Christmas Card Pictures

Here are some of my favorites from our Christmas card photo shoot.  And let’s pretend they’re all edited the same, mkay?! :)There was a lot of this going on, and maybe a promise of a treat in exchange for some smiles.  Sweets get smiles around here right now!  The “what’s on mommy’s head?” bit isn’t working on the big boy any more.  “Mommy, there’s nutting on your head.  Only hair is on your head.”  If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands! works well, too!  So thankful for these blessings-at Christmastime and always.  Your momma loves you, sweet boys!

photos taken 11/30/2011

From my phone

Last Instagram pictures of 2011.  So many fun, everyday {and Christmas!} moments-now to make my Blurb Instagram book!

I love my books!

Sam on the Train

Hilarious!

Christmas Day

After our fun morning, we got ready for a day of celebrating with family.  My family came just before lunch and we had a great time!  It’s so fun to watch these babies open their gifts and play together!  Of course Uncle Adam was there, too, but I don’t have any pictures of him!  How did that happen?!  And, we didn’t take a family picture of our own either, darn it!  I’m thinking we’ll take one on the 12th Day of Christmas, ok babe!?  Look at those sweet babies with their sweet grandparents! Kendall-23 months, Jack-34 months, Sam-12 months Baby Ethan will be celebrating with us next Christmas! We ate a yummy lunch and then opened gifts-everyone was so generous!  Thank you so much!  (Side note:  Jack spiked a fever, 102.4, just before lunch which was really weird.  He’s been a little cough-y, but really no symptoms of any kind, just a fever.  We gave him some Tylenol and he bounced back.) Grandma bought Jack and Kendall each a recorder-they loved, loved them!  Thanks SO MUCH grandma-ha!  Grinch Michelle and Grinch Ryan took them away after five minutes of them playing their favorite songs! :) We celebrated Jesus birthday in the traditional fashion-a cake and the birthday song of course!  We lit all the candles of our child-friendly Advent wreath and barely finished “Happy Birthday” when they were already blown out.  I’m glad they were excited about the candles and hope they’re really learning the Reason we’re celebrating!  Oh, and I was there, too!  See!  This is a horrible picture of me, but it’s also the only picture of me!  Thanks, dad!  As much as I love taking the pictures, I want to be in some, too, so our boys can look back at them and see their momma living their days with them. Before we knew it, it was time for my family to head home.  Sam was very sad about that, but I told him the Thomases  were coming, so he perked up! :)We opened gifts, and were spoiled again!, and then played and enjoyed some dessert.  I was terrible with my camera, but I’ll tell you, we had a great time! As everyone was leaving, Jack’s fever came back, so he and daddy headed upstairs to snuggle and watch Cars while Sam and I played with the train. Um, he loves it!Thank you all so much for celebrating with us!  Christmas wouldn’t be the same without our families!  Merry Christmas!

Christmas Morning

This Christmas Morning was even more fun than Mark and I thought it would be.  Both boys were delighted with what Santa left for them, so of course these daddy and momma hearts were smiling.  We’re responsible for the magic of their Christmases, and by the looks on their faces, I think we pulled it off this year!  Great job, babe! (I will never forget Jack thanking me time and time again for the decorations and telling me I did a good job.  I think he’s full of the love for this special Season already!!  Yay!)

So, on to the morning, which started at 8:00!  I forgot to take a picture of him waiting on the steps, darn-next year, but here’s his first look!  (Funny note:  Jack was pretty sure, like 100% sure, that he was getting his John Deere car for Christmas.  Mark told him he was being a good boy and that he often heard Frank working on some wheels and an engine.  “What do you think he’s making, buddy?”  “My JOHN DEERE CAR!!!” So when he came downstairs and didn’t see it, we think he was a bit disappointed!!  He loved his wood tools SO much (he asked for those) and the Gamecock gear and guitar (also on his list), and he was very thankful, but you could tell he had his heart set on the car!) Mark found a note in the tree from Frank and George, such sweet elves!, and Frank told Jack that Santa left one of his presents outside.  He was too busy with his tools to hear what Mark was reading, so we let him play with the inside toys first.Santa brought Sam a train-he. loved. it!  And we really couldn’t believe that he could do it all by himself!  He’d push the button and just smile!!!  The child went round and round and round while Jack worked with his tools.  It was so funny!!  And Santa could’ve stopped there.  See, Jack was completely ignoring the wrapped gifts he left! He finally noticed the magic trick, so daddy helped him perfect it and then he opened his Carolina gear! Where was Sam?  Oh, he was just ridin’ his train with his hand laying on the seat like a cool cat!Jack kept opening, we got Sam off the train to enjoy some of his other gifts (Haley and Clark, he got his own maracas-inspired by Tots and Tunes!), and then Mark reminded Jack of Frank’s note.Mark couldn’t get it down soon enough!  He. was. pumped!  And he crashed a lot!  He’s getting the hang of it, though! He came in to get his coat and boots, snack on Santa’s leftovers (the unconventional peanut butter cookies, marshmallows, and water), watch Sam explore the train station, and check that baby Jesus made his way to the manger. All that took about two seconds, and he was back outside! And when it got just a bit too chilly, he came in to give Sam’s train a tryand do more work with his wood tools.They both absolutely loved what Santa brought!  After much playing, we sat down to a cinnamon roll breakfast-complete with a candle and the birthday song for baby Jesus.  After all, that’s why we’re celebrating!! What a perfect start to the Christmas Day!