{Turkey in Charlotte}

Thanksgiving in Charlotte...

(my parents)

(my grandparents)

(K-I-S-S-I-N-G)

(our boys!)

(our girlie girl's 1st thanksgiving!)






Well, we are home.
but things wont be slowing down for a while. busy busy.

Our trip to North Carolina was nice.

seeing family is always a real treat.
This year we broke the traditional thanksgiving mold & ate at the yacht club my parents belonged to when they lived in Charlotte.

We made a lot of memories there. It was nice to revisit the area.
The spread was out of this world!! You name it & it was there!

Amongst the sclater favorites--Artichoke heart salad, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, carrot cake. But I can confidently say there were over 40 sides, 3 kinds of meat, & somewhere around 15 dessert options. The chef at the club has yet to let us down. Sadly, The tummy bug had really put a holt on my plans to eat eat eat.

I am grateful that we were able to be together for this thanksgiving.

with Rod away so frequently I do not take these sweet

& precious moments together for granted.

{full circle.}

When Maddox was born he came at...how should I put this nicely?
NOT a good time at all.
The Sclaters ahd been hit hard with a horrible tummy bug.
(read all about it here & here)

& Ironically enough this Momma & all her chicks all had the tummy bug again this thanksgiving.
How awful. & Poor Rod even got it just as the little ones were getting over it.

I suppose you could say we have come full circle!

We went to Charlotte to visit my grandparents for the holiday & they had a party for our Maddox. It was incredibly thoughtful of my parents & grandparents!
The boys were smothered with snuggles, good food, & gifts!










Maddox, your two now. You ae just as sensitive & sweet as ever. Your brothers love to hug & kiss your little noggin when you are screaming or crying. Your sister s not afraid of your approach anymore, rather she smiles that big open mouth smile for you. Your daddy & I just love your cheesy grins & the way you like to sit on the counter all day long. You are our baby boy & no amount of birthdays will change that. I know when you are 16 you wont love the way I play with your ears & kiss your belly. so if you could...pleas pardonthe way I will smother you with kisses in the next few years. You are my sunshine...

xoxox

--okay really---thanksgiving pics to come soon.---

lots of sick-os & a full calendar here :)

{Presley's 1st dance recital}

It never gets old over here!
this year our family has too many people so....
Rod & I put away our dancing shoes & made way for a Special guest! (OPAH! aka: my dad)


(thanksgiving pics to come.)

{Thanksgiving}

Each year around the 1st week of November we get a note from T's school about the thanksgiving party. & each year the children can dress like indians or pilgrims.
Rod & I made an indian get up for the big boy! Not too bad for an 11pm endevor!

We are traveling for th enext bit!
Hope your travles are safe & comfortable!

Lots of love!

{a first for everything}

Presley has her 1st cold/tummy bug/cough.
Its has nearly broken my heart in two.

You Moms understand. It hurts to see your little ones uncomfortable.









To let Prealey have a more mellow day & to allow me to get some travel prep done

Rod took T & Britt to the arcade after school. Just big guys time.

-----THANKS STUD!-----

anyway...

That left me with my baby he & baby she.

Baby he turns 2 on Wednesday.

Presley being sick & such a good sport about it let me have some time with my little guy.

On Mads last day as a 1 yr old he...

played soccer

tried broccoli dipped in ranch & liked it

played with trains

Helped Mom with the sick sister

Read books with Mom

Followed Dad around the house

& sadly--caught the tummy bug too.

It was a nice way to finish out another year with sweet Mads. (except for the sick kidd-os part--which is why I am upso late/early. everyone is sick to their tummys except Mads so Im on overtime. Well worth it! )

{Dear Tre's Wife,}

Today, I was handed a little pink envelope.

It made me smile before I even opened it.

Your husband was only five years old when he made it, but even then, he had the biggest imagination... and the sweetest little heart.

He sat quietly at our kitchen table for what felt like forever, completely focused on his important work. Tiny hands carefully creating something for a girl he had never met, but already believed was out there.

Inside the envelope is a precious little necklace, lovingly crafted with colorful beads, scraps of jersey fabric from my sewing basket, and even a few links from an old broken pair of toy handcuffs. To anyone else, it might look like a collection of odds and ends.

To me, it's a treasure.

Because it was made just for you.

Tre already had a plan for his life.

First college.

Then a mission.

And then... you.

He told me you wouldn't smoke because "that's gross."

He said you'd be modest and kind, and that you wouldn't "dress like the girls on the magazine covers by the checkout line at Kroger."

He was certain you'd be beautiful.

He also assured me that when you became a mommy, you'd be even better than me... because you'd never tell your children "no." I couldn't help but laugh at that.

But my favorite part was when he told me he would take you to the temple, because that's where families are together forever.

Even at five years old, his little testimony was simple and sincere. Somehow, he already understood that the greatest love stories are the ones centered on Christ.

So I've tucked this little pink envelope safely away in my drawer.

It will follow us through every move, Ill keep it carefully packed with the things that matter most, waiting for the day you will finally become more than a dream in a little boy's heart.

One day, when Tre brings you home, I'll hand it to you.

I'll watch his face turn bright red with embarrassment, and I'll watch your heart melt as you hold the tiny treasures he made for you all those years ago.

I hope you'll see what I see.

A little boy who believed in forever.

A little boy who prayed without even realizing he was praying.

A little boy whose heart was already being prepared by Heavenly Father for the woman he would one day love.

And I know, with all my heart, that the Lord has been preparing you both for each other.

Until then, the pink envelope will wait.

Just like it always has.

And when the day finally comes, I hope you know this...

He loved you long before he ever knew your name. 

And from the moment I held that little pink envelope in my hands, I knew I would love you, too. And I can't wait to meet you. 

{Chocolat}

The Other night as I contimplated the degree in which I hate trying to loose weight after having babies

(I still have 12 lbs to go & they are stuburn pounds!)

I Face Booked "I want food."

& an in pouring of sympathetic responses followed.

One of which was a friend from church, Teresa,

who made the suggestion we have a chocolate party.

Okay! I thought----DONE!

lets do it!

I wrapped chocolate bars in pink & black with an invite on it.

Passed them out...
& this was the outcome.

These awsome gals can cook up a storm!
I was in a chocolate comma last night!

(it wasnt pretty! I literaly had chocolate gravy running down my face! class act!)

Presley was all gussied up for the party then decided she wanted to go to bed on time rather then watch mom scarf an unjustifiable amount of chocolate. I was bummed since I had even put together a little headband for the occasion. But a girl needs her beauty rest!

Everyone brought a chocolate dish to share! Bekah made BBQ with cocoa in it--I died!

& Teresa sent her cute daughters with southern Bisquits & chocolate gravy! ARE YOU KIDDING?!

nail polish in neon pinks for the ladies...

tags were all in francais! Nice french lesson!

now back to fighting the baby buldge....

b-l-a-h!

Love you ladies! xoxox

{5 months...}

The past 5 months have been 5 of my favorite.

Presley at 5 months has every single last heart of her family.

She is her Daddy's "Diddy" & her Mommy's "Lee-lee" & "Miss. Pretty"

Her brothers' "Pres" & "Pretzel" & "Princess."

Here is our precious Presley girl @ 5 months old...

& let us not forget the boys...

Goodness they are sweet babies!