December=BUSY

This month is FLYING by and I swear, I don't ever remember being this busy during this time of year! Our days have been filled and our weeks packed with activities.  TCU did not get to a bowl this year, so we weren't traveling in December-- so I am not sure why I have been feeling so busy!

Eddie's family is all coming in for Christmas-- his mom, dad, sister Carrie, sister Tricia and Tricia's husband Tommy are all coming to us this year! I am so so excited....! My family lives here and I am sappy-- having all of the people I love so much all together in one room is just the most amazing feeling.  I told you-- sap-tastic! Whatever.  I can't help it!

Back to this month... the blog has taken a back seat, yet again.  I will just do a post with lots of pictures from recently... it's all I got right now!

I had two little elves helping me make Christmas cookies-- we kept it simple and they used the ready made snowman and reindeer- ha! They had a blast placing them on the cookie sheets while singing Christmas songs...

And and I were both wearing stripes and he kept saying "we da same! just like me!" haha

Typical Saturday morning: personal space is over rated.  Also over rated? Make up. And real clothes. 

These boys love to ride bikes-- LOVE it.  Cal rides a strider bike and Andy rides a bike with training wheels.  Cal can balance for long stretches on the balance bike, so we think he is about ready for a bike sans training wheels (ya listening, Santa??).  Andy rides his little bike like  7 year old-- he is fearless and fast.  You can sort of tell in the below pic, he hunkers down and zooms.  His little legs are crazy speedy fast.  We are thinking it might be time to move him over to Cal's strider bike...

This past Sunday at our church we had the Moravian Love Feast.  The kids did SO well in the service.  There's lots of music and stuff to see so they all loved it.  Andy stood on the bench and held his hands in prayer:

Just another day at our house-- driving down the road with a football helmet on!

Cal helped me set out the luminaries in our neighborhood.  Our 'hood does such a great job with luminaries.  I think in the entire neighborhood, maybe 4 houses didn't do it.  It made it so fun to ride home through all the lights!

My car was over due for an oil change.  The Jiffy Lube is next to the Dunkin Donuts.  Perfect way to kill a few minutes!

My sweet Christmas puppy.... I love this dog.  

Every year, my mom and her friends do a girls' party.  Last year, some of my friends who grew up in Chapel Hill, decided to start a tradition too.  We had ours on Tuesday night and it was so fun!

I wore big heels and I felt (and looked) like a giant!

 The following morning, Cal had his Christmas performance at his school. It was soooo sweet! It was really crowded and his class was on the front row, so he was hard to see from my seat-- thankfully I had some friends in the front row who sent me videos... we have watched them a ton!

We did a trip to Target where the boys really wanted to help me....

Thursday was my mom's girls' party-- she looked adorable, I thought...!

Friday, when Andy had his last morning of school, Cal and I ran to Trader Joes to stock up for CBs arrival.  I thought it was hilarious to load up a kiddie cart with wine...hahahaha

After our TJ trip, we went to Andy's Christmas sing along.  He was coming down with a cough the day before and was coughing pretty good during the songs.  

Andy was so sad saying bye to his teachers-- I told him I would take a picture of him with Ms. Nicole so he could look at it over break.... 

The weather today is just eerie.  It is WARM! Like, in the 70s! Cal was going to  a restaurant to watch some games with Eddie this morning-- he looks SO old to me!!!!

 The house is decorated, I just wrapped the last present (I actually just found one more to run out an get this afternoon....) and I am about set for Christmas!!! Eddie's parents get in tomorrow: let the fun begin!!!

 

Santa Visit #3

Eddie's office does a Toys For Tots drive every year and after a less than great turn up last year, his assistant contacted me and asked if I would send out an invitation to my friends to have them stop by, donate a gift and visit with Santa! I thought it was a great way to have the kids see that this time of year is about more than receiving presents!

We had a great turn out and it was another chance for the kids to tell Santa what was on their lists...

I wish I had taken more pictures there....oh well!!!

 

Santa Visit #2

Our Country Club does a fantastic dinner with Santa every year. It is chaos with all of the kids running around, but it is just such a wonderful night and one we look forward to every year.  I know this sounds so cheesy, but I just love it!

We had to take a few pictures before leaving the house...

