Lots of pictures and a few laughs too!

Before Christmas fun!

This was actually my first time to make gingerbread houses.

CRUNCH!!!

One of our family traditions is every year the boys and I decorate sugar cookies. This year I laid out the icing and sprinkles and let them do whatever they wanted to do. You can see Drew really enjoyed his creative freedom, but Kade just wanted to lick the icing and eat the sprinkles.

We pretended the 23rd was Christmas Eve because we wanted to get down to my mom's by the 24th. After we made a birthday cake for Jesus, we ate dinner and opened gifts. Another tradition we have is on Christmas Eve the boys get Christmas PJ's and a board game. After we played the game, I Spy, we loaded up in Ronnie's truck in our Christmas "jamas" to go look at Christmas lights. The snow started to fall, and Drew said, "This is the best day ever!" The boys agreed to quickly go to bed after we got home, and about 10 minutes later they heard Santa (a.k.a. our neighbor, Royce) saying, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" outside the window with sleigh bells ringing. We woke up to 5 inches of snow on the ground the next morning. Our travel plans to Austin were delayed for a few hours, so the boys could play in the snow. (We don't get that much snow in West Texas very often!)

After a 10 1/2 hour car ride with two boys, the puppy, and a car load full of "stuff", we were SO relieved to see Nana and Pop's house. Of course, we had to open gifts first thing. Drew and Kade got baseball gear and bounce-back racers from mom and dad. My brother, Chad, got them a Wii. Mom, Chad, Ronnie, and I played Wii tennis together the next day. It was so much fun, and we got so "into the game". Chad is so competitive; when I looked back at him during one of the games I saw he was dripping with sweat. Ronnie told him he needed to get a head band. Then I got a mental picture of Chad playing Wii in his full tennis gear and could not quit laughing!!!

Bounce-back Racers...great gift!

Then on Sunday we went to church with my grandparents, Nana Jo and PawPaw Bill, and twin cousins, Cayla and Cole. After church everyone gathered at Nana Jo's for Kade's Birthday party.

It was an incredibly sweet day.

After the party, Ronnie helped my PawPaw fix his tractor, and the boys watched twin goats being born. It was fun and educational :)

Drew and Kade loved Nana Jo's house.

Kade, Cole, and Cayla

Nana and Kade with his new red tractor.

PawPaw Bill, Kade and Drew.

Nana, Kade and Nana Jo

Chad, Drew, and Kade

CHEESE!!! I L.O.V.E this picture!

I can't believe my baby boy turned 3.

He loved the ice-cream cake Nana bought for him.
Don't laugh at the drool.

Sometime it takes wind and water to put out a fire. LOL!

Wooden puzzles from Nana
Tools from Cayla and Cole

I think the three best Christmas gifts I got this year are the new PJ's and post-it note holder from my mom, and new work-out clothes from Ronnie.

Hey, it's the little things in life, right!!?!

But, my favorite Christmas gift ever is this quilt my Nana made for me.

It is BEAUTIFUL!

I LOVE IT!

She made my brother and cousin, Aaron, memory quilts with pictures. They are amazing!!! My brother even teared-up a little. She is incredibly talented and one of the most giving women I have ever known!

Okay I have to share a few Christmas stories that might make you laugh.

Story #1
Drew loves anything sweet.
He ate A LOT of Christmas cookies, and after we got home from my mom's he came into the living room that night with his hands on his hips and a sad face.
Me: "What's wrong Drew?"
Drew: "Mom, here's the deal. No more cookies at Christmas because I have bad diarrhea."
Ronnie and I couldn't quit laughing!

Story #2
Kade got a Spiderman watch from Santa.
I asked him a few days ago, "What time is it Kade?"
He looked at his watch, looked at me with a serious face, and said,
"This is the day the Lord has made."
Ha!

Story #3
I couldn't find Drew the other night after supper. I looked outside.
I looked in his room.
Nothing.
Finally I walked into his bathroom to find him brushing Eva's, our new puppy, teeth
with MY NEW TOOTHBRUSH. I guess nothing is off limits in this house!!!

Story #4
We were bowling on the Wii a few nights ago.
Kade bowled a strike, turned around and said,
"Oh SNAP!"
(FYI - "Snap" is the new word for "cool"...or at least I think it is ;)! Kade and Drew picked it up from the movie, Bolt!)