Christmas, Part Two and

After we celebrated Christmas at our house, it was time to pack up and head to my parent's for our family Christmas. 

Yaya and Pops and all their grandbabies! One more baby girl coming in February!

B has just started loving books. "boo boo" and climbs in your lap; it's so sweet. 

the boys are such good helpers when it comes to opening gifts ha 

they love their new monster trucks

riding on their scooters 

He was so thrilled about his new game! I promise he said at least 5 times, "Look! I got Connect 4!"

All the big boys got big wheels! 

and Merry Christmas from this wild and crazy crew!

Christmas, Part One

These first pictures aren't Christmas related, but oh well. We went to Shelby Farms the week before Christmas with our friend, Brooks, who is also our neighbor. It was so nice to be outside and have a change of scenery!

On Christmas Eve, we made cookies for Santa. The boys decided on chocolate chip cookies. We had so much fun measuring out our ingredients and mixing them up! Baker was on my back, so he was involved, too. And they ended up tasting pretty good!

I had to work for a few hours on Christmas Eve. I wasn't able to get my whole shift covered, but I only had to work 7-11. So we had plenty of time to have a late lunch with our family and head to our candlelight service at church. After that, I went to work, and Daddy and the boys headed back to my grandparent's house for Christmas with our extended family.

Christmas morning! The boys got a trampoline. I try to loosely follow the "something they  want, need, wear, read" idea for Christmas presents so I don't go overboard. It's helped guide my purchases, and I focus on scaling back each year. Stockings are for socks/undies/playdough/bowls. The older two boys each got legos and a new board game. All three boys got new rain boots, which they have already worn a lot! Books are always present, and B got a little push mower that he loves, plus some new outfits for next summer.

My Christmas gift! I am so excited about them and can't wait to find the perfect spot to hang them.

family Christmas selfie 

Christmas Festivities

The boys had their Christmas program on Friday at school. They both did so well! Fisher was dancing and making up his own motions, and he and Sullivan both participated and sang their hearts out! It was so much fun to watch. 

what happened when I asked them to smile :/

Fisher is on the far right in the red sweater

singing Jingle Bells 

Friday night was our Sunday School Christmas Party. We had a progressive dinner and were encouraged to dress up. We had a lot of fun!

photo courtesy of our 5 year old 

photo booth 

Saturday, we decorated our gingerbread house!

seriously thinking about where to place his candy 

baby brother was just entertained by eating some of the house

so proud of their creation 

the finished product!

Santa Visits and Christmas Parties

Last week, we (mostly) enjoyed visiting Santa. The older boys were hesitant, but willing to talk to Santa. Baker hated him, which was exactly how I thought he was going to act. The boys both asked for a Percy train with real steam and a Thomas and Annie and Clarabel set. 

cousin picture 

our Santa pictures through the years

so proud of his tower

The boys also had their school Christmas parties last Monday. I worked Sunday night, so I was able to nap for 2 hours and then rush to their parties. I'm so thankful that I was able to go back and forth between their rooms and enjoy both of their parties.

Happy birthday Jesus celebration 

he looks so old!

this sweet boy always makes me feel great-he is always so thrilled to see me!

love this craft!

cheese!

working hard on decorating his cookie

S was so proud of his craft!

15 Month Check Up

We had Baker's 15 month check up last week. He hated it! He was so upset the entire time, as evidenced by his photos. Poor buddy. Despite all the tears, he had a great appointment! He is still very petite, and only weighs 18 lbs 14 oz, which is in the 3rd percentile. He is 31 inches tall, which is in the 50th percentile. 

who knew having your height measured was so horrible?!

B is constantly on the move. He loves to eat, and always wants to steal a bite of sweet things. His favorite things to eat are corn and yogurt. He is an excellent sleeper and napper, and is still nursing 3-5 times a day. He "talks" all of the time, and words that we can understand include mama, dada, bubba, no, please (peas), thank you (tank tu), Roux, Percy, diaper, booty, bye bye, hi, YaYa, good girls, hot, night night. He can show you his tongue, teeth, eyes, nose, and ears. He recently learned how to blow kisses and it is the best thing ever!

December So Far

We have been thoroughly enjoying our December so far! I don't feel like this season has been too crazy busy, so it's been nice to actually enjoy our month instead of rushing around.

our beautiful tree! Sometimes I contemplate not even putting lights or ornaments on our tree, because it's just so pretty as it is.

my favorite way to spend naptime!

The boys love adventuring! There's a great area to explore very close to our house, and last week (I think) we went on a long hike through the leaves. They had a blast!

Our thankful tree! We each said something that we were thankful for most days in November. It was a wonderful way to remind ourselves of all that we have to be thankful for and also so funny to hear what the boys are thankful for (i.e. trains, boats, etc). 

Elliot's Minnie Mouse party last week! Love these sweet friends of ours. 

Our elf showed up last week! And....the boys don't even care one bit. So, he's stayed in the same spot all week, and may never make an appearance again. And I'm very ok with that. 

ready to go to Starry Nights last week!

when two are looking, the other one is over pictures. sigh. 

the boys loved looking at all the lights!