Okay, not quite sure how it happened that today is actually
MARCH 1st, 2010 and I STILL haven't finished updating our blog from Christmas!!! Wow, this may be a new record, even for me. Isn't funny though that this year I didn't even list "update blog more often" on my New Year's Resolutions since I knew it would be a lost cause? ;) Well, I'll just say that there have been way too many other things filling up my spare time to sit at a computer and type. However, in the interest of keeping it all documented (and keeping the Grandparents pacified), I'll backtrack and fill in the details of Christmas. :)
This year we spent Christmas at Mimi and
Pop's house. We had already written and mailed our letters to the Big Guy letting him know which house to come and visit. So, after making a healthy snack for the reindeer and some cookies and milk for Santa, we were ready for bed. Here are the boys leaving the plate beside the fireplace.
Santa left a thank you note back to the boys. But, it turns out that they were much more interested in the other things he left. Good thing, too. Because somehow during the night
Nahla (Mimi and
Pop's kitty) and Missy Kitty (
BeBe's kitty) got into the milk and spilled it all over the note, leaving it glued down to the fireplace. Pretty funny.
Here are the boys opening up their stockings that were filled with Buzz
Lightyears, among other goodies. I love that these are the stockings that they made themselves at a special spend the night party with
BeBe at her house. But Santa's biggest surprise was a Wii, which the boys have been playing with at Mimi and Pop's house for a couple of years now. So, they are already little pro's, and were super excited!
A mini putt putt course was a big hit with them, and perfect for keeping them busy since it was too cold to go outside.
See the little hand holding up this pillow?
Thats one of our children taking cover from Daddy, who had as much (maybe more) fun with the Nerf dart guns than the kids did. Speaking from first hand experience here, those things shoot really fast and can actually hurt. Smart kids to hide. Pretty sure between Michael and the rest of the grown men who were playing with the guns, everyone was smart to take shelter from them. ;)
One of the things I love about my parents house and grandparents' house at holidays is that its not just our blood-related family who is with us. 'Family' is a very broad title and used on anyone and everyone who we love, and this year was no different. The Gentry's have been our closest friends for as long as I can remember. Callie and Zach are the closest thing Britt and I ever had to other siblings and Jackie and Dale continue to be like second parents to us. We've all even adopted each other's grandparents. So we were very happy that they were able to spend Christmas day with us, rather than be in North Carolina like they normally are. Also the
Sullivans were with us and have been every year since Brad began preaching at our church. Mason, their 12 year old, has passed down almost all of his old toys and books to Ben and Drew and Hayley is a teenager so she loves being around the little guys. So we had quite a fun crew. After eating some pretty amazing food Daddy and Zach had a little jam session, and we rounded it out with a very very lively game of Catch Phrase among everyone (except Nana and Papa, who were still napping). Ben and Drew were a little bit in awe at all the ...shall we say..."
spiritedness" of the game, but they thought it was so funny to help each of our teams.
That night (after a much needed nap for everyone) Pop and Drew took on Britt and I in Guitar Hero. I'm pretty sure Drew is singing Michael Jackson's "Beat It" in this picture. Pretty hilarious.
Ben and Mimi working on some hot chocolate and doing a little work from her computer.
Its not the best quality picture, but I had to put this one on here of 4 generations of some pretty special men in our family: my Papa, my Daddy, my husband, and our sweet boys.
Every Christmas is special because of who you share it with and what you focus on. This year was certainly no different, and I have to say that we were so blessed to share it with our family in Montgomery.
Okay, now to catch us up on the rest of what's been going on......
Some really forgetful mommy left the top off the sandbox, which filled up with water. But what does a pool of water do when it gets really cold??? Why, it makes two tiny ice skating rinks of course! ;) Lemons into lemonade here, people. They had as much fun making themselves slide all around as they did throwing snowballs at me and each other. 
And the snow that the trampoline caught made for some pretty fun bouncing. 
The boys have each been able to write their names pretty well since a few weeks before they turned 4, so I asked them each to write it in the snow. I love the little bit of "flair" that Ben puts on the top of his lower case 'n'. He consistently does this and I know I should make him write an uppercase 'N' correctly. But truthfully, I like that he puts his own little spin on it for now. He'll have to correct it soon enough in school so the artist in me is embracing it. 
We had our fill of snow cream, a favorite and a must whenever there is any accumulation at all and had fun snuggling after playing in the cold. These are sweet sweet days, and I am so lucky to be these boys' mama. Little did we know when this snow came that we'd have an even bigger snow in about a month. While Michael and I were skiing in Colorado Mimi got snowed in with the boys under about 6 inches, give or take. I wish I had pictures but we were too busy in our own snow. Glad we got these!!!
