Thursday, December 27, 2012

Christmas 2012

Christmas is our favorite holiday because we are surrounded by people we love.  This Christmas it was no different.  We started our festivities with a tour of Ward Hall, Southern Lights, and a visit to Santa. 
  • Then our extended family activities starts out at Michael's mom's house for Christmas Eve,
  • back to our house to get ready for Santa the next morning,
  • after gifts are opened then we head over to Michael's brother's house for a big family breakfast. 
  • Finally, we load up and go to my parents house where we help prepare our Christmas dinner.                                                                                                                                          We are so blessed to have such a supprtive group of people around us all the time. 
Family picture -Christmas Eve night is always spent at Michael's mom and dads.   Joining us are his brothers and thier  families and  also his aunt and uncle and their kids and grandkids.


All of Nanny's great grandkids.  The new arrival is in a picture below.

Christian waiting patiently while Chloe opens her gifts. 
He wanted me to watch him open his presents, so .he waited

My TWO favorite guys!

Chloe is overloaded with gifts galore!

Me and my sister-in-law Kenna with Joyce.

Love this picture of my nephew and Joyce.

Michael and the kids with his mom and dad.

Opening up my gifts from Joyce.

Presents?  What Presents?

Our yearly game of Right Left Center.  This year Seth went home with the winnings.

Of course food was involved.


Joshua showing off his new baby girl!  What a beauty!

What a handsome little man!

Chloe loves to aggravate her uncle Robbie.

This is Santa's gifts the next morning.  They do not hold comparison to
MeeMaw and PeePaw's gifts from the night before but fun just the same.

My princess for the day.  I can tell she is starting to look a little sick in this picture:-(  She ended up throwing up on the way to my parent's house after we leave Kenna's house.  However she rested with her daddy while my parents and I cooked.  I wish they would have felt better but they still made the most of it that evening:-)


Next stop is Jeff and Kenna's house for Christmas day breakfast.  Eenaw (Kenna's mom)
makes an incredible spread for us all to share.  This is such wonderful family time for us all.

Watching A Christmas Story as everyone is recovering
from all the food we have consumed.

Christian loves his I-Pad mini.  Chloe doesn't understand
why he does not want to share.

After breakfast we head to my parents house where
 I find my dad making my Mamaw's famous apple pies. She would be pleased with his work.
We miss her but find a way to have her with us at each of our holiday meals.

YUM-Good job DAD  Although 18 was probably way too many:-)

Chloe still in princess attire is opening gifts yet again! Starting to regain her strength:-)

Mom likes her purse we got her and the gift cards:-)

My sister and Logan enjoying the day.

My niece Jillian,  opening her gifts that she
had been begging to open since she walked in the door!

OK, MOM  Aren't we a little too old for you to
be buying us all matching outfits!??

Kareoke after dinner is a must!  Jillian and Christian fight over who will sing the chorus.

I think that would be my mom dancing in the background.

This is me making Mamaw's famous dumplings!

My two sweet kids- I adore you .  Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving this year was beautiful.  The weather was perfect, the food delicious, and the family enjoyable.  Due to the weather being so nice, we decided to give horse back riding a go this year.  The kids loved it, especially mine.  We are not exactly a farm family but it definitely is nice to get to pertend for a day.  Chloe and Christian played out almost the entire day.  Christian was in his element with the boys-outside in the dirt, playing with sticks, and chasing each other around the farm.  Chloe did her best to hang out with the boys also.  We enjoyed our day at the Fleckinstein's horse farm. 

Michael's Uncle gathering the horses.

The kids playing on the wagon.

A quick family picture.

Chloe and I being pulled by Michael.  I teally thought he would dump me out, he was going so fast.



Caleb leading his sister around the barn.
What a nice time we all had that day.