I just feel like a little boy in a bowtie and a sport coat is too cute for words. 

We stopped for a picture on the stairs going into the club too...

We all arrived and Santa walked in jingling bells and singing a song.  The kids froze in their place-- the same as every other year-- and they were in awe staring at him. 

There were a few other little guys in blazers this year-- so so cute:

I am starting to see the end of the tunnel for the terrible twos-- we are still IN them, but I think I can see the end of the tunnel...maybe? He has been sweet to me lately and I am clinging to these sweet moments!

All the cousins were there and we had to try for a photo op.... Cal was SO happy-- can you tell??

There was quite a line to see Santa and the boys did such a great job waiting.  Cal actually held our place in line-- ha! He was standing with a group of about 5 boys and they were all so so good waiting! That is not easy for a bunch of boys to do!

Cal walked right up to Santa-- every time he is around Santa, he turns into this soft spoken, sweet little thing.  It is heart warming to say the least.  This time, he told Santa he wanted a race car track and a bike.  

Andy was pretty sure he wasn't going to have anything to do with Santa.  But then he spotted Santa's bells and he was hooked.  He wanted those bells.  Inch by inch he got closer and closer until he was holding the bells.  Then he warmed right up to the guy in red and was chatting his ear off.

Soooo.... on the way to school Wednesday morning, I said to Andy: "Andy, tonight when you see Santa, he is going to ask you what you want for Christmas. Do you know what you want?"
Andy replied: "yes. Boobies."

I have NO idea where this came from or why he said that to me-- I was kind of in shock! ha! I took a video and posted to instagram (of course).

Needless to say, I was more than a little worried when he saw Santa what he would say when Santa asked what he wanted.

He said, "I want BIG BIG.....big boy bike!"

PHEW.

After each kid had their individual turns with Santa, we attempted a cousin shot again-- I think it turned out pretty cute! Notice Andy made it to the lap-- he was getting more and more comfortable!

After dinner, I got a picture of Cal with his best buddy, Brad.  These two are so cute together-- I hope they always stay friends.  Brad just makes me so happy! Love his smile!

Speaking of smiles-- this was Cal on the way home! He was SO happy! He had the best time and kept saying how great of a night it was! Oh, one last thing so I won't forget-- when he was getting dressed and I put on the bow tie, he said, "it's like we are getting married, mommy!" and I wanted to cry.  These boys have me so wrapped around their little fingers!

And, finally, the instagram picture I posted with the caption: "Cal looking all angelic while Andy is trying to figure out how to steal Santa's bells...."

Loved getting to do this dinner again with such great friends!

 

The Grinch!

Last Saturday, my mom and I took Cal to see the Grinch at the DPAC. It was so cute and Cal loved it! We told him to keep himself from turning into the Grinch, he would need to shout "I LOVE CHRISTMAS" over and over again-- and he does! I love it!

After the show, they pump some fake snow out-- Cal was mesmerized by this!

We took a few quick pictures and then headed home.  

We have been watching the Grinch movie in my car every day and Cal has it memorized now.  He tells Andy: "he is going to try to steal Christmas, Andy, but it will happen anyway! Just wait!" annnnnnd, my heart melts!  Love this time of year :)

 

Oh, Christmas Tree

Normally we get our tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving-- since we were still in Texas, we weren't able to get it until the following weekend.  We got up on Saturday morning and headed to the tree lot.  Cal and I were going to see the Grinch at 10, so we had to get there and get the tree. 

It was COLD-- finally! It's been so mild here-- it was nice to get a Christmas tree and have it feel like Christmas!

Standing in front of the winning tree! Eddie picked it out this year-- and we all loved it!

They put the tree on a huge tree shaker thing to get off all of the excess needles-- this terrified the boys.  I loved having both of them snuggle on me while watching their tree.  They make me so happy.

After the Grinch, Eddie and I put the tree up-- this is when Eddie started saying (over and over and over again) "this tree is too big. this is in sane.  this tree is ridiculous.  i can't believe we got a tree this size.  this is in sane."

Now.  Scroll on up just a smidge to see who picked out the tree.  I rest my case.  

We trimmed off some of the bottom branches and got to decorating...

I love our tree and think it's pretty perfect!

 Now it feels-- and smells!-- like Christmas in our house!!!