This and That

I'm sure you've all wondered endlessly what dinner time is like in our house. Sometimes it goes like this...
Despite my greatest hopes and greatest attempts, Morgan isn't what you would call a "good eater". She's rather picky even though her parents have done everything they could to expand her palette. I am diligently trying to get her to try new things, but in this instance gave up on trying but hid some veggies in her spaghetti. This is the outcome. I'm all ears for any suggestions from you moms who have had better success than me.

Below is a picture of Morgan talking on the phone and typing on the computer. Matt and I couldn't find her the other night, and we found her in the computer chair with the phone held up to her ear with her shoulder like she's taking orders and playing the market.And this is just a cute picture of Morgan attempting to help rake leaves the other day. I tried to explain it would be easier if she turned the rake over and used 2 hands, but she had her own way...

Swiper says "Oh, Man"

Ok, I'm starting to think we might be watching a little too much Dora. Here is a precious video of Morgan playing out an episode of Dora. You'll hear a lot of "Sbiper" and "Oh, man", which if you are not a regular Dora viewer, is what Swiper the Fox says every time he gets busted trying to swipe something from Dora or Boots.

Pals

Christmas Pics

Morgan had a great Christmas. She was full of holiday cheer and spread it wherever she went. She got lots of great gifts, but more importantly got to spend lots of time with family.

Morgan and John Reed posing in matching Christmas outfits (soooo cute).

Playing/Jamming with our new singing microphone.

Out of all the toys, counting cups with John Reed was one of Morgan's favorite Christmas activities.

Taking pictures with her new camera.

Tired of me taking her picture....

Posing with Rhodes in front of Cee's "tree".

Opening gifts with Mama.

Just a few gifts from mom and dad...

Finding what's in her stocking on Christmas morning (hadn't combed out the bed head yet).

Reindeer

Morgan's school Christmas program was this morning. She was a reindeer. This is incredibly fitting because of all the ornaments on our tree, she is most obsessed with a stuffed reindeer from Aunt Kristen. From what we could see, she did very well. She seemed to sit and stand when she was supposed to, but maybe even sang a few words of "Jingle Bells". We didn't get any pictures with the antlers on, but she's the cutest reindeer we've ever seen!

Meet Lusenda

Matt gave me the best Christmas present. I have been talking about sponsoring a child through Compassion International, a Christian based program that works with missionary projects throughout the world to help release children from poverty and introduce them to Jesus. I've been amazed by their story, and I really felt it could be a small way we could make a difference. Matt picked out Lusenda for our family. She's 5 years old, and she lives in Haiti. She is responsible for fetching the water for her family, and she loves singing and running. Haiti has a 93% unemployment rate, so you can imagine the living conditions there. Most families try to sustain themselves by farming, but with floods increasing over the recent years it has been difficult. We've written to Lusenda once, and plan to write her as many encouraging letters as possible. At night, we are teaching Morgan to pray for her. If you are interested in sponsoring a child, please check out their link. It's a trustworthy program that's been around a while. It only costs $38 per month. The money goes to healthcare, food, clean water, and educational programs. The money goes straight to the missionary project in that region, not directly to the family. $38 per month is providing Lusenda with nearly everything she needs to survive and thrive. Matt and I currently spend more than that on cable, fancy cell phone plans, a gym membership we rarely use, the list goes on. It's certainly something to think about.

Mo in the Snow

This is Morgan watching the snow Friday night from the window.

This is Morgan playing in the snow on Saturday morning. Yes, she is in her pj's and not in appropriate snow playing attire, but I assure you that we were only out there about 5 minutes. She would dip her finger in the snow and then bring it to me to wipe off. The just repeat the process. Funny little girl.

Thanksgiving Pics

Thanksgiving was quite the scene this year. We had a 7 month old, a 2 year old, and an 8 year old plus all the aunts, uncles and grandparents you could handle. It was great to visit with everyone, and Morgan loved getting to spend time with her cousins. Baby Jackson has grown so much since we've seen him last. He's so good and pretty funny. We are all so blessed!

Thanksgiving Preview

Uncle Russ with the kiddos.

Slumber Party

When I found out I was having a girl, I immediately started planning for Morgan's future slumber parties. Or as we in Arksansas liked to call them, "bunkin" parties. Those are my favorite memories of being a little girl, and I can't wait for Morgan to start having them. So when we babysat Hayes on Friday night, I decided we couldn't start soon enough. I made us a pallet on the floor and popped in Sleeping Beauty. The girls and I made it through about 30 minutes before everyone started getting restless. I think I had more fun than they did :) The other picture below is what Morgan's hair looked like when she woke up this morning. Nice, right?