Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year.  Matt was playing golf Friday morning, so the boys and I went and rented movies then opened the gifts Aunt Kristy and Uncle Bob sent.  This worked out great because it gave the boys something to do until we left for Chirstmas Eve service.  We went with Matt's parents and his grandmother to their Christmas Eve service.  After the service, we headed to Grandmother and Granddaddy's for seafood gumbo that was delicious!  We had to take a break and open presents before we could have desert because the boys were about to come unglued!

Family picture with Brady doing his new smile :)

Matt reading the boys a new book

Love them looking at each other

I missed Brady opening his Harry Potter Lego set and Cal opening some cars from Aunt Sharon

Brady helping Cal open his gift

Brady REALLY excited about Cal's Indiana Jones Lego set

Matt trying to convince Granddaddy he needs to help build this.....no, just checking it out

The boys opening their Buzz Lightyear snuggies that Mimi gave them

Mimi helping Brady put his snuggie on

We left Matt's parents and headed home to feed the reindeer and put out Santa's treats.  I read the boys Twas the Night Before Christmas then they went to sleep in their sleeping bags on our floor.  Cal was afraid that Brady would wake up in the middle of the night and scare Santa, so he wanted us all in the same room.

CHRISTMAS MORNING!  At our new house you overlook the den from the upstairs.  Cal woke up and starting screaming out everything he could see.  He was yelling for me and Matt and Brady.  We did not have a white Christmas, like many others, but we did get a few flurries Christmas night when the sun set.  It also flurried off and on all day Sunday.

The funniest thing for me was watching Cal look at everything in his and Brady's pile then say, "I think Santa made a mistake" and start moving a few items from Brady's pile into his pile.  I don't have a picture, but we do have it on video.

This is CRUNCHER.  One of Cal's favorite gifts.

Brady got BIG FOOT. One of his favorite gifts.

Playing with BIG FOOT

This was another hit of the morning.  Cal had asked for an autographed photo of Santa for "proff" that Santa was real.  Truely, he asked for Santa and Rudolph, but Santa was good enough.  It said, "Cal and Brady, thanks for the refreshments. Santa"

Merry Christmas!  The other gift that was THE BIGGEST DEAL was the trampoline!  It is still in the box, but will be built in the next few days.

We had a great day playing with our new toys and Matt had a great day building Lego sets.  Not sure the boys even stopped long enough to eat breakfast, but Matt and I had a breakfast casserole.  We made a beef tenderloin for dinner served with asparagus and potatos.  It was delicious!  Here are our dinner drinks........2 guesses which one is mine and which is Matt's! 

I did get an extra special surprise...........a new camera!!!!  Still learning how to use it, but I have my first non-point and shoot camera!  Matt and I were not really doing gifts, since our new house is our Christmas present.  I had picked out a few new cookbooks and some new OPI nailpolish and a pedicure, Matt had picked out some workout clothes and an under the counter trashcan.  I did surprise him with a pair of binoculars. 

"They reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them." Luke 2:17-18

"But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them."  Luke 2:19

Hope everyone had a Merry Chirstmas and has a Happy New Year.  We will be staying home tomorrow night with a few other families. 

Christmas Wrap Up

So excited to be sitting down to blog.  We were without a computer for a week and then I have just not been able to sit down and make a post.  I have to start with Brady's program because he was sitting with me the other day as I was going to attempt to make a post and realized we had pictures of Cal singing but not him and he said, " you like Cal's singing better than mine!"  I really don't have many because I was holding the video camera and Matt was not there.

That is Julialyn, Brady, Julie and Payne.  Please note, Julie (red dress) sat turned around the whole program becasue she did not want anyone to look at her.  She was the same way at their Christmas party

Brady and Julialyn with their lolly-pops they got from Ms. Marla for singing so loud!

The Hulk playing with ornaments on the tree

Brady wanted to make sugar cookies with icing and sprinkles for Santa.  Mommy only had cupcake mix, so we did cupcakes instead and they turned out great.

Finished product.

Cal wanted to make mint brownies

In the pan before the top layer of icing.

Here are the plates they left. Cal's plate said, Santa Merry Christmas Cal.  Brady did not think Santa wanted sprinkles.  Not sure why, but he was sure!

