Christmas with the Ketchums

Mrs. Ketchum's Christmas Pajama Party

My class had a pajama party the last day of school before Christmas. BOY WERE THEY WILD!!! It was the craziest day yet! Thank goodness Michael came to help me out. We had snacks and then watched (or pretended to watch) the Polar Express. The kids brought blankets and pillows to stretch out on. They had a lot of fun! I was exhausted and glad for two weeks off when it was over!

My sweet little angels!

Acting a little crazy...

Thanks!

I need to post a THANKS to Jessica Grabowski for helping me give my blog a face lift! It looks so much better! Thanks Jess!

My Best Friend's Wedding

My best friend, Erica Hamilton, is now Mrs. Jimmy Alan Banks Lewis. They got married today in Columbus, MS at our home church Fairview. It was a beautiful wedding with a beautiful bride. I posted some pics from the bridesmaid's lunch and the reception. I can't believe all of my friends are getting married. It seems like we are still babies. This is the first of many friends' weddings this next year. She is definitely one of my most special friends. We first met in 5th grade when she started attending Fairview. I didn't like her then because she was a "goody goody". Gradually over the years, we came to be good friends. Over the last 2 years of college, being the only two girls our age in Columbus, we've become really close! I love her and Alan and wish them all the best in their new life together!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

Michael and I put up our first Christmas tree the Wednesday before Thanksgiving! We had such a good time. The tree is a little puny, but we are newlyweds in a tiny apartment. The lights are MIA!

Michael sorting the ornaments.

Me pretending to sort the ornaments!

Michael hanging the first ornament!

Of course, it was a BULLDOG!

I am doing my part!

My beautiful manger scene and MSU santas and snowmen!

The finished products!

The Barlow Christmas

The Barlows would be my mother's side of the family. The whole family--whole meaning aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and anyone else who wants to come--gets together once a year. The first Saturday in December. It is always an exciting event. This year we gathered at my Aunt Edna's antebellum home in Shuqualak, MS. She and her husband have been restoring it for the past several years, so this was a perfect chance to show off their hard work. We ate---of course. Then we played a rousing game of dirty santa with Christmas ornaments. My poor mother kept getting hers stolen. It was a great time of fun. Takes me back to younger days.Mom guarding her prize.


Everyone amid the dirty santa game.

The pile of ornament presents.

My Aunt Dot (The best cook in the world) Uncle Ken (Best Farmer in the World)

Uncle Wayne and Aunt Lee (Best at making homemade Mac n' Cheese complete with $15 worth of cheese)

Aren't they cute!?!

Flashback to childhood: picking buckets of pecans!!!

The six Barlow Sisters

And the Winner is....

My class made a wreath to enter into a contest at Mississippi State. It was for an event called Holiday in the Junction. Basically, they lit the Christmas Tree and sang some Christmas carols. Anyways, the big event was last night. The winning class was supposed to get to "light" the Christmas tree. So, of course, I did everything I could to make sure my kids were there in case they won. I sent home 3 notes, put stickers on them when they left school, and put a reminder in their homework chart. Much to my dismay, not one child shows up. So I go stand, ALONE, in the cold, waiting on them to announce the winner so I can get my wreath and go home. Finally, they started and announced the winner. GUESS WHAT....My class won! Which of course is very exciting, but NONE of the kids are there. So I go up there and am like...welll....none of the kids are here. So the man says, well YOU can light the tree. What fun What fun. So then I am obligated to stay for all of the festivities. After all, I can't swipe the winning wreath and go home before the event is officially over. Luckily, another teacher, Mrs. Aarhus, and her husband were there and kept me company.

I told the kids today that they won. They were pretty excited. The principal announced it over the intercom and came by to congratulate them and give them stickers. The "winning" wreath now hangs proudly on our door.



Here are some pics:

Lighting the Tree.

Applauding the Lighting of the Tree.

Mrs. Aarhus and I with her class's candycane wreath.

President Doc Foglesong and I with the winning wreath.

We called it "Bully's Christmas Collar".