It was a very busy one for us this year. It started out with Brandon and I getting to go on an overnight date on Tuesday night. We dropped the kids off at his parents and headed downtown. We stayed at a fabulous hotel that was only 3 years old and let's just say, I would have moved in! He told me nothing about our date so I was totally surprised when I walked in and saw how gorgeous the place was! He also had manicures and massages booked for us in the spa. We then walked across the street to a new restaurant (new to us) that was fabulous. We went back to the room and just relaxed and watched tv for the next several hours and laughed at all the crazy shows we saw that are out there now. (Remember, we don't have cable so this was a treat for us!) Montgomery has really worked hard on fixing up downtown and we give them 4 thumbs up on everything.

Wednesday morning we woke up and even though I thoroughly enjoyed our time together, I could wait for us to get back to the kids. I was so glad to have Brandon around for a whole week that I just wanted us to spend it together as a family. We hung out with his parents, Brandon and the kids took a nap and Lisa and I went out for a few errands. After everyone woke up and was ready to go, we went over to our best friends' house, the Khans and hung out for a little while, the guys went to pick up dinner, let the kids open their presents and then loaded up to go see the Christmas lights at the Montgomery Zoo. Let me just say, that was probably one of the most fun things we have done in a long time!! We rode the train as soon as we got there and then walked the whole thing to see the lights again. The kids ran and we all laughed and laughed and laughed. I really, really miss having a zoo around to take the kids too. (People say there is one around here where we live, but I think they must not have ever been to a real zoo because those don't really count in my opinion. They fall somewhere between a petting zoo and a bad zoo.) Now I know that Montgomery get a bad rep for a lot of things, but the zoo really is fun. Now it's not San Diego or Chicago, but this is a really good one and you can't say it isn't.






Thursday morning, we loaded up again, this time with Brandon's parents and grandmother, and headed over to his sister's house in Georgia for the day to celebrate Christmas. The kids were so excited to see each other again and ran and played for hours. We finally made all of them take a nap (I honestly thought that wasn't going to happen, but sooooo glad it did!) and then had a delicious seafood dinner. The kids ran back to playing while we cleaned up and then we all sat around to listen to Papa John read about the birth of Jesus. It was really special this year because the kids were finally old enough for it to all click and realize why we celebrate Christmas. I think all the adults were smiling as big on the inside just listening to the kids jump in with what they knew about the story. Then of course it was time to open presents. We always try to start out opening one person at a time, but before you know it paper is flying and people are squealing (adults too, not just the kids) and everyone is hugging everyone else. It's overwhelmingly fun! We then had to rush everything out to the car, throw on the kids new pajamas and hit the road so we could get to my parents house that night.














Friday was so nice and relaxing after several days of busyness. It was just the four of us and my parents and the boys worked on secret projects in the shop while the girls played in the house. We decorated cupcakes for Jesus' birthday the next day and then my dad had a Christmas Adventure planned for the kids. He had clues and little gifts all over the house for them and each time they found a clue Christopher had to blow the whistle my dad gave him. They loved it! My dad really went all out this year and made a LOT of gifts for everyone and wrapped them himself. (HUGE!!!! First time my sister and I haven't had to wrap gifts at the last minute, in well, ever!) My sister and her family arrived late that night and I just couldn't go to bed without seeing them first.


She tried on every single piece of dress up clothing she got from Brandon's mom and sister the night before (they weren't allowed to open anything until the next day because we didn't want to lose anything as we were tossing it in the car). She was in heaven!!! Her favorite things are dressing up and playing with babies so I just told each side of the family to get one or the other. She was very happy with every single one of her Christmas gifts.


The boys spent all Christmas Eve morning out in the shop together. The girls were not allowed out there and we had no clue what they were up to.


Christopher blowing the whistle after he found a clue.

Opening up one of the gifts he found. It was the sticks in the above photo. Dad had made Christopher a logging truck out of wood and you can take it apart and do different things with it.


