Elfing Around

Well, Criddle has made his yearly appearance at the deFoor home.  After a fun couple of years in NC, he now is visiting us in Nashville, TN.  He is definitely bringing his creativity with him from the north pole this Christmas.  He first showed up at Granny Patti’s at thanksgiving.  He then followed us home to Nashville and has really been having a good time watching the boys and reporting to Santa.  Each morning, the boys bound out of bed to see what he has been up to next.  You just never know where Criddle will be found.  He has a wild imagination. 

One weekend, the boys were at Nana and PawPaws when Aunt Janie woke up to something funny going on in her kitchen.  She called Jackson and Lincoln to come quick and see that the elf had came to her house from the north pole and he had cooked them breakfast.  He showed up riding a brass reindeer and brought snowballs donuts, santa hats (white chocolate covered strawberries), raspberry yogurt and peppermint chocolate milk.  It was quite the spread for one little elf.   He had letters written to both boys about watching them and reporting their behavior to Santa.  I was pretty impressed and hoped he’d decide to make breakfast more often.  All he seems to want to make at my house is a MESS!  Go figure!

As we prepare to say goodbye to Criddle again until next year, we leave all of his funny and clever disguises for your viewing pleasure and mine.  I just hope he can keep up with this level of creativity in years to come.  

Favorite Things -Christmas Edition

Every year as we decorate the Christmas Tree, I enjoy reminiscing about where each decoration came from.  Some, we've bought over the years (mostly after Christmas because that's my favorite day of the year to shop) and others were bought by friends and family for special occasions.  I want my children to have those memories to pass on one day so where better to record them than here.

I've always had a thing for Lady and the Tramp and Jason bought this  hallmark ornament for me  the Christmas  that Jackson was born.  I have to admit it made me wonder if he really wanted 4 children, since there were 4 puppies there.  Then I think he decided that even the Lady and the Tramp looked overwhelmed with 4!

I've always loved nutcrackers.  I really regret that they are so closely assocated with Christmas and wish they could be up all year.  I try to get one every year for the boys.  One of my all time favorites is the Auburn nutcracker.  I had some friends from Alabama visit me and Jackson while Jason was deployed.  They spent Thanksgiving with us and it was so much fun.  I told them how I wanted one and what do you know but one arrived for me in the mail from them.  That is good friends!

I got this at my Christmas shower when I got married.  It was the most fun shower I  ever had.  I'm still talking about that shower.  I mean, how much fun is it to get all Christmas decorations for gifts.  Otherwise, our tree would have been pretty bare that first year!  Not only did I have lots of ornaments, I had amazingly beautiful ones that were given to me by the people who love us.  My mom and her good ideas wrote the name of the person who gave them to me on each ornament so every year when I unpack them, I can think of the people who gave them to me back then.

I got Jackson this Christmas Nativity after months of looking.  I got it off of Craigslist.  I drove across fayetteville, NC to get it.  It was July.  Yes, I bought a nativity in July.  I had been looking for it and for $10, he played with it until well after Christmas.  It may have been one of my favorite Craigslist purchases ever.  Now Lincoln plays with it nearly everyday.  I'm still undecided if it will go up with our Christmas stuff or stay out for a while.

When I was growing up, my Granny had an Auburn ornament that was always my favorite one on her tree. As kids, Tracie and I would "claim" a favorite ornament on her tree as "ours" and this was always my pick. If I picked it then of course she couldn't choose the same one so I won.  When I got married, I got this one to start my own tree.  It was originally planned to be an Auburn tree.  I had always wanted one.  Orange and Blue lights, orange garland and an orange and blue bow on top!  Well, that was until I married an Alabama fan.  The first few years, I had my wish because he was deployed our first few Christmases and I could do whatever I wanted but after that, I had Jackson and somehow he'd been brainwashed into being an Alabama fan and he had an opinion on the tree.  Well, my Auburn tree turned into an Alabama Auburn tree and that is where we stand for now.  Next year, we either need 2 trees or a bigger one for a bigger rivalry.

I actually registered for this ornament at my Christmas wedding shower.  I was so happy to get it and Jason was equally disgusted.  I'm secretly hoping it's a sign into my future of 1) a daughter and 2) an Auburn fan.

This one was purchased in answer to my Auburn one.  Jason came across it somewhere and it was decided that we would have both until our kids could decide for themselves.  I don't think he's playing fair!

