Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Our first Christmas at home...EVER!

This year we were actually AT OUR HOUSE on Christmas morning. That is the first time EVER that we have been home on Christmas. We were both really excited about starting this tradition with the girls this year. Shane was also excited (I'm not kidding...he really was for some weird reason:) about staying up really late on Christmas Eve and putting together the trampoline that we bought the girls for Christmas.....

Actually reading the directions before starting....hmmmmm....that's a first :)
STILL reading the directions.... :)
making progress....
more progress....
almost there....
Props to the daddy!! The girlies are gonna be SO pumped!
Christmas morning!!!
OK....FYI...The Gabster is her momma in the mornings and Jocie is her daddy in the mornings. Gabs wakes up and is ready to GO....Jocie, not so much....
While Jocie was still slowly coming alive...Gabbie was trying these cool little glasses on that made the Christmas lights look like big stars....
She was mesmerized.....
Time to light the last advent candle! Please note the girls faces....just a bit opposite :)
Daddy praying and thanking God for sending Jesus to live and die for us....
Singing happy birthday to Jesus....
They had to both take turns blowing out the candles....which almost resulted in a fight (shocking, I know :)



Stockings!! (or as the girls say..."their willy big socks")
Jocie FINALLY starting to wake up :)
Princess stickers!

Lipgloss!!
Gift time!
Gabbie being SO careful opening hers :)
and Jocie just tearing into hers....
Their "willy soft bear and piggie!"
A Melissa and Doug birthday cake set....they were SOOOO excited about singing happy birthday to Jesus again and blowing out his candles on his cake :)

Puzzles!!

Kitchen stuff!!
The daddy and girlies got me a new Francine Rivers book. YAY!! (Man, I look ROUGH!)
I got the daddy the most amazing gift ever...thanks to our friend JK for letting me know this actually existed....The MAN GROOMER!!! It's a shaver with a long extension arm on it so the daddy can shave his own back!! I no longer have to do it!!! FREEDOM for me!! (P.S....He used it and it worked awesome....so I def. recommend it to those who need regular "grooming" :)
The girlies got daddy a sweet picture and frame....
Drumroll please......trampoline reveal time!!
Yep....they loved it :)



After they burned off some energy jumping, they wanted daddy to help them cook some cupcakes.....

Some of their creations.....

I'm pretty sure Gabbie is going to own a cake/cupcake shop when she grows up :)
After cooking a ton of cakes and cupcakes, they decided they were ready for breakfast....Christmas morning breakfast menu: homemade wheat waffles, scrambled eggs, and turkey bacon....
Then off to church wearing their pretty dresses that MawMaw and PawPaw got them.....
What an incredible Christmas morning...at HOME!!

Monday, December 26, 2011

Christmas in Jay

On Christmas Eve Eve we headed over to Jay to spend a couple of days with my fam. Here are the kiddos eating lunch with PawPaw :)

Play-doh time!
They LOVE to feed the fish :)


Gabbie feeding the "baby fishies" :)
That night we headed over to Uncle Allen and Aunt Kim's for our big extended family Christmas party....

The menu never disappoints :)

Shane and my cousin, Jarod, were extra festive :)
Grandma with my cousin, Brad, and his daughter, Corrine...

Landon is totally attached to his train....he even had to have it next to his plate to eat :)
The girls at the kiddie table with Sawyer and Jackson....
Enjoying the yummy food....
Jocie enjoying her cupcake :)
She looks so serious!
Gabs enjoying the icing on her cupcake....(PS....I know this is gross and innappropriate....but, let's be honest....has that ever stopped me before??...ok, so after Gabs gobbled down this very green cupcake...her poop was Christmas green for the next three days. Seriously. She thought that was SOOOOO cool :)
Chillin' with daddy...
Landon cruising around on the John Deere....
Every year Grandma reads the Christmas story and teaches the kiddos (and reminds us adults) about the real meaning of Christmas and why we have such a great reason to celebrate. I absolutely LOVE that she has done this year after year since I can remember....she is such an amazing woman.


She is just a tad bid passionate and animated....maybe that's where I get it from :)

Afterwards she gave out little gifts to all the great-grands....

All the little kiddos also got a little something from Aunt Kim and Aunt Teresa.....

Taking their new little puppies for a walk :)
Juliana LOVED her gift :)
Still walking their puppies :)

My grandma decided to have a drawing this year for her special gift she has brought. She had a car DVD player to give away and one of her beautiful homemade quilts she had sewn this year.
Jordan won. BOO!!!
I SO wanted this!
And this isn't too bad, either.... :)
Dirty Santa time!!
Our friends Beth and Wayne with their granddaughter, Corrine....
I have an Aunt, Uncle and cousins that LOVE the Crimson Tide. I mean...L.O.V.E them. My dad brought this pillow thingy as his gift to the Dirty Santa so he could taunt them with it....especially my cousin, Christopher...he is by far the most die-hard Alabama fan I have ever met. Seriously.
Well, we all know how the Dirty Santa game can Roll (no pun intended :)....and he miraculously ended up with the Bama pillow. He was beyond elated :)
and he was determined for it NOT to be stolen :)
My Uncle John opened this sweet Camelbak backpack that I ended up stealing!! YES!!!
Uncle Allen pumped about his tool set....which, of course, didn't stay his for long :)

The game was actually quite tame compared to years past....and everyone ended up with pretty decent gifts, which is always nice :)



Trying to get a pic of all the great-grandkids (minus Haley, Houston, and Kacie who weren't able to make it). This is the best we could do :)
The next morning the girls took the truck for spin...Jocie even got to go solo for a bit....
But, not for long....
Gabbie and Landon going for a drive....
They decided to pick up Jocie along the way :)
Gabbie played a game of horseshoes...
Well, kind of....she would take the stick out of the ground at one end and switch the sticks, then throw the horseshoe once and then switch the sticks....and on and on and on.....

Jocie wanted to take a shot at tennis :) By the way...don't you LOVE her polkadot-themed outfit she's wearing....awesome :)



Jocie and Ashton played a game of horseshoes...
Jocie changed the rules to throwing and ringing the stick that you were standing next to :)
Time to open presents!!!

Landon TOTALLY chillin'....hilarious!
The grandkids....
Patiently waiting....
Giving out the gifts....

MawMaw got a new fishing pole!
Landon's turn!
CARS PJ's!!
Jocie was pumped about her Alvin and the Chipmunks movie....
You can never go wrong with Camo :)
Kaylea went shopping at her secret Santa store at school and got her momma a flashlight keychain....
She got MawMaw and purple cross necklace...
and a keychain for PawPaw...
Uncle D got a history of Nascar book...he was pumped :)
My mom also gave him a book entitled, "Why Sons Always Need Their Fathers"....He was very moved by it...he has such a tender heart.

Princess jackets!!
Ashton was excited about his movie....

Kaylea loved her sequin hat and wind suit...
MawMaw was excited to open her present from the girls... :)
Cuteness
All the kiddos admiring whatever Uncle D just opened :)
PawPaw got MawMaw a new Bible....
Alphabet computer thingies!!
yay!!!
Landon's construction set!
They were just a tiny bit pumped about their new big doggies :)
Just a little....
Jocie loves her some PawPaw :)
Using their new tea set.....








Just-a-swangin'....swangin'....
Yep....pretty sure Landon LOVED his construction set :)

But of course their favorite thing to do is.....Uncle D taking them for a ride on a dolly!
Uncle D trying to fix Ashton's remote control helicopter....all the kiddos were so concerned :)
What a fabulous time had by all!! We are all SO truly blessed.