Christmas 2008

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We certainly did! We left last Friday and went to Gigi and PawPaw's (Kenny's parents) for Guest Family Christmas. We had lots of fun spending time with the cousins, playing on the farm, collecting rocks in an old creek bed, building a Gingerbread train and of course, opening presents. We left Sunday and drove to Austin. We had lunch at Yaya and Grumpy's then loaded up again and drove to San Antonio. We checked into the Marriott on the Riverwalk - very nice! We met up with the Carnes (good family friends) and had a wonderful time seeing the lights on the Riverwalk via the river barge, having a fantastic dinner at a restaurant on the Riverwalk called Luciano's (a GREAT place to eat if ever down that way), and visiting with great friends and family. Carson loved it and is still talking about it. Collier slept through the first part of the barge ride, but woke up in time to see some lights and was mesmerized. It was really cold on Sunday night, but we all agreed (well, maybe not all of us) that it got cold just in time b/c it might not have been the same looking at Christmas lights in 70 degree weather (it was like 75 degrees at the farm Sat). So, we all bundled up and braved the cold - hey, it got us ready for Santa Fe. Monday morning we woke up and went to have brunch at Mi Tierra (a San Antonio landmark). The Christmas decorations were amazing and the food was the same. This is another must do while in SA - they are open 24 hours a day! We left there and stopped off at the Beasley homestead to visit with Shannon and the girls...Mike was in Castroville, so we missed seeing him. We had a much too short visit with them, but great as always, before heading back to Austin. Molly flew in on Monday at noon from CA. We went to get Marmee (Amy's grandmother) and had "Christmas Eve" on Monday night. Of course we had the traditional tamale dinner, but this year added Tortilla soup (Carson's fave) - yum! It was a fun night, but we really missed having Em and Henry there. We got everyone in bed. Carson woke everyone up early the next morning, yes, I know you are shocked, to see what Santa had left. The look on his face was priceless when he saw his new bike, without training wheels (exactly what he had asked for), by the tree. He was thrilled! Luckily, Santa left the training wheels so that he could practice riding his new, much bigger, bike with them. Collier slept in, so we got to do it all again when he got up a hour and half later. Carson had fun helping Collier check out his toys. Then, the we had what will be forever referred to as "The Fire Incident of Christmas 2008" while we were eating brunch. I know most everyone reading this already knows about it, so I won't go into detail, but for those with boys...beware of fire! Luckily, Carson did not burn down the house, only a HUGE hole in Yaya's carpet, and all ended fairly well. I know we will laugh about it in years to come, but this year I am just extremely greatful for the outcome. I think, I hope, that Carson learned a lesson about playing with fire. We loaded up the car, which was really full, and headed back to Frisco. It was a really good thing the dogs stayed at the farm (since we are going to Santa Fe next week), otherwise we would not have gotten it all home. I absolutely hated to leave. As we climed into bed Tuesday night Kenny said "I am glad to be home" (as we always say after being gone), and I said "Not me". It was hard not be with family on Christmas, but someone had to work, babies don't care what day it is! :)I worked Christmas Eve (but got off early enough to go to the Christmas Eve service with K and the boys, which I was very thankful for) and Christmas Day. We delivered 4 babies Christmas Day! I will be glad I worked Christmas this year, come this time next year. The boys are still small enough that they don't know the difference...when we celebrate, just as long as we do. We spent Christmas night over at good friends, the Carters. It was a wonderful holiday, full of good memories. We feel so blessed to have had such an incredible year to look back on. We feel certain that 2009 will be even better!
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There were just too many great pics to post here, so I set up a slideshow over to the side. Just click on the picture and it will blow it up bigger so that you can view them.

Misc. Pictures...

If you give a Cat a Cupcake...

Carson and I went on a date Sunday to a new bookstore that just opened in Plano. They were hosting Laura Numeroff, who is the "arthur" (as Carson would say), of the Children's book "If you give a Mouse a Cookie..." and other such books. She was there promoting her latest book - "If you give a Cat a Cupcake". It was lots of fun. It was Carson's first book signing...

Laura Numeroff reading some of her books.

The Dallas Children's Theater made one her books, "If you give Pig a Party", into a musical. The cast was at the book signing and sang several of the songs. It was really cute. Carson is in the red shirt talking to "Mouse".

They gave us a whole goody bag of fun stuff when we got there...this hat, a poster (which I wish now I had had her sign, would have been cute to frame), cupcake recipes, stickers, etc...

We waited well over an hour and Carson did great. He made several friends...surprise, surprise!

I kept asking him if he wanted to leave and he said he really wanted to meet the "arthur" and have her sign his books.

On the way out, the kids got cupcakes. They really thought of it all.

It was lots of fun. We are looking forward to more book signings.

