Christmas eve and Christmas day

We do Christmas with Rex's family on Christmas eve. We have dinner and then open our presents. It is fun having all the cousins together and seeing them interact. The twins are still not talking very much but they are in to everything and have totally different personalities. It is so neat to see how different and alike they can be. They are sweet girls and they are girls. They love clothes, shoes, and babies. I layed Wesley in the floor and they both would just sit next to him and hold his hands, touch him, and give him his toys. They love Max too. They get so excited when they see him and they can't wait to play with him. He is still a little rough with them and we have to calm him down but he is getting better about sharing and playing with them. That night when everyone was leaving Max told everyone, "Don't forget the holiday spirit!" Here are a few pictures from Christmas Eve.

Emma, Wesley, Jake, and Belle

Max opening up his moon sand. He loves the stuff but boy is it messy!

The girls opening up their high heels!

He loved this detective set.

Belle and Emma

Max and Pa Paw

Emma and Wesley. Emma loved Wesley. She had a little more to do with him than Belle.

Max was so excited about Christmas. Every morning the whole week before Christmas he would run into the living room and say, "Man, there still aren't any presents for me!" He still doesn't quite get the concept of time but it was funny. Needless to say when I told him it was actually Christmas Eve and Santa would really come that night he was extatic! We had no trouble getting him to sleep at all that night. He really enjoyed Christmas this year. He was so excited about every aspect of Christmas not just the presents. He enjoyed the baking, the singing, the lights, the stories, the get togethers, everything. I loved his enthusiasum for the season and his anticipation for Christmas made mine even better! I couldn't wait for him to wake up Christmas morning. We of course had to wake up him but that is okay. It gave me time to feed Wesley and have him all ready to go so I could video and take pictures of everything. Santa was very good to Max this year becuase we thought he wasn't going to get his big present but he ended up getting anyway. He was so apreciative of everything. He is such a sweet boy and has such a sweet spirit. Having kids of my own makes Christmas far better than I could have ever imagined that it would. It gives new meaning to everything. Having an infant this year makes me think of Mary and all that she indured and I could never imagine having to give up one of my babies they way she had to give up Jesus. I am so thankful that God chose to send his son to die for us and I love to celebrate his birth!

Cookies and milk for Santa

Max's letter to Santa

Santa overfilled Max's stocking

Look! Santa come for a visit!

He said, "My DS! Just what I wanted! It is just like Jessi's but hers is red!"

"My SpongeBob game for my VSmile! Santa brought me what I asked for!"

The aftermath of Max opening his presents.

Wesley is really starting to use his hands now. He wanted to get a hold of the tractor Santa brought for brother.

Look what else Santa brought Max! His very own 4 wheeler!

We almost forgot about his stocking. He had opened all his presents and had come in from riding the 4 wheeler and saw it. He said, "Oh, Wow! Look at my stocking! I almost forgot to look inside it!"

The only picture I got of them that morning in their matching pj's before Wesley pooped on his!

I hope he doesn't drive that that forever!

We then went to my mom and dad's for my family's Christmas. We always have Christmas breakfast/brunch and then open gifts. The breakfast was yummy as always but I sure did miss the hashbrown casserole and gravy. I limited myself to just one of my mom's homeade buscuits with Wesley's milk sensitivity. So far it hasn't gotten any better. I sure hope he grows out of it before he is a year old! Anyway, we then opened presents. We always let Max go first. My dad opened a few when Max took a brake. This year I was last opening mine because I videoed and took pictures of everything. I like going slow and everyone taking their time and you can see what everyone gets. We spent most of the afternoon at my parents and then came home that evening. Max didn't want to leave until Rex reminded him he had a 4 wheeler at home to ride and out the door he went. We let him ride for a little bit and even daddy took a turn. It was a wonderful Christmas but it goes by way too fast on Christmas day. Every year is more and more fun and I already can't wait for next year when Wesley will be more into it too. Sorry, the pictures are all out of order!

Rex riding on Max's 4 wheeler after we got home.

Christmas baby!

My favorite presents for Wesley his pacifiers and backpack!

UT here I come! My future football player!

Sponge Bob Crocs! Yes!