This one goes a little farther back than our wedding shower.  This is the ornament I gave Jason our first Christmas we spent together.  He was home from West Point and I was totally in love!  We hadn't been officially dating a year yet but I had already given him my heart and this signified it.  I knew within a few weeks of us dating that I was going to marry him one day and by Christmas, I was a goner!  This ornament is very special to both of us.  I've never looked back and I'm still totally in love with him.


And yes, it's the Tin Man's heart from the Wizard of Oz.   Epic Movie.
You probably know that Jason was gone the year Lincoln was born.  He came home to meet Lincoln for the first time in October when Lincoln was 4 months old.  He was here for 2 weeks and we visited Walt Disney World.  Maybe the best Vacation ever to me, but not to him.  Jason is not a Disney fan.  Boo.  But we did take home this amazing little Mickey snowman to remember our trip.  He was gone that Christmas and I went to Alabama and didn't even put up a tree.  It was over a year later before this little guy ever got to hang on a tree but you can bet he'll live on ours from here on out.



The Christmas Pickle.  Oh what a pickle!  It was a little difficult to find the "Legend of the Christmas Pickle" because it is so overly debated about it's truth and origin.  I'm a true believer and this is what I found...

“A very old Christmas eve tradition in Germany was to hide a pickle [ornament] deep in the branches of the family Christmas Tree. The parents hung the pickle last after all the other ornaments were in place. In the morning they knew the most observant child would receive an extra gift from St. Nicholas. The first adult who finds the pickle traditionally gets good luck for the whole year.”

These were my BC ornaments.  That's "before children".  I had this made for Roxy that first Christmas when Jason was deployed.  Who doesn't need an ornament with their dog's name on it?  I found the cat one the year after we got Cotton.  I still love these guys, they have been through a lot with me.  Roxy was with me through all 3 deployements and she's still the most happy to see me every morning around 6 am!

I found Santa climbing this rope up the helicopter at the PX (yes, after Christmas!).  Since Daddy flew helicopters during his time in the Army, I got this one thinking he'd love it.  Well, this is a blackhawk.  Daddy flew Kiowas and they are not friends.  I got the wrong helicopter.  Santa could never ride in his helicopter because it is a 2 pilot aircraft.  FAIL.  Oops.  It still stays on the tree.

You can't hang this one on the tree but it was my 3rd time to see them preform this year.  When I was VERY pregnant with Jackson, mom took Tracie and I to see the Radio City Rockettes perform at the Grand Ol' Opry.  We had never been before and we came up early to spend the day shopping in Nashville.  By the time it started, I had never in my life been so tired.  I was seriously like 38 weeks and when it was time to walk back to the car, I said they would have to pick me up or my feet might explode.  

Nonetheless, it was an amazing performance and we talked all the way home  until just outside of Nashville about what parts we liked the best and how amazing the live Nativity scene was.  This year, living in Nashville, I knew we couldn't miss it.  It didn't disappoint.  It's truly an amazing display of talent and beauty.  If you've never been, it's a Christmas tradition worth starting!

Love in my Ugly Shoes

Lord, let Your love shine through me, today and everyday.

Nestled at the very foothills of the Applacian Mountain chain lies a city called Wheelwright, KY. In the past, it was a sprawling coal mining city but as the coal mines closed their doors, the doors of opportunity were closing on this city as well. Being born in this city now most likely means being born into poverty normally reserved for what we believe is only found in 3^rd world countries. My eyes have been openend. Poverty is real and it’s right here in our country. It’s in our country, our state, our neighbors.

Last weekend, I joined about 100 others from CrossPoint church, Nashville on a mission trip to serve families in the Wheelwright, KY area. I knew about the trip from church and felt like I was supposed to go. It was the first weekend in December and that is usually such a busy time for us. I made that “deal with God” (uh-oh!) and said, if nothing else comes up between now and then, I’d go. Well, wouldn’t you know, my schedule stayed wide open. After being booked every weekend into the new year, this weekend was left untouched on my calendar. How did I know that would happen? (Thanks, God!) I was a little hesitant because I didn’t know ANYONE else going. I had been told but still didn’t fully comprehend our living arrangements for our stay there. I went to the meeting the week before and was handed a “packing list.” It included a sleeping bag and comfortable shoes. Translation: Bring your UGLY shoes. We all know comfortable shoes = Ugly shoes. And that’s just not my style! Ok, I can do this. And as we left the meeting that day with all our information in hand, we were reminded: “It’s not about me!” That would be the manatra of the weekend and would need to be repeated. Often.