The Polar Express

Last weekend we went to Fort Worth to see the Polar Express at the IMAX. It was great fun. The screen was HUGE and was everywhere...above you, on either side...you acutally had to turn your head in some parts to see things. You felt like you were IN the movie. (I thought it was going to be 3D. The website was a little misleading...most of the showings of this movie at the IMAX theaters are 3D). Carson LOVED it and we all had a great time. Collier watched for a while then gave in and took a nap. We finished off the evening with dinner at Joe T. Garcia's - a Forth Worth landmark.

By the way, the FW museum that we visited to see the IMAX is currently under construction, hence the Christmas tree decorated with dumptrucks and other construction equipment. Carson thought it was a super cool tree!

Carson's Christmas Program

Carson' s Christmas program at KDO was tonight. He did awesome....all the kids did! They sang their little hearts out and you could tell they were having a blast.

Posing for a quick pic before the 4 yr olds started singing

"Little Drummer Boy"

"Silent Night"

"I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas"

"Felize Navidad" - Carson's favorite

Sweet boy...he did such a good job. I wish you could have all been here to see it.

I LOVE my new chair!!!

Collier is loving his new big boy chair. He sits in it while we eat dinner. I think he likes being up with us, instead of on the floor.

A very common site...he loves those two middle fingers. He is definitely saying "I love you" and not "Hook 'Em"! :)

Such a ham!

Just for fun...here is a picture of Carson in the same shirt that Collier has on above...taken in Dec 2004...Carson was over 6 weeks older then than Collier is now.

Cereal...Gross, Funny and Cute all at the same time

Look at me in my new big boy seat! I can't wait to try this stuff called cereal...it sounds delicious!

I need to check it out before I taste it.


Ahhh...

What is this stuff????

OK, maybe it is not that bad.

Yummmmmmy. I think I am going to like this!

The Triplets Cooking Birthday Party

Last spring at our annual Kid's Day Out Fundraiser I donated a cooking class (taught by me) at our house. Well, what do you know? It raised $90 and a friend of ours from church, that has triplets, ended up winning it. She asked me if she could use it as her boy's birthday party this year and I agreed. Well, 6 kids turned into 9 (you know me, the more the merrier...or crazier, whatever) and yesterday was the party. We had Herb Baked Chicken nuggets, green beans parmesan, mac and cheese, fruit kabobs, decorate your own cupcakes and birthday punch with pineapple ice cubes - all homemade by the kids (and me). Each kiddo got a personalized apron and a little cookbook to take home. Although ,it was CRAZY, it was fun chaos. The kids had a blast and the triplet's Mom seemed really pleased. Some of the other Moms at the party asked if I was going to start a business. Who knows? Might be fun. Kenny did tell me that if we do this again I have to hire some help. He apparently did not like being my "assistant"! :)

Who me?

We've got some options...

In the midst of sickness and the "fabulous 4's" we have had going on here this week, I did manage to get some possibilities for Christmas card pictures.

My little cheeseball practicing his "Yaya smile" (as he calls it, not me!). :)

I'm telling ya...

I'm telling ya...hours and hours of entertainment this holiday season. They LOVE it!

Christmas Decorations...

Kenny and the boys putting the train together. The train is going to be hours of entertainment for both of them this year. Carson has been playing with it all morning...building houses and train station buildings next to it. Collier laid and stared at it for at least 20 minutes this morning. It just might be one of my favorite things this holiday season. :)

The boy's tree in their playroom upstairs. I let Carson decorate it however he wanted to. He did a great job!

Kenny, Carson and I decorated the tree downstairs after Collier went to bed last night. Carson had lots of fun "helping". He loved those little hooks that you hang the ornaments with, except he called them "hookers". He wanted to put them on all the ornaments and would frequently say as he was about to hang one on the tree "Daddy, could you get me a hooker?". Or after he found a bag of little beaded hooks that Molly had made for me he said 'Oh, look, these are really pretty hookers". Kenny and I, of course, laughed the whole time. Too funny!

Collier's first look at the decorated tree. Amazing!

He loved the train and I could see him thinking "hmmm, I am really going to need to work on crawling soon"...he really wanted to get his hands on those trains!

Sweet baby!

Trail of Lights...

The Trail of Lights is a drive through Christmas lights show just south of College Station. It has become a tradition to take the kids. They really love it and look forward to it. Collier, who screamed all the way there (of course, he wasn't really feeling good), LOVED the lights, and immediatley quited down when we started driving through. He just sat and stared! It was really pretty. The pictures below don't really do it justice.

Some happy cousins!

Carson in Aunt Karen's lap enjoying the lights!

This is after playing in the "snow" (some sort of soapy bubble solution) in the little village where Santa was. It would periodically start "snowing" and all the kids would run as fast as they could to play in it.