This post is long, so I'll leave with one more picture and do Christmas Eve and Christmas morning in a new post.

This was the sunset a few nights ago and it was beautiful! I read this verse a night or two later. "All those who take refuge in Him are happy" Psalm 2:12

Robert Morgan, My All in All, wrote, "After the holiday's, some of us tend toward the blues.  Let your "blues" be the blue skies of God's blessings as you gear up for a New Year of exploring God's grace."

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

It is officially Chirstmas Break!  Last week was full of fun.  Cal went to a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese on Monday, Brady went to a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese on Tuesday, Brady had his class party on Wednesday, Cal's class party was on Thursday then Brady's program was Friday and Cal had another birthday party to go to Friday afternoon.  We had some friends come over last night for a nice dinner, went to look at Christmas lights then came back for hot chocolate.  The kids had so much fun.  I wish I had brought my camera in the car because at one point all 5 children were in the front with Matt and the other dad (they were hanging out windows and the sun roof) as we sat parked at a house that has their Christmas lights set to music on a radio station.  Pretty Amazing. 

Our elf Jolly came back this year a few days after we moved in the new house.  Jolly has had a hard time adjusting to the new house and has not moved EVERY night as he should.  Boys think he has lost some of his magic..........NOPE, mommy is just REALLY TIRED!  The first morning he showed up with candy canes and chocolate.  Brady said "I don't want candy from an elf"!  Cal happily took Brady's candy.

The boys had a great time decorating their ginger bread houses again this year.

Cal was serious about his decorating this year

Brady just wanted lots of icing and candy on his

Our nutcrackers (not sure what will go in the built-ins once Christmas is over)?

Stocking are hung on the mantle with care

Brady's class party.  Brady and Julialyn eating thier pizza and fruit

Brady going face first into the cupcake he decorated.  They made an ornament after they decoarated and ate their cupcakes.

CHEESE!!!!!!

Brady and his friend Payne giving me a super-hero pose

For Cal's class party, they made reindeer food, decorated a cookie, ate the cookie, danced to Christmas music and just had a wild time!  Cal, Will, Ansley and Lilla Kate showing off their moves!

Will, Addison and Cal

This was Cal's favorite part of the party....getting to eat this chocolate Santa.  Can you see the excitement in his eyes?

I will post a picture of Brady's program once I load them.  I mostly did the video, so I just have a picture or two.  They did not dress up this year, just sang Christmas songs.  It was precious.  We did not think Brady was going to sing, but he did and even did the hand motions.  We were so proud of him.   

Catching Up

Well, we have been in our new house for just over a week now.  We are doing pretty well.  We unpacked what we needed to get us through the month of Dec. and pretty much everything else is still in our garage.  I let the boys put up their little tree last Saturday and we put up our tree last Sunday, but it is still sitting in the living room with no ornaments.  That is my project for the day.  I have done my Christmas cards.  Have been waiting on a new stamp with our new address on it, but it hasn't come in yet.  I may have to make lables.  I want to mail them out on Monday.  Cal had his Christmas play production Wed., Thursday and Friday last week.  We are all TIRED!  So for pictures, here is a picture of  our new house.

Our backyard.  Will be pretty in the Spring.

The boys decorating their "little" tree.

Getting into the spirit of Christmas

Brady's turn!

Here is my little shepard.  He and 6 other little boys were shepards and sang a sweet little Shepard Song.  They did the show Wed. for the elementary students, Thursday for the middle and high school students then Friday was for the parents, grandparents, family and friends.

He carried a sheep

Here they are singing.  They are carrying "crooks" this year for the first time because Cal believed firmly that if you are a shepard, you should carry a crook.  Probably in years past it was thought to not be a good idea as to let 6 year old boys carry something that could easily become a weapon!  They did fine with them! Ha!

The first day when the elementary students left the Kindergarteners had to stay for some pictures.  This gave the elementary students time to line the halls and cheer and give hi-five's to all the Kindergartener's as they made their way back to the Kindergarten building.  Seriously, the play did not bring me to tears, but this did.

All the Kindergarteners.  The angels, the stars, the animals, the wise men, the shepards, Mary, Joseph, Inn Keeper, Narator's, Solo Girls, and the little drummer boy.  They were all precious!