We left on Friday at noon. We were driving a Uhaul truck filled to the brim with 250 sponsored children’s gifts, 300ish boxes filled with food and household items and a whole caravan of LOVE! I did have the luxury of riding in a minivan with 2 other ladies from my church. It was a LONG 8 hour drive into the middle of Kentucky nowhere so I was happy to be sitting captain chair in her minivan rather than in the 15 passenger youth van. We made a stop in Hazard, KY. Yes, as in Dukes of Hazard. That might have been my first clue as to what I was getting myself into. Another good clue was the conversation I overheard between 2 young pregnant girls. It ended something like this “Yeah, this one is a girl. We’re going to name her Jesse. Jesse James.”

We arrived at the gymnasium where we would call home late Friday night. Our only objective was to get settled for the night, we’d start early the next day. Debbie, the lady that runs the local mission there met us and explained some of what we’d be witnessing the following day. She explained that in this area, the average median YEARLY salary was around 6,000. A year! She went on to say that drugs were rampant in the community both young and old and the suscide rate was high. She explained that these people had lots of needs but their number one need was LOVE. Good thing, we brought that!

Our nightly accomadations were pretty primitive. It was a gym floor. Some of the windows to the gym were not there. It was COLD. The showers were….well, please see the photo below to fully comprehend. There were 2 toilets. For about 100 people. Still, I can do this. Reminder: It’s not about me.

I had borrowed a brand new sleeping bag and air mattress from a couple of moms I know. That was the best decision I had made so far. While my 2 cohort ladies slept hard and COLD, I never once got cold over the weekend. Well, not while in my sleeping bag at least. Now, the walk to the bathroom (where the open air hit you) was cold.

Saturday morning came early and we had a ton of work to do. We had to transform our living quarters gym into a winter wonderland for the Christmas party later. We all worked like a well oiled machine decorating, unloading and getting this place party ready. Our church had brought 50 large containers of chili with us, nearly 100 dozen cookies and everything else to go with it. By the time the families started arriving, we were taking our places to love the people of Wheelwright, KY. I quickly took the title of “official baby holder” and used my title every chance I got. I also made a point to make over all the little girls that came wearing their version of “Sunday best” because I knew it really was their best and they were proud to wear it for us. The children were easy to love, the teenagers were a little tougher to crack. Sadly, they are the ones that need to be loved the most. They are susceptible to so many different decisions and the right ones are often the harder ones to choose. I fell in love with one family of sisters and the baby they had. Her name was Shelby and if I had shown up at home with her, no one would have been surprised. Her mom was April and April had 8 sisters. The oldest sister, Misty, was the main caretaker for all the sisters and the baby. Misty is in college. One of few. She wants to be a nurse and isn’t sure if she wants to stay in Wheelwright or not. She is trying to decide between her family and her career. Another family I became close to is Eddie’s family. Eddie is sponsored by one of my friends at church and she asked me to check in on him. Eddie found me at the door. There is where he stole my heart. He met me at the check in table and dropped down to do push ups to impress me. He’s only 3. He has a 16 year old sister, Jasmine and 2 older brothers. I was told by Debbie that his family has been known to do heavy drugs in the past. Eddie was friendly and his mom was talkative. He has a lazy eye and had surgery to correct it. It was still healing.

The party consisted of chili for lunch, arts and crafts for the kids, a visit with santa, 3 professional family photography areas complete with printing capabilities and a full makeshift salon. A local salon in Nashville had recruited 4 stylist to give free haircuts to the families in attendance. When I sat down to eat, I met my favorite child yet. I sat next to a girl and asked her name. She told me it was Victoria Ann Moon. She proceeded to tell me “some of these people came and built a room onto my grandma’s house.” We had learned about this addition the night before and I was honored to meet the people that it benefited. She said that since the room addition, she finally had a bedroom of her own. She lives with her grandma and several of her cousins. I also met her grandma, Dorothy, and she was one of the most grateful people I met all weekend. You could tell she kept those kids in line, in school and was respectable. She was grateful for the room that crosspoint helped build and she was glad to pitch in and help or work for anything given to her. Victoria and I had a meaningful conversation about staying in school and learning the importance of math. A common theme among the families is a high incidence of smokers, pregnancy at an early age and soda. Children as young as 2 or 3 carried a soda into the party. Many adults brought their own Mt. Dew with them and the kids drank it freely. Now soda won’t kill you but the unhealthy theme just isn’t appropriate for children so young. Most kids would ask if we had soda to serve when we only offered water and lemonade. The lack of education compounded these unhealthy choices.

