Stockings

The night before we headed out, we had our family Christmas, where we exchanged stockings. 

Nathaniel is at such a fun age this year, everything is super exciting....

Marissa just enjoyed taking things out of the stocking.

Lola is still Daddy's favorite present!

Tent Christmas!

The next day we celebrated an early Christmas with Granny (AKA Nee-Nee). 

Marissa wore her new cute outfit from Grandma...and looked adorable.

Granny got the kids quite a few gifts....

...but the big hit was a tent.

The kids ran around and around in the tent all night.  Nathaniel is begging to sleep in it.  We are thankful we got to have Granny over before we head out. 

Sweet Christmas Memories

We headed up to Grandpa and Grandma Yancy's to celebrate an early Christmas.  Grandma did a wonderful job with activities for the kids.  It started out with Christmas Crowns decorated by the kiddos.

Even Mugsy had to get in on the action!

That was followed by Emma reading the Gingerbread Man story and decorating little gingerbread houses.

Then we exchanged gifts!  Marissa enjoyed taking the tissue paper out of the bag and/or standing in empty boxes more than anything else!

Then we decorated cookies.

I am telling you, Grandma is pretty creative.  Thanks for all the sweet memories!

Faux Snow!

Real snow in South Texas is almost non-existent,

 so we have to take what we can get.  A local church had faux snow.  Imagine slip-sliding around on a big sno-cone...it is not soft and powdery, but it is cold and is as close as we can get.  The kids have fun regardless. I hope someday they will have a real snow experience for Christmas, but until then we will enjoy the over sized sno-cone!

Christmas Choo-Choo

I don't really know how trains and Christmas became synonymous, but they certainly seem to be.  I mean, baby Jesus was not born at a railroad station and you never see Santa boarding Rudolph the red-nosed steam engine, but they do seem to go together.  I suppose it has something to do with delivering all the goodies to little boys and girls but in this day and age we should probably have a Christmas jet, a Christmas computer, or a Christmas UPS truck.  Regardless this is part of the magic of the season, and we love it!  I am thankful that a nearby church does an annual train ride through lights and they share the Christmas story in a variety of ways.  

In a house where Thomas the Train is a part of our daily lives, you can only imagine the excitement that the Christmas train brought to one little boy this year! 



Eagerly waiting his turn to board the train



Here were my happy kiddos on the ride: 

He was excited to be on a "real" train




I love that when she fully "cheeses" she turns into a little white Chinese girl!
She must have said "choo-choo" for 10 minutes straight as she was riding along.



Then we had the chance to get up close and personal!



 They even got to sit in the driver's seat, meet Nate the conductor...

 ...and his faithful sidekick.

After the journey, we listened as Mrs. Claus read the Christmas story. 

I think I forgot how magical Christmas could be until I had kids...and it just keeps getting better! 

2nd Annual Gingerbread House Party!

You know, in life you have many friendships that you are not really sure when or how they began....but this is one friendship that began over a mistaken text last year when attempting to RSVP to the Gingerbread House Decorating Party  ...and one I will be eternally grateful for!  Nate's buddy Payton (and her Mom, Dad, and sister) held another amazing party.  It was fun seeing these kids (actually twice the number that showed up last year)  be more independent with decorating their houses.  Ms. Christy kicked off the party with a Christmas story, followed by more sugar and candy that should be allowed in one place with a bunch of three year olds!

  

 She always does an amazing job with the houses!

Then the kids are allowed to put on the perfect final touches.  It is pretty serious business.

 Daddies and Uncles are allowed to help too! 

Amazing masterpieces!

Then I am not really sure how it happened, perhaps the sugar rush, perhaps the three year old camaraderie...but the night ended with a twist on the Chinese New Year celebration as the three kids came out running underneath Payton's bedspread!  They had an absolute blast!  Nothing beats uncontrollable giggles!

Thanks Payton and Ms. Christy! Thanks for letting us be a part of your village, we love it here!



At the Beach with the Peets

Some of Mommy's good friends from college came down, with their extended family for a mini Winter vacation.  Although we think these 40 degree temperatures are ridiculously cold, they were coming from it being 12 degrees and were pleased to get away to our tropical climate!  Ha ha.

It was the first time we had been on the ferry at night, Nate loved taking in all the lights and was still able to spot some dolphins!

We joined them at a beach house and feasted on some of the biggest jumbo shrimp (oxymoron, right?) I have ever seen.  Then celebrated Uncle Chuck's (AKA Ernest Hemmingway) birthday, complete with trick candles! 

It was so great to see the Peets and this is the first time our kiddos have ever met.  They seemed to hit it off well.  The boys, Nate and Kyler, bonded quickly over a leapster game. The girls, Elli and Marissa, had a grand time dumping out Yahtzee dice and putting them back in the cup! 

 And Elli also ended up playing in her Mommy's makeup while the adults were talking and not quite playing close enough attention!

I love getting together with old friends, especially friends like this from college.  We have had so many interesting journeys together...and now the best yet, parenthood!  Thanks again Kim and Tracy (and Carol, Dick and Chuck) for delicious food and fantastic fellowship, we love you guys!