It's a lengthy one!

Hi! Here are some pictures! The first one is Jakey at Josie's Kindermusik recital. Notice the watch. Thank you McDonald's happy meal toy for that one! Oh my...

Here's Josie at Manny's for Christmas. Of course it was after Christmas thanks to the hospital stay. My Sister may beat me for this one, but I couldn't figure out how to crop it... Her eye is healing up nicely as you can see!

Snow from our balcony in New York!

Josie has a love of skittles and candies of all kind much like her Mommy!

Some sweet tourist took our picture and some of the tree at Rockefeller Center!

It's the most wonderful time of the year..... This Christmas break was spent getting my cuddle on with Jake and Josie! Seems those two can't get enough of my love bay-bay! :)

I must admit this was a different break for me. We had some crazy stuff going on. I took the week before Christmas break off to go back to the Big Apple with my Sister and my Mama. This was the longest trip yet. I flew there with them on Monday the 13th and came home on my own that Saturday. Mama and Christy had to stay until the next Tuesday. Simply stated I couldn't be away from my JoJo dancer and my babies for that long.

When we first got there one of the town cars took us to the New Yorker (we've stayed there every time) LOVE IT! Turns out to be the coldest week they've had yet and our driver's window wouldn't roll back up after he paid the toll. He just kept apologizing in some attempt at the English language. We were f-reezing and giggling our behinds off!

We got to enjoy New York at Christmas time. WOW! It was sooo pretty! I'll stick some pictures in here. Actually, because I can never remember to do the pictures and then write, you've probably already seen the shots!

One of my goals (for the past 6 years) has been to do a really nice photo album. Then Shutterfly got big and I have been going to make a book for ever. Turns out with my down time in the city that never sleeps I completed the entire year of 2009 & all of 2010 up to December. I also got a start on 2008! So stinkin productive I tell ya. I finished 2010 while I was home sick and that baby is in the mail as you read!

Fear was all over me about that flight home by my lonesome. I just kept telling myself, "Girlfriend you is thirty-fo years old. Get a grip!" I did and ended up sitting next to some "sisters" on the plane. Well that's the lie they told the very nice man sitting next to me convincing him to give up his seat. Those girls were NOT sisters cause I've never loved my sister like that. I mean to each his own, but an airplane is an itty bitty little place to be getting your groove on! Oh and with a stomach ache at that. The one next to me kept breaking what little wind we'd get in that plane all up on me and whining over and over how her belly hurt, ya think?

My Mama spent the entire week of Christmas and Christmas day in Intensive Care! No worries! She's A-ok! Just had us all freaked out a bit. They emptied 4 liters of blood from her innerds. She had a torn esophagus. Didn't get that figured out until after much waiting and wondering and worrying. They gave that 94 pounder blood transfusions and all. But she's back home and doing so much better!

Grampa Levreoy (as my kids call him) passed away Christmas morning. We were heavy hearted and happy for him all at the same time. He got to spend his Christmas with Grandma Iva Lou for the first time in 5 years. Jakey has been the saddest of us all. Nana would take him to Grampa's several times a week. His whole little world has been rocked. He's been full of questions.

This last week of break the kids and I have been s-i-c-k! I won't bore you with all the details, but man we're so ready to feel good again. In a strange way it's been a blessing. I'm such a busy body with goals galore over a holiday and this forced me to be still. That's where all the cuddling came from. I am honestly thankful for all that quiet time. And on my one day of feeling good Jos and I got her closet organized. Perfection! Now if I can figure out a way to keep her from playing in there. :) Just kidding!

Our family had a wonderful Christmas! The kids got their #1 gift choices from the Big Man in the Red Suit! Josie wanted an easy bake (finally Joey can get me in that kitchen) Haha! Jake's been begging for that Big Foot remote control thing at Target since before his birthday. I did not want to buy that joker, but he gave Santa his request with specific details. Went a little something like this, "Umm Santa, even I want a Big Foot Gorilla guy even he's a wittle bit scary, but not that much. That's why you can get him a Target in the toy section. OK?" Who can say no to that? And his reaction Christmas morning was certainly no let down. Jos had torn through like 7 gifts while Jake was still screaming and laughing at the big foot. The let down came after Christmas when his ever so expensive Big Foot ended up under a Diego blanket in his room because it scares him a tiny bit at night. Oh heavens that boy has my heart!

Josie Ryann is reading! As a matter of fact she's gotten quite good at her What is a Princess book. She tells me the other day, "Mommy, you know I love princesses more than Taylor Swift!" Well alright she can love em as long as her little heart desires. She's going to be 6 years old this month. Oh yea, your eyes didn't deceive you, 6! Sigh....

I hate to give you Jeanne overload, but I figure you have the choice to quit reading, right? Yesterday we were headed to Dr. Albino's office. I'm in the passenger side in the Villages when I peek my blue eyes over to the little old lady in the car beside me WITH HER HAT ON SIDEWAYS (like the brown boys wear sometimes as Josie says)! She was big pimpin. I was like Joey check out Gramma's hat. We chuckled, well laughed pretty hard. Jake was really giggling when Josie busts out with, "Y'all are being mean about that lady! That makes me sad." The little holy spirit in the back seat made me feel terrible. I tried explaining that we weren't making fun of her, but WE WERE which made me laugh again. This may sound horrible to you. I'm sorry. But that junk was cracking me up. So Jakey says, "Even I'm sorry Jos cuz I been laughing at that lady." What am I going to do with that sensitive youngster? I mean if a villager chooses to wear her visor sideways she's begging for attention. :)

I guess I'll wrap it up for tonight. Tomorrow is our first day back after the break. I am so going to miss my cuddle time with Jake Landon and him saying, "How you gon hold dat and cuddle me? Put it down!" Whatever my that was at the time. That day it was my super cute MacBook Joey got me for Christmas (with the lip gloss smear all over the screen from my baby girl)! At least it wasn't permanent marker!