These are too funny! Sponge Bob house shoes. They are square and complete with arms and legs. Thanks Aunt Shia!

Opening presents!

We hit the motherload! I couldn't even fit every thing in a picture!

Max and one of his favorites, his Easy Bake Oven! He can't wait to bake with it!

A visit with Floyd and Wanda

The day before Christmas eve we ended up having to go to the funeral home in Dalton so we decided to make a stop on the way home of a couple that go to our church. The Manis' decorate their house very elaborately and beautifully for Christmas. There house is beautiful with out all the Christmas items period. They have tons of antiques, antique furniture, chandeliers in almost every room, trays for the beds, and so on and so forth. We had been meaning to get by since the beginning of December but with the busyness and sickness we hadn't gotten over there. Max loves to go and actually would invite people from church to go when we would talk about going over there. Who needs an invite from the home owners, when Max gives you one. Mrs. Wanda always serves us apple cider and cookies when we visit but Max has decided he can only drink apple cider when he has popcorn (because of our many trips to Mercier's Apple Orchards-they have free samples of cider and popcorn). She graciously popped Max a bag of popcorn. I hate that we had to go to the funeral home but I am glad we got to go. It wouldn't seem like Christmas without it.

This is a picture of their big tree in their family room area.

Wesley was thoroughly entertained by all Mr. Floyd's toys!

He really wanted to get this dancing frog!

Now he wants the dancing Santa!

The boys being silly!

I also wanted to share with you the boys Christmas pictures from JCPenney's. They both did good but Max has a new cheezy smile he used in a lot of the pictures.

This was the keeper out of the lot!

That cheezy grin I was talking about!

I am so glad Max really loves his brother! I also love having another baby boy to dress in jon jons, bubbles, and knee socks! :)

Visting Grandma's

We went to see my Dad's mom, Nanny Newt, first. She is in the nicest nursing home I have ever seen. The place is always spotlessly clean and never smells. She is in a private room but we usually go to one of the many common areas to visit so we don't have to pack into her little room. The people there always love to see visitors especially little ones and babies and Max is usually good about smiling and saying hello to people.

My dad and my Nanny Newt

Max watching her open her presents. His Great Grandmother Evelyn Newton

I had to do the sneak attack to get his picture while he was trying to run away!

Rex and Wesley

My younger sister Jessica, Rex, Wesley, Me, my older sister Alicia, Nanny Newt, and my dad.

From there we went to my mom's mom, Nanny Scott. We ate dinner and we always play the white elephant game. I went home with a DVD for the second year in a row and Rex brought home a battery powered screw driver. We always have a good time and it is good to see the family. We normally don't see a lot of our family since they all live in Atlanta. We only all get together once or twice a year. This year we have lots of babies, some were sick and not able to make it but we have 6 babies under 2 in the family right now.

Wesley with his Great Grandmother Margie Scott

Wesley and Nanny Scott

Max opening his present from Nanny Scott.

It was a long, hard day but well worth the time and energy it takes.

I will be posting more holiday events in the next few days. Wesley is crying now and I have to tend to him. I posted one other time today so keep reading!

Making Christmas cookies for Santa

Max loves to cook and last year we started the tradition for making gingerbread cookies for Santa. I had always just gotten store bought cookies in the past but last year I bought a kit that had a dough mix, one cookie cutter, icing, and decorations. This year we made our own dough and I bought several different shaped cookie cutters and we decorated them ourselves with icing and M&Ms, Max didn't like the gumdrops that came in the kit last year. Max ate every one he decorated when he was finished with it except for two so most of them I didn't even get pictures of before they were devoured. We had a really good time. We made them on Tuesday while Wesley took his nap. Here are a few pictures of the process and end results.

We tried the parchment paper roll out method but I didn't care for it with the gingerbread, they needed the little extra flour to not be so sticky. So we moved to the old timing on the counter with flour method after the first batch. Max liked playing in the flour as much as anything.

I helped him the cookie cutter but he did the rest.

Max's is the one on the left, mine is on the right with a little added pizazz from Max.

Max decorated the trees all by himself

Mr. and Mrs. Clause