It was a beautiful outside for playing so that is exactly what we did.

Vultures

You can't eat anything in our house without out having to share it with two greedy kids. If you are a new mom you won't understand what the fuss is about, I know because I didn't either. As they get older you long for a drink with no floaties and food all to yourself.

Monkey see Monkey do

How do you eat your Oreo?

Important things I forgot to mention

I know it's Christmas morning and I have lots of things to do but I forgot to tell y'all two important things. My sweet, little, precious, baby boy may not be such a baby anymore. He pee-peed in the potty last night. :) How grown up. On the other hand he did go to bed crying last night for more candy. He wanted to try and go potty again even though he had just gone in his diaper. He kept saying "I want dandy. I again" and pointing to the restroom. He is so cute I could just eat him up.

My other exciting news..........I felt the baby move on Saturday morning!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas Eve traditions

We can't help ourselves, we usually open up at least one gift early.
Kati and Daddy pouring Santa his traditional Christmas juice. That's what Kati picks for him to drink.

Bear carrying the plate of cookies on our special Santa plate.

Since we don't have a fireplace Aunt Gena gave us a special key last year to help Santa get in.

We hang it outside for him to find.

The best tradition is one that is carried over from when Jeffrey was a child. Every year we hear the true meaning of Christmas. Since my Daddy was here and he was the one to always read it to Jeff and his brothers when they were kids we asked him to read again. Grandma-pa (Kati's new name for him) read from his 1599 Geneva Bible. Did you know that before the King James Version the manager was called a cratch. Jeff joked, "Away in a cratch no crib for the babe"...... just doesn't have the same ring does it.
Have a Merry Christmas and take time to remember that the Christmas story doesn't end with the night He was born.

Santa's Christmas Cookies

There has been a whole lot of cookie making going on in our house lately. Our latest batch of cookies were made for the one and only Santa. They had a great time adding all the sprinkles and Santa said they were yummy.

Rudolph the Red-nosed reindeer

Last night Daddy was out so we turned out all the house lights, turned on the Christmas tree and snuggled up for a movie. Popcorn and a movie are a special treat in our house and the kids loved it! Both shared popcorn with me and snuggled close. At one point a commercial came on and I started singing silent night with it. Bear turned to look at me with such love and he softly leaned his head over on me to enjoy my song. Priceless.

sugar good

Do you see his cute little finger marks threw the sugar? Now I know you are probably wondering why I put sugar out for him to eat but I didn't. We had it out to roll cookies in.
It was so yummy. The really cute part is when I found him like this I got down right in his face expecting him to jump because he knew he was doing wrong. What did I get..... no jumping but a kiss and then he went right back to watching Sesame Street. I guess he thought it was just out for him so I let him have it. Hey, they are only little once.

Christmas cookies at Grandma E's

Check out Kati's cute apron, Grandma made the kids matching ones.
Yummy sprinkles

Do you like Kati's green hand. Her feet were even green the next morning

ummm, doesn't that look delicious. Something only a mommy could eat. Well, not even a mommy, far as I know the only one to eat one has been Grandpa.

Trip to see Santa

At home Kati was willing to sit on Santa's lap as long as I told him what she wanted.
When we got there it was another story.

Bear said he would sit in Santa's lap if he could get candy out of it. Did he do it? No, but he got the candy anyway. Truth be told, that may have been the scariest Santa I have ever seen.

We had a fun night anyway!

The Real Meaning of Christmas

Sweet Baby Esther

I said forever ago that I would post a picture of Esther later and I haven't. Shame, shame, shame. Well anyway here it is. Isn't she adorable! Congratulations Rodney and Elaine.

The kids were fighting over a book. You know how kids do it, with the tug-a-war and screaming at the same time. Well, the book rightfully should have gone to Bear so Jeffrey pulled Kati away to talk to her only to get "Let me go, let me go, I want to hit my brother." Kids.

I love my kids!

Signs of Christmas

As the children climbed the stairs to find their spot we had a crier. IT WASN'T KATI. So sorry Micah. But Jeff and I breathed a sigh of relief. She made it all the way to her spot and stayed.
Still looking good.

Not singing, but we are so proud.

It's baby Lan as Jesus.

Nervousness is setting in.

She remembered to hold up the Bible.

Really nervous now, she wants to suck her fingers.

Just being a kid

This is Away in a manger. Kati knew all the motions for this but refused to do them. That's okay, Jeff and I were so proud of her staying there when we knew she was nervous.

Okay, she doesn't want to see the audience anymore.

Isn't there always one nose picker?

There's Big C

All right maybe her legs got tired or maybe she can't see everybody while she sits down. She will not stand up.

We are so proud of our little angel. She did great!

Barbie

Now, there is to be laughing at me while you read this! I love Barbie. I had tons of them as a child and saved them for my own little girl. I even have the Barbie that was my mothers as a child out on our entertainment stand. Even now as an adult I get the butterflies seeing them in the store. Now, I don't buy any because that would just be silly but I wish I could. Oh, I forgot to mention that on our wedding day Jeffrey bought me the Wedding Edition Barbie 2000. She is beautiful and has never been opened. If there were a fire she would be one of the things that I would try to save. One day she will be passed down to Kati. Kati knows this already and talks about it from time to time. But tonight Barbie broke my heart. If you have been through any toy aisles in the last year, maybe two, then you have seen BRATZ. I was told by Jeffrey that I can't write the words I really think about them. Let's just say they are completely inappropriate for children. They are barely dressed dolls with more make-up than Tammy Faye Baker. Jeff and I have already discussed how Kati will never own one nor play with one. When we see them in the store if Kati comments on them we end up having a talk about how ladies should dress. For the first time tonight I saw My-scene. It's Barbies answer to losing money to BRATZ. Mattel, I am appalled at you. We had spent nearly three hours looking for a Barbie for our little girl because of all the joyous memories I have of using your product and you sold out to make money. It's a sad sad day.

Now that I spilled that all out maybe I can go to bed but I am still sad.