More Pictures From This Special Day

Aunt Lillian and Adalie

Adalie with her Godparents, Matt and Claire Williams and Mom and Dad

Is this the "Gerber Baby" or an Angel??...Oh...it's baby Addie! Isn't she precious!!!

Baby Addie and Jonathan. Addie LOVES his beard!

The Baptism Celebration Continues

Adalie Cavanaugh Darlson's Baptism

Violet O'Hara

Michelle, this post is especially for you. Meet Violet O'Hara, our Tonkinese kitten.

Violet is a Platinum Point Tonkinese from Charlotte, NC. She arrived in our lives just after Thanksgiving by way of Jacksonville, FL., courtesy of Matt and Claire Williams. (They picked her up from the breeder in Charlotte and drove her to Jacksonville.)

Meghan, Addie and I picked her up in Jacksonville and Violet "cried" all the way home...And that was just the beginning!

The beginning of what you ask?

The beginning of the END of this little Tonkinese being a part of our family! I came to the conclusion just yesterday that she is just NOT going to work out!!!!

The Tonkinese breed is a Siamese-Burmese mix. They are a smaller than most cats, have hypo-allergenic fur and loved for their dog-like personalities. Violet's personality, while very affectionate, is more like an alley-cat! She is very skittish and runs away, hiding from me. When I reach my hand out towards her, she can not get away fast enough.

My last Tonk, O'Malley, was so much like a dog. He was always underfoot, followed me everywhere, would play "fetch", loved everyone and very affectionate...he was perfect! And he was not unusual for the breed...Violet, however IS!

So it looks like we will be switching her out for another cat as soon as one is available.

Our 2008 Christmas Tree

I'm excited about Christmas in general but I am so thrilled with our Christmas tree this year, I just had to share it with you! I think it's the prettiest tree I've ever had. The idea for brilliant blue came from Alaska.

When I was visiting Beth in Anchorage, as we drove around the town I began to see these amazing blue lights on the trees and buildings. The blue was such an intense color. It was especially spectacular reflecting off of the white snow. In Anchorage they put up their lights early and take them down late...it seems their Christmas lights are up from fall to spring!

I was so taken with these blue lights that it became the basis for my color palette this year.

The actual tree (a gift from Mark...which has a story of its own) is a fresh tree, tall and full and VERY fragrant.

Don't you think this is the most wonderful time of year?

Our Very Own Addie Bug!

Adalie changes so much between our visits. She is a wonder baby, always so happy. You should hear her laugh!

Addie, fresh and clean after her bath.
LOVE this picture...she what she has to put up with when she comes to visit her aunts?

Now that's a beautiful baby!

I adore this picture a Adalie and her mother. Meghan and Adalie look like two angels.

OK...I just HAD to include at least one naked baby shot (Addie's very discreet.)

Thanksgiving Continued

We had such a wonderful day...and the thing that makes any day special is always the people you're with. These are just some of the special people that went spent Thanksgiving 2008 with:

Mom and Dad having coffee by the fire.
We had the best time outside, sitting around the fire and playing word games. From left to right: Erin, Gavin, Felicia and Sarah.

Mark and I

Meghan and James

My sister, Julie

Thanksgiving

I thought I'd better post Thanksgiving before I started taking Christmas pictures. We had a wonderful day AND night with lots of friends and family coming and going. There was SO much food!

Great Grandmother Eddings and Adalie
Everyone loves the baby!

Caleb

Mattie and Felicia

Mark and Lee with the dueling turkeys...yes, there were two. Now that's what I call a feast!!!