded bottom branch
Occasionally Becca r e a c h e d and hung one higher
Mary-Gail hung onto this ornament. It was from 2004, and is a
Hallmark "Our Family." The picture inside is of Me & Lovey
w/Pixie & ArlaMae on the Charleston beach
I just had to add this picture again. They are so big! 3 YEARS later! THREE YEARS!
The Christmas Tree was done, and the decorations were all hung.
Becca turned her attention to the musical Santa Claus
(Mary-Gail opened the pretend presents in his sack on his back!)



This is going to be the BEST Christmas yet!

3 comments:

Spence and Car said...

oh my gosh that really puts it all in perspective seein them as babes. i think our girls look like yours. one blue eyed and one brown eyed. so fun to see them little again. love you

Ann said...

I can't believe how different and yet just the same your girls look from their baby pictures. Still just as cute, only bigger.

That picture of Becca with the lights of her lap is classic! And I adore your over-loaded bottom branch. Our tree looks just the opposite - most of our ornaments are up high where Sam can't constantly rip them off the tree. I know someday I will miss my tree that leans from being pulled on constantly and with no ornaments at the bottom (but plenty all over our floor or in Sam's hands). It's the most wonderful Christmas tree I've ever seen!

Ann said...

Ha! I think you'll appreciate my first reaction to the pictures of the girls from three years ago. It went a little something like this "Oh, my goodness, are they crawling in that picture?! Micro preemies, crawling before they turned one? Holy cow!!"

I am always amazed by your girls. I can hardly look at them without thinking what miracles they are. But then again, I get excited when other moms jump for joy over their preemies eating a banana. It's a strange life we live. :)

Kemp Kuties on the Charleston Pier

Kemp Kuties on the Charleston Pier
September 2007