Christmas Day

Christmas Lunch

After we played with all the toys that Santa brought for 2.2 seconds, we got ready and headed to my parent's house 45 minutes away. We opened presents from Noni and Dandy before all my extended family came over for lunch.

Here is Lawton opening a Transformer. I learned from Uncle Andrew that there are good robots (Autobots) and bad robots (Septicons maybe?) This might be some good information for you moms of boys out there. (You see, Lawton just discovered Transformers recently and is a bit smitten by them . . . )
Carolina would squeal or make her noises (she was talking plainly in her mind) and it would scare the willies out of Luke and he would start crying. Then she would just stare at him as if to say, "what's the matter with you?"
Carolina loved her new first purse from Noni and Dandy (including lipstick, a mirror, money, a bracelet and keys . . . all the things a girl needs!)

I wanted to keep this frame for myself . . . but I decided to be good and give it to Kathryn - the original intended recipient.

Here is Noni posing with a picture that Lawton drew for her and trying out the new (real)camera that Noni and Dandy gave him. He was SOOO excited! He immediately took it out turned it on and started shooting pictures and then viewing them with no help from us!

Grandma is getting love from Carolina. My Grandma has the cutest little giggle. I can hear her now. :)

Okay, here's the story that I told you about last year. And here is the reappearance of the cognac! It has been around so long that there is something gross growing inside it! Yuck!

My Aunt Mary Margaret got a bottle of champagne that we started several years ago. Funny thing is, Lee got another box of "Natural Aphrodisiacs" candy. Looks like fun times for them. . . ha!

Andrew got his own "bling" to wear when he preaches . . .

Christmas Night

We headed out in the afternoon to go to Chad's parent's house for dinner. The only family picture we ever seem to get is in front of their tree. We have a book that we got as a wedding present where you put one picture per year in. I love it! It is neat to see how our family (and our appearances) have changed over the years! This will be the picture for 2008!

A rare picture of the two of us!

The newly engaged couple, Lance and Heather!

Cousins - I didn't notice until now that the picture I picked had Hunter's eyes closed . . . but it is too hard and I'm too lazy to get another picture! Sorry, Hunt!

Lawton received several games and other toys from Gran-D and Papa J!

We surprised Gran-D and Papa J with a picture