Christmas Day

Christmas Day began with breakfast and then on to Papa's house.  Growing up we went to Papa's house every year on Christmas Day.  The last couple of years we haven't been able to.  This year however we were fortunate enough to get to spend Christmas Day at Papa and Marsha's.  Papa's bought with health problems this year kept him closer to home and we reaped the benefits.  Patrick and Juliana had to visit her family but the rest of us, momma, daddy, Christi, Christian, Aubrey, Tucker, Brad, Carson, Caroline and myself and Aunt Mary, Joseph and Andrew all got to visit and eat lunch with Papa and Marsha.  Papa and Marsha got Caroline a Bible story and song cd and Carson a Bible story dvd. 

They are the neastet gifts I think we got.  They have the kids names in them so just when they might start to let their attention drift it says their name again and draws them right back in.  Caroline put her cd in the player as soon as she opened it and sang and danced forever.   I was so glad to see Christian, Tucker and Aubrey and spend Christmas day with them. 

After Papa's we all went to daddy and momma's for our family Christmas.  As always there was confussion when the paper started flying.  There are always so many gifts.  I really can't tell you what anyone got only the stuff that went home with me.  Momma as always made me some really special things.  A large pillow for our bed, a shirt which I love and can't wait to show off.  No matter how hard the year has been momma and daddy always make sure to out do themselves at Christmas.  How did I luck out to get the BEST parents in the world?  Guess that's why I live in a fairytail world sometimes cause I feel like a grew up in one.  HA HA that was a little corny wasn't it but it is truely how I feel. 
Nana was there and so were Uncle P and Aunt J. And Christi and the boys were all there too.  I got Christi a mother's necklace with the boys names engraved and their birthstones.  I think she really likes it and I am really glad.  She is hard for me to buy for and I really wanted to get her something special.

Merry Christmas!!

 So now I have officially finished with the Christmas season and I look back and see what a wonderful gift our Father gave us.  The birth of His precious Son to celebrate each year and what better way can there be to celebrate than with the family and friends He has blessed me with. 

My prayer for today:

Thank you Lord for your perfect sacrifice

so that I may live such a blessed life.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

I LOVE this new ornament that I got from our Junior Auxiliary gift swap at the Christmas tea this year!!!

...And the Stockings were hung by the Chimney with Care

This year I knew was the year Santa was going to be so much fun!  Caroline has been so excited anticipating her new bike she asked for.  She is old enough this year to start Santa tradations.  We got out the cookie plate and cup passed to me from my mother that we used when I was little and we picked out some cookies and reindeer food to leave for Santa with some egg nog (Caroline's choice and new favorite thing to drink).

Now all snuggled in their beds with visions of sugar plums soon to be dancing over their heads, Caroline and Carson were tucked in.

Brad got me a new camcorder for Christmas this year so we could catch the excitement of Christmas morning.  And a perfect Christmas morning it was! 

I think the legos ended up being the biggest hit.  Not sure if it was Brad or the kids that had the most fun building lego towers. Brad's step dad and mom came over as soon as the kids got up at 6:30 and we cooked breakfast.  Momma and Daddy joined us too!  Caroline and Carson were so excited toshow everyone what santa left and play with all the new toys left by Santa.

It was the night before Christmas...

It was the night before Christmas...

As long as I can remember we have ALWAYS spent Christmas eve with Momma's side of the family.  So even though I am now married this is still first on the priority list for Christmas events.  Even more so now that Brad and I have children of our own, holiday tradations seem to become even more important to my somewhat old fashioned values.  All the children, now adults and married with Patrick soon to be next October, we still manage to all make it there.  We don't get to hang out near as much as I wish we could so it is nice to know we always have Christmas to count on to get us all there.  We always go to Aunt Cathy's as we did this year.  This year Christian, Aubrey and Tucker were at David's for Christmas Eve so I was a little sad to not have them there.  Sad for myself and more so for Christi.  Now that I have children of my own I understand how hard it must be to not have your children with you EVERY day. Not just holidays because I am learning that everyday is a special day when your children are there. But despite their absense we have plenty of little ones to keep the excitement going. 
Caroline can put on the show all by herself but ths year she did really good about playing with everyone, especially Ady.  Caroline loves babies and was loving trying to be Ady's mommy.  Skip and Amanda got Caroline a baby stroller that Ady was just small enough to still fit in it so Amanda strapped her in and let Caroline push her around the house.  It was so cute and Ady was such a good sport.  Sat up and went along for the ride.  I think Ady is one of the happiest, prettiest babies I've ever seen.
We got Ady a pink glow worm because Caroline and Carson were so attached to theirs at that age and Carson still is.  It must be a mother's instinct because Christi got her a blue one too!  Perfect now she has a boy and a girl of her very own.
Chase and Lia got Caroline and Carson new glow doodles that we LOVE!!  I requested 2 from past experience and it's a good thing.  They traveled with us everywhere we went for Christmas and cut back the fighting for the same toy.  Plus they could still draw in the car when it was dark!  A very recommended gift!!!!
We got Maci a leap frog animal set.  I hope she likes it as much as Carson likes his.  Maci was walking all over the place and was so proud of herself.  She would walk and then stop and smile and clap for herself.  She is the happiest little baby.  And SO beautiful. Those big brown eyes and that dark brown hair.  It is funny how opposite she looks when you set her beside Caroline, Carson and Ady.