The view across from my parents house. If you sat down in the house and looked out you didn't notice the fact that the water had been let out like they do every winter. I love when the water is so smooth it looks like glass! Brandon is always in heaven taking photos at the lake.

Christmas morning the kids actually slept until almost 7:00 and they were so excited to see what the other person had under their stocking that Brandon and I couldn't help but laugh! (Santa only brings one gift and they don't know any different, so why bother?) Everyone else gradually comes out of their rooms and next thing I know, I'm looking at my niece and realize her shirt says, "Big Sister" on it and all I can't do it squeal and wait for everyone else to see it. We were all very excited for this news!!! We start some breakfast while the kids play with their new toy and then get around to opening presents. (Honestly, we all looked at them and then said to each other, "They look perfectly content with their one gift, why do we bother getting them more?") It was a Lego Christmas for Christopher, a baby doll and dress up Christmas for Sophie and Brandon and I both got much needed gift cards and new tools (among several other things as well, we just thought it was funny we both got new tools)! We had a fabulous lunch, naps for the kids and relaxed the rest of the day watching tv and building trucks out of Legos.
Sophie showing Grammie her new stroller that Santa got her. We have already taken it to the hospital to visit Daddy and to Walmart. I didn't let her take it with us today. I wasn't up for the challenge.


Christopher playing with his new front loader garbage truck. This is all he has talked about wanting for about 9 months now. Sooooo glad Brandon found one because Christopher almost didn't get it!


Sophie thanking Pop for the baby bed he made her. I felt bad because I asked him if he could make her one for her birthday and I was thinking he would just make a simple one like he did for their house. But if you know my dad that wasn't an option. He made it for Christmas and looked up plans and everything.

Anne Morgan LOVED climbing in the baby bed. Thankfully my dad builds everything to hold  small children and not just toys. (You can't read AM's shirt, but it says "big sister" and I flipped out!!)


My new sander that I'm very excited about. I told my dad that Brandon needed a new drill desperately and he called me to ask if he needed a sander because they had a special, I told him no, but I did! After I refinished massive cabinet my mother-in-law gave me, I swore I would never refinish anything again with just my hand and sand paper. Now I just need to find a day when I can finally tackle Sophie's dresser!


Christopher found this book at Lowe's for my dad and could not wait to give it to him. It's all kinds of fun little gadgets and games you can build out of wood.

(Apparently I have run out of space so I will have to continue in another post. Has anyone ever had this happen? It says that I've used up all my free space and something about 1GB? I tried to add more photos to another post and it won't let me.)

I hope that everyone has a very merry and blessed Christmas!! We are so thankful to be able to spend it with both of our families this year. We have been blessed beyond what we deserve this year and thankful to God for everything He has done for us, given us, taught us and for all the ways He has shown us He loves us. Merry Christmas!!

Sophie's loves to sing along to whatever song is on the radio, the iPhone or in her head. Right now, her favorite is "Away in the Aine-jure" and I finally got her to sing it on video. She's so cute I just can't handle it sometimes. Other times I just can't handle her. Right after this video she spent the next 30 seconds yelling, "No!! Don't touch!!" to Christopher because he felt the need to touch every single ornament on the tree at the alterations place we were at. The woman who owns the place and an older lady customer (who tried to give them candy canes when we left and I yelled "NO!" before she even got the words out) where just going on about how cute she was and how well she can talk for her age. If they only knew... (this story line goes backwards, so just hang with me)

I was there with kids in tow because Brandon called (while I was dying at the post office, story to come) to say they should be ready and since I was right down the street I told him I could do it.  The day before she told him they would be done by 3:00 because, "I'm superwoman! I do it faaast!!" I got there and the names weren't sewn on yet. I was told, "Don't go! I do it faast! Take 10 seconds! You wait!" I told her I'd come back, but I got the same answer and I just wanted to say, "Ok, but if my kids destroy your store it's not my fault."

See, we had just left the post office and I was about 0.5 seconds from packing them up and mailing them to who cares where because they were "being baaaaaaaaaad!!!!!" (as Sophie says) and rolling all over the floor and knocking their heads into the desk and being just plain ridiculous. But what do you expect when they have been eating cake and candy canes for the last hour?

Fast forward to now, we just went outside to give Brick a chance to chase the tennis ball for a while and my sweet, young, innocent neighbor waved and said, "I have some food for your kids from the birthday party you couldn't come to last Saturday!" I'm thinking, what in the world kind of food would she still have to give my kids? She comes out with two bags FULL of more candy. People, we still have Halloween sitting on top of our fridge! We missed her son's 1st birthday party because my kids actually took a nap and well, we've only met them 2, maybe 3 times, and when I saw about 5 cars pull up for the party I didn't feel quite so bad about not going. I think it's going to go straight in the trash because if you could only see how hard Sophie is crashing right now you would come and throw it away for me. If you are now lost, I apologize. My head hurts too.

So, to everyone who knows us, please, I'm begging, please do NOT give us any candy. Ever. If you do, I will only give it back.

Tonight was Christopher's Christmas program for preschool. It was adorable! The 4 year old classes each dressed up and took turns singing a song. Then all the 3 year olds came out, sang a song and then they were joined by the 4 year olds for two more. I was so proud of Christopher for actually doing the motions and singing along. He's pretty shy so I wasn't sure how he'd do. I think being in costume helped. Here are the photos:

(Cute little horse making his funny face he always makes when he's happy to see you, but too shy--or cool-- to acknowledge he sees you.)

(If you zoom in you will see that the safety pin holding his tail on is actually open. When they tried to get him to sit down after they were done singing he couldn't because it kept poking him. Poor kid!)






And what you may ask was little Miss Sophie doing during all of this? Playing with her Daddy's hat of course!


And then she had to walk up to the stage to watch each group that came in to perform.


With hands in her pockets. (She dressed herself and had a short sleeve plaid shirt over this one, but it didn't match. She insisted on tucking her shirt in too. Love it!) A couple times I thought she was going to walk right up on the steps with the kids and join them. I can only imagine what she's going to be like when it's her turn!

Like everyone else, we've been getting ready for Christmas. Here are a couple of the things we've been up to lately:

(This is our "elf on a shelf." I got it as an ornament many year ago and when we had kids I just couldn't bring myself to pay the $30 or whatever it is for the official one. My kids have no clue that it's a fake.)




(The awesome reindeer that Brandon and Christopher made a few years ago. I absolutely LOVE it!!!)



There are many thing that I love Christmas, but I have some things I don't love about it. Decorating (I'm terrible at it!) and Christmas cards. I would be totally fine if this idea was never created. I love getting them, but I HATE making them. My family runs screaming every single time I try to get a decent photo out of them and you can FORGET getting a decent one of all of us together. This is why I never sent one last year. You see that photo above? Yeah, that's what they always look like, and I love them for that. Sophie refuses to let me fix her hair and catch it in a photo. (I was about to say catch it on "film" and realized one day people will not even know what that means.)

And do you see the background we have to work with? Concrete houses with telephone poles and wires everywhere. I know everyone will tell me, "Oh your children look beautiful! What do you mean?" Well, just look at your card and then look at the above and hush your mouth. I refuse to send out a photo with my children looking like they do every day while your child looks clean and happy with fixed hair and adorable clothes. You know that when you have received a card from me in the past that the guests in your home have looked at all your cards then get to mine and think, "Wow, maybe we should have sponsored that family this year."

All that said, I love getting your cards and seeing your beautiful family, but I'm about 98% sure you won't be getting one from me. Maybe I should have taken their photo last Sunday. Someone told me that my children looked beautiful that day. And they did. Man, they looked good! We were about 40 minutes late, but they looked good! I think we'll just stick with our crafts. We should just do the things we love, right? I hope you have a great week and I hope to be back again soon!

(Since writing this I have FINALLY put together a card AND it has our whole family in it. Brandon, myself, Mickey and Minnie look great, the kids, well, they get enough face time on here I wasn't concerned about them looking perfect. So get to it and send me your address b/c I have 85 of these babies to send out.)