After the party, the clean up began. There were several gifts that were not picked up from a family that had been hospitalized. I went with the team that was going to deliver those gifts. That may have been when things got real. We pulled up to a home surrounded by clutter, broken things and mud. It was easily in “condemned” conditions by most standards. There were rotten boards covering the dirty floor. The mother met us at the door and we delivered gifts to her 4 boys. The boys came outside and retrieved their gifts and each of them seemed to have learning disabilities. They were also not clean. Their clothes were filthy and we later learned that there was no running water in the home. They wouldn’t get it until spring time because even if they had it, the pipes would freeze and burst. It was a VERY quiet ride back as all of the team members pondered what we had just witnessed. I didn’t relize people in the US lived like that. I didn’t comprehend until now the hopelessness that could be found so very close to me. The saddest part for these boys is with significant learning delays, the future for them was bleak at best. It was a hard lump to swallow.

The emotions of that day were exhausting. It was sad to see the children that were not clean, warm and loved. It was hard to accept that the adults in their lives would choose drugs or other things in life over their children. It was hard to see people falling in the the same cycles of bad decisions breeding more bad decisions. I just hope that at least a few of the people we touched this weekend see that there is a God that loves them, there are people in Nashville that love them and a few right decisions can mean a way out, a better life.

We headed home EARLY on Sunday morning. We had a lot of discussions about the weekend and the emotions we felt. The people we met. We were about 30 miles outside of Wheelwright, KY when we finally had cell phone service again. And we promptly googled the nearest starbucks. There was a new appreciation for a good cup of coffee. I think I faired pretty well for roughing it and not having a shower for 2 days.(No judgements, did you SEE the photos of the showers?) And to get my hands on baby Shelby, I’d go back again!

Crosspoint brings Christmas BIG.

I might have mentioned that I was taking up babies at the door. We did regretfully have to give them all back at the end of the day but if they had left them, I'd have came home with one of these!

See, I packed my "comfortable" (ugly) shoes and all the other basic essentials. Yes, that is a strand of pearls.

I had 2 sweet friends that had been to wheelwright set me UP as far as comfort is concerned. I didn't get cold even once on this set up!

And THIS is why I went the entire weekend without showering. Can you blame me?

Anything can be made beautiful!

But I did manage to brush my teeth!

It was like a tent city, except we had power and blow up mattresses so really it wasn't that bad.

Oh, and books on mp3 from the library. I was warned that there was no cell phone reception and it was a fact!

The drink of choice. Babies, teens and adults alike. Apparently it is cheaper than milk.

Oh, THIS is Eddie. He did push ups to impress me, aren't you impressed?

Sweet Eddie!

The salon girls giving makeovers to the grandma's!

This is Victoria Moon. She's going to be a mathematician one day!

She wasn't happy. I took her Dr. pepper to try to make her smile for me. It wasnt' working. I gave it back.

One of my favorite sisters!

This is Eddie's family. How cute is he at the bottom!

Yes, she has rainbows on her sweet little face!

Both of my favorite sisters in matching sweaters!

This is just a few of the reasons we were there!

Nothing warms your heart more than a weekend filled with God's love for children and a starbucks on the way home.

Thankful for the perspective, the opportunity and God's redemption for us all.

Lincoln Lately

Just a few of Lincoln's sayings lately. He's more talkative than ever. Actually he never stops. Until you want him to say something. Then he clams up like a conch shell. Hot little mess.

Today he took off his jeans and put on his snowman pajama pants. I hear him in the hallway and he's saying "I'm a Snowman butt." I corrected the "bathroom talk" until I realized that he was serious. He had changed his own clothes.

In another speech correction, somewhere (JACKSON) he learned to say "kill you" while pretending to fight and play with Jackson. I constantly say "Don't say I kill you." So tonight in the car while playing that game Lincoln says "I can't say I kill you, Jackson" "Mom said don't say kill you". Nice way to say it anyway Lincoln.

Since my Birthday in November I've been waking up to an adorable version of Happy Birthday to you every couple of mornings. It goes something like: "Happy To-day, Happy To-day, Happy to Mommy" I kinda like it. I could use to celabrate my birthday a little longer!


This morning, I came downstairs to Lincoln helping himself to the chocolate in his advent calendar. Today he enjoyed day 11, 13 and 19. So much for the daily advent.

I had a sweet friend ( www.hankorange.com ) make the boys custom Vanderbilt shirts to sport around the Vandy campus. We are already an anomaly in the Owen grad program being a family of 4 and not fresh out of college. I figured if we were going to stand out, we might as well look good!

Tonight we made a quick Santa visit at the YMCA. We are not a huge Santa family and last year, I vowed to NEVER again wait in line to see the pretender in the big red suit. It was a Fayettville mall casualty event and I learned my lesson. So they boys were excited to see him and as we walked in they both lit up. As we got closer, Lincoln stopped. He wasn't getting any closer to that poser. Jackson was already in full conversation but all Lincoln could do was stand there and wave. He wants to love the guy, he knows he should but he can't help but hesitate at the strange guy with an outdated beard that looks like a mask only allowing you to see his eyes. I can't really blame him but his hesitation is cute and frustrating. Santa leans down to ask Lincoln if he's been good this year and Lincoln promptly announces, "NO!" Truth hurts.


It's no secret. Lincoln can be a bad boy. And he is stubborn. And he doesn't back down until I break out the spoon. Yes, the spoon. Then he is SOOoooooo sorry. He back that little tush up saying "I'm sorry mommy, I sorry, I sorry" You better believe I continue on with the spoons delivery.


Most days that we are home, you will find Lincoln only half clothed. Usually the top half as he is begining to potty train and prefers to "do it himself." If seen wearing anything on the bottom, he can be found wearing ONE black cowboy boot and ONE fireman rainboot. He always, ALWAYS pairs them this way. It takes skill to assure that the shoes I always pair up get paired his very own way. It's safe to say, Lincoln gets his style from his dad.

We're still on the Goodnight Moon book. We read it everyday. Several times. The main objective in the book is to find the mouse. Did you know that on every "colored" page of that book, there is a tiny little mouse? It's true and Lincoln can show you each one of them.

This boy LOVES to say his prayers. We say them mostly at night before bed but when he's with my dad, Lincoln requests to "say prayers" more frequently. He mumbles along with the praises and prayers of thanksgiving and then announces "amen" at the end. I can't help but take a peek at how tightly he closes his cute little eyes during these prayers.

We live along the Harpeth River. The depth of the river fluctuates greatly with the rainfall. There is not a time that we pass it that Lincoln doesn't comment on the "Ribber" on the way home.

That boy never misses an "oh wow" (construction vehicle), a truck or a monmower (lawnmower).

Lincoln is more obsessed with trains than ever before. I recently retrieved some of Jackson's Geotrax out of storage and we made a track around the Christmas Tree. It's the site of many hours of fun in the daytime and many fights and squeals when Jackson gets home in the afternoon.

This morning, our elf was caught eating a chocolate bar. Lincoln thought this was the funniest yet. He's a big fan of candy and especially at breakfast. Not a chance Lincoln. But he said "Look, mommm, that elf eat chocky, he make mess!"

He sings the sweetest little rendition of Jingle Bells. It mostly goes "Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells" over and over but there is a "HEY!" in there somewhere. Nothing cuter than a kid singing Christmas songs to me.

So I got some new pajamas. They are pink and covered in very LOUD and Bold Owl prints. I really like them but they are LOUD. Lincoln walks into the bathroom where I have donned them and says "Mom, Sooooo pretty, You birds!"
Awww, thanks Lincoln!

And one for Jackson...Tonight, he asked us "Do you know that Russian guy? The one with the white beard? (thinking santa claus)He says, You know, the one that wrote about that soldier and him fighting the 6 headed mouse while those girls danced around him?
It was the nutcracker, he was trying to think of the guy who wrote Then Nutcracker. Oh. I had to google. It was Tchaikovsky, Peter Tchaikovsky. Are they really teaching my KINDERGARTENER about Tchaikovsky?! I'm impressed!