As I look through my pictures from Christmas Eve I see how special children make this wonderful season.  God has blessed each of our families so much throughout the years and now we can pass down those special traditions to our children

Cookies and Confections for Christmas Eve

What fun we had this year getting ready for Christmas!  I was off on Christmas Eve this year so Caroline and I decided we would have a mom day and make candy and cookies for Christmas to take to all our stops.  We invited my mother over and Juliana to help.  Christi had to work so we just made plenty of chocolate for her.  So we all tied on our aprons (Caroline, Juliana and I) that moma made for us and got to work.   We had the best time!  I was in charge of the peanut butter balls and Juliana made oreo balls and ended up doing all the dipping of anything that went in chocolate while I snapped pictures.  Momma has had years to learn patience so she got the task of cutting out sugar cookies and Gingerbread men with Caroline who already can complete any task all by herself with no instruction.  Brad did his part the night before and made his famous fudge so it was already ready to be cut and put on trays.  Uncle P even stopped by after he got off work and helped ice cookies.  He did a lot better than I was doing so I let him take over.  We didn't get to make the Martha Washington balls or the sugar strawberries that I love so much but there was more candy than we knew what to do with.  In the end, all the gingerbread men were dressed in overalls and pants some with green and red hair others sporting moehawks; all the trays were spilling over with candy and confections.  There was flour on the floor and countertops and Juliana had smudges of chocolate on her face but we were all still smiling and laughing.  What a great start to Christmas Eve!

Lastly and Back Up to current events..

Where have I been?  This question should be rephrased for the month of December to: where haven't I been?  The month has really flown by in all the preperation for Christmas, Christmas has again gotten here before I realized it.  I can't wait for our family celebrations to start tomorrow!  Being so close to my family it means so much more spending the holidays with them. 

Last weekend we started our Christmas celebrations with a trip through Christmas City and Brad's family at his grandmother's house.  His brother's family drove up from Louisianna.  We had a good time.  It's been a while since we've gotten together with Brad's family. 
Now tomorrow momma and Juliana are coming over to make candy and cookies for Christmas with me and Caroline and then on to Aunt Cathy's for Christmas Eve tradation.  Next time I update will most likely be after Christmas so Merry Christmas! 

Pictures from Brad's Grandmothers:

Happy Birthday Maci!

Happy Birthday Maci!

Last weekend we not only had the begining of our Christmas celebrations but we also had Maci's first Birthday!

Second...

Now that I realize I just posted the same Santa pictures that I already shared I will move on through the month. Second was our venture with Christmas card pictures for this year.  Let's just say that it's like looking for a dress when you have pictured in your mind EXACTLY what you want but when you get to the store you just can't find that perfect dress you want.  Well that's kinda how pictures are with Caroline and Carson.  If I am just snapping pictures cause I think my kids are the cutest in the world those end up being the cutest ones and the ones I try to get just right never turn out just right.  Out of the 50 or more attempts some of my favorites ended up being the ones when Caroline and Carson were just being themselves.  As you can tell by the end Carson was done taking pictures and Caroline was playing mother hen and trying to make him all better.  We ended up with some really cute ones to say Merry Christmas with. Enjoy!

By the end both kids were tired of the momma paparrazi!  HAHA!

First there was our visit to Santa

December is so busy!  Let me play catch up for a minute to get up to the current time of this busy month.

 First there is our visit with Santa this year.  How did that go well let's just say these aren't Phil's pictures but I am just happy that neither of them were crying.  Carson and Caroline were all about going to see Santa until it was our turn.  Carson wiggling to get down was all ready to walk up there until he realized he didn't know the person he was walking to. 

Caroline played the shy card which she is definately not and then Santa somehow "knew" that she was suppose to be working on not sucking her thumb and made a deal that she would work on that and he would bring her a bike for Christmas.  Needless to say that didn't get him in best friend points.

  In the end we ended up with a picture and neither was crying nor were they smiling.