Christmas Vacation!

We are having a wonderful Christmas vacation. The boys play so well together. It's really hard to believe that the day has come when they don't need me there for constant monitoring and supervision.

The big, much anticipated present for M this year has been Harry Potter Lego's. He sat at the kitchen table the day after Christmas and didn't move until he had the whole thing put together. I think we might see engineer or architecture in his future:).

N got a BB gun, because as one of my friends at work said: it isn't Christmas in the South until someone gets a firearm! My husband and N went out to the backyard to shoot the gun Christmas Day but the cold, cold wind brought them back in after about 10 minutes.

I have been cleaning and organizing like a mad-woman. Something about all the new Christmas "stuff" always makes me a little desperate to purge unwanted or broken toys.

We have a play date in the works for this afternoon with two of their buddies from school and their sisters. It always throws the boys for a loop when girls are added to the mix, especially N. He has been talking about the girls for several days now. I hope he can play it cool when the time comes:)!!

I have been thinking of some New Year resolutions that I would like to implement in 2011. I love the new beginning and fresh start that the new year represents. I hope to write a post soon with a "list" for the New Year!!

Hope everyone is having a great Christmas Vacation!!

the christmas tour!

I love this time of year. I love hearing the boys talk about what they want for Christmas. I'm amazed that they don't want too much. I remember as a kid making a huge "wish list" every year of the things that I wanted. But the boys can't really think of anything beyond one or two things.

I love how they play with the ornaments like my sister and I did when we were little. Charlie Brown and Baby Jesus, that's Christmas at our house!

I love how the sparkly lights and ribbon and bows make this ugly old house almost pretty!! Nothing against my house you understand, she just needs some work done;)

I love the sentimental treasures, like the crocheted bells that MeMa made for us when we first got married. I found several on my candlesticks in the living room. Courtesy of M, I'm sure!!

I love how the whole family was involved in the making of the yule log centerpiece. I love how we don't need something new or expensive or trendy to make this Christmas special!

Merry Christmas! (Belated)

I know, I have antlers on my head. This picture begs the question, who are the kids and who are the grownups?
M and N got this red Mustang and a green Jeep from Santa. They were excited to drive it that night but have refused to drive it since and wouldn't even sit in the Jeep! So much for expensive toys! We should have kept the box that it came in.
This castle and Knight display was sitting in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas morning thanks to one tireless elf (Husband) who stayed up late into the night to put it all together! He did tire at one point and feared that he could not go on. But milk and cookies appeared to give him an extra boost of energy. That is the magic of Christmas!
We hardly ever get a decent family picture. But this is the best of the lot. The other attempts will not be shown here for vanity reasons.

We had a wonderful Christmas. Its always nice to have all my boys home. We spent Christmas Eve with MeMe and PaPa (Husband's Mom and Dad) and Shawn, Jayme and Mark (brother-in-law, sister, and nephew). It is always a special time at their house with wonderful food and good conversation! Christmas morning was just for the family! Wrapping paper and bows were strewn all over the living room and all of the toys were played with at once! That afternoon was spent with my Dad and Sara and brother Seth and Grandma and Grandpa and extended family. I always have such a good time at their house. I remember Christmas at my Grandparents house and am glad that my boys will have those memories too. Christmas night we made a vegan spaghetti and stuffed mushrooms for my Mom and Neil and his son and family. We opened presents again! At one point M made the comment that Santa must have done all his Christmas shopping at Toys-R-Us this year!
It was a busy, wonderful holiday.