On December 12, Bobby, Mills, and I departed from DFW to SFO. 
Mills is a super traveler (so is Bobby when he's not shoving a video camera into my pores, God love him), and we thought it was about damn time we took her to one of our favorite places on Earth...San Francisco.

Before Bobby and I were ever even engaged, we decided that we wanted to end up living in SF.  Each time we've been back, there have been collective sighs and in-unison wondering how we could do it and how it would feel to be out of Texas and what steps we needed to take and it goes on and on like any good daydream does. 
This time, though, was different. 

FOUR MORE DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!!!

As the year comes to an end, I'm getting very pumped about THREE (ok, so, three and a half if ya count Christmas Eve) very important dates:  Christmas Day, my birthday (December 29th), and New Year's Eve. I don't really have a 9 to 5 job, which is both a blessing and a curse.  I work around the clock often sending clients things at 1am and working on images till the break o' break o' dawn in order to have my cake and eat it, too.  When December comes, I hafta hold on tight to what is mine, and that is family time.  I'm sure you can understand, as our society (on average) consists of very hard workers, that I've gotta take off these next couple of weeks if I want to creatively be where I need to be for 2010.  So...

Starting today at 5pm Central Time, I'm leaving on a jet plane to Familyland until January 10, 2010 at 9am.  I will likely check emails, but will probably not return them super promptly.  I might work on some images, because it is likely I will need a creative release.  I will also be photographing Diana + Clay on their sure to be gorgeous wedding day!  However, you can pretty much just pretend that I am in Bora Bora, because that is the amount of attention that I'm gonna be givin' to my sweet, sweet daughter, Millie and my irresistible husband, Bobby.  I love you all, too, and you know that.  You know that I work my ass off for you.  And you know that I will be well-rested, newly inspired, and READY TO FREAKING ROCK with ya in 2010 because of your patience and support!

Speaking of dates, check out the FANTASTIC blog post from Wendy Kidd, event planner extraordinaire.  If you are looking for a planner in the DFW area (or beyond!), you will be hard pressed to find someone who is more organized and detail-oriented than Wendy.  She comes up with Plan A, B, and C-Z.  Homegirl does her research, and here is a little spot of proof!

CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE!

Every year at Millie's school, the classes each perform a couple of songs for the parents (with help from their music teacher, of course).  It's hilarious to watch them try to walk, shake a jingle bell, and sing all at the same time and the Christmas songs are nice.  But what I love MOST about going to these things is watching Millie perform like she owns the freaking stage.  Believe me when I say she was the last one standing...while waving at the audience who, in her mind, came there to watch HER shine.  That's my girl.  Proud parent, right here.

Oh, my Millie.  What a sweet little four year old.  Sometimes I look at her or carry her or hug her and think, "Please, oh please, just stay a four year old forever."  That's not in the cards, and I know that.  But today, I am compelled to record everything she is in this moment of time.

I love her fake whistle.  It literally sounds like this:  "Weeeeeee-weet!"  Her fake laugh is pretty rad, too.

It is sometimes annoying (like when I am trying to get the shampoo out of her hair), but Mills still doesn't know how to voluntarily close her eyes.  Instead, she puts her fingers over her them.  I am not sure what is going on there.  She is already learning how to read and is very worldly for a 4 year old, so it's not like she's lacking smarts.  At any rate, even through my frustration, I think it's cute as hell.

Even though some of her friends aren't huggers, I love that SHE is.  In fact, I think it should be a title of hers.  Millie Mefford, Hugger...just like Barack Obama, President of the United States.  I would much rather my kid be too warm and snuggly than the other way.  We can work on conformity (stay in line and hands to yourself) later...she's got, oh, a good 90 years left for that business.  I'm gonna just let her hug the crap out of anything while she is still young and unaffected by this sometimes cold and corporate (ick) society in which we live.

While I don't enjoy the laundry duties that come with it, I adore the fact that she has to have (on average) 6 costume changes a day.  She often comes downstairs in a nightgown that is different from the one she had on when we tucked her in.  From that, she gets into play clothes, then a costume, a nightgown again, then play clothes, a completely different costume, and back to a nightgown.

Millie will only wear dresses (give or take a leotard), and has been this way for at least 6 months.  At times, this drove me straight to Mi Cocina for a margarita, especially when all of the dresses at all of the stores (SERIOUSLY....ALL of them) were beyond hideous, but now I have relaxed and think it's cute.  (And thank God Target got their crap together and made some cuter dresses.)

Not sure if it is because of my career, but Mills talks about "her wedding" daily.  Each time it is a different groom.  Mostly Jack, but sometimes it's Law or Finley or Baby Will or some kid in her class named Jace.  She wants the wedding to be at our house, and I suppose in lieu of cocktail hour, she wants there to be, get this, "gym time".  Everyone has to bring play clothes and jump around and do their tricks and turns, and THEN they can eat and dance.

She's still never had a real haircut.  She loves broccoli.  She's way into typing and writing and any sort of arts and crafts. She still adores Taylor Swift and Johnny Cash and Vampire Weekend and surprises me with the occasional interest in stuff like Sufjan Stevens and Flo Rida.  She hates wearing socks and despises coats of any kind and likes sushi and loves it when I call her "Peach" (as I have since she was a baby) and can't contain herself when I ask her to help me with my makeup. She also thinks that soy sauce comes from pandas and that you just "squeeze and pull, squeeze and pull" and that's how we get it.  For that reason alone, I could love her for the rest of my life.  I always will.  She is my inspiration, and I can't wait to show this to her when she is 13 and tells me I am the mother from hell.  I absolutely am so blessed to be a mom.

This morning, I had beauty comin' at me from all angles. 

Millie, in her favorite Tinkerbell nightgown with her sweet honey-colored tangled hair and wide-with-excitement blue eyes, tiptoed into our room for extra snuggles.  Soon after, we realized what was happening in the world outside, and we took great delight.  What a magical way to start a day.