Merry CHRISTmas!!!

From our house to yours.....Merry CHRISTmas!!! and a very BLESSED new year!!!

Spending the night

We had a vistor this past week, our other nephew came over to spend the night with us on Monday night & the boys had so much fun.

Big D did what he does...play the Wii of course.  He let the two younger boys play some Just Dance Kids & the MarioKart wheel thing-y. 

Lil D did what he usually does too, but he graciously & sweetly let his cousin play along with him.  Like playing on the scooters outside.

The cousin wasn't too thrilled with the Wii (but that is ok) he wanted to dress up & run around to have some fun (which Lil D gladly did with him) and when it was WAY past bedtime he was frightened by the big scary dragon furnace that makes a horrible noise if you are not used to it.  He made it thru & so did we & in the end he got a sweet reward...at least for two boys that are 8 & 5.  A trip to the park, a picnic lunch, & going to the library!

Our din-err lunch date

Joey & I were blessed one weekend to have my Dad & Step-Mom take the kids (all of their Grand kids-brave huh?!) Calloway Gardens in Georgia.  It was apart of the kiddos Christmas present, I think they had fun..well, sort of! 

I hope they had fun because Mommy & Daddy had a great weekend without children!  We were able to go to a wedding (for the first time since..well OUR wedding!!) without our children, I was happy because usually one of our kids isn't well behaved (Big D has gotten better over the years about weddings) at weddings or I am always chasing them around everywhere.  We also just went out and roamed in outlet stores. 

The best part, was when we got to go to Chuy's to use our gift card by ourselves!!  Here is my $10 meal & it was delicious!!  It took me two days to eat because it was soo big!!  Take a peek:

Our waitress, Kelcey, was sweet & she was leaving for another state to train at a new Chuy's store.  I think Indiana, so if you know somewhere there than go to a new Chuy's restaurant & see if she is there--she is AWESOME!!!

After Chuy's we went to Charming Charley's, which is a jewelry store, and was COMPLETELY amazed.  They have every color of jewelry imaginable and all kinds of other gifts, headbands, & exotic jewelry.  Can you believe a store like that?!?  Gotta go back sometime soon, hopefully traffic will be lots better since Christmas is now over.

Have you gone any place that is good to eat or a awesome jewelry store?

Our Christmas..

Like I have said before, this Christmas I haven't been in the "Christmas-y Spirit" like I normally am.  I am not sure what it is...but I know that many of my friends and even family feel the same way I do.

I think it has to do about Christmas' in the past and what is in the future... but I will have another post about both of these this week (hopefully tomorrow). 

On to this Christmas!!!

This Christmas the boys opened their presents from us seperately because someone was having problems with his clothes.

Lil D's Christmas presents

Big D's Christmas presents

This Christmas we arrived late at my Grandparent's house (and omgosh we were the very last ones!!) to eat our annual Christmas Brunch and give my Grandparent's their presents, take pictures, chat with one another, & of course eataton of yummy food that my cousin made.

Christmas at my Grandparent's

This Christmas we left for the second annual Christmas get-together at Joey's Uncle's house to exchange gifts with his side of the family, eat some more of the yummiest foods, have some wine tasting, chatting, and of course picture taking!

Christmas at Uncle's

This Christmas we brought home our nephew so that he could spend the night (after waiting patiently for a very long time) and played Just Dance 2, Just Dance Kids, and some Kirby Epic Yarn on the Wii together as well as him playing (or rather taking turns playing) with the two D's.  We also played in the snow together since it snowed over night again.

I will have to say...even though I have been a little down somewhat about this Christmas, it has been a wonderful and surprisingly even white!  I hope your Christmas was just as good!! Enjoy these shots that were taken by Joey or myself between Oneonta, AL and Springville, AL from all the snow that fell. 

I have to say though Nectur, AL is one of the prettiest towns & I NEVER have my camera ready for it!!

and They're gone!

My sister and her family that is.  They were here from Friday evening until Friday (a week!! They stayed a full.week this time!!) Christmas Eve morning & they have left for another week of being with family.  Iguess it must be very hard being about 5 hours away from the in-laws and your own parents..as is with my sister and her hubby. 

The most exciting thing has been that I have actually gotten to spend lots of time with my sister and her family this year, the boys & their cousin got along nicely together & we celebrated our Dad's birthday  all together- can I just say it was heavenly!!  Normally, I don't get to spend as much time with them because of working at night or them not staying so long.  So I am exstatic that it happened this year and I am hoping that we will get to do it again in the future real soon!  Love you lots Sister & family!!!
P.S. Can you believe I did NOT take one picture of them being here!?!? The picture is from Disney World this past summer.

What is your favorite thing(s) about Christmas?

Some of my favorite things about Christmas is...

the flowers....

Santa hats....

& some of the YUMMIEST

bestest goodies EVER... (I will add here the we've recieved more than this now)

& of course the....

PRESENTS!!  but....

the Christmas Tree &

Christmas Cards are my absolute favs! 

Well that and the reason why we celebrate the season...
 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

because He is the reason for the season!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Snow flurry days

Lately we have had flurries, snow flurries that is!  I know it is no big deal to 90%+ bloggers that I read (who say they are in the south) BUT I am in the s.o.u.t.h. (as well as 90% of people who read this blog) and we have been having-snow!!

It sarted on Sunday morning very early.  Our family was heading to church for the musical that we were all in.  I opened up our front door to go start the car so it could be warming & saw little white specks falling from the sky.  It then got harder and harder-it was SO beautiful!

"How wonderful & beautiful!", I thought when I saw it blowing about & coming down.  Also I thought about the Gift of Love program that was going to be put on in a couple of hours & thought about the treat of the snow and the program.

It snowed off & on all day Sunday and even some during the early hours of Monday morning before the kids got on the bus.  Then the sun came out & made all the pretty snow flurries go away...until this weekend when we see you again :)!
*pictures were all taken on Monday morning 12/13/2010 & of course, you can't see the flurries :(

Santa was here....

& guess who got to take pictures of him

and some really cute kids!

Yep, that's right ME!!

I got to take pictures of some really adorable children, but unfortunately I can't show anyone the pictures...yet!  Maybe I can see if some of my sweet Mommas will allow me to post their babies pictures here & facebook..so stay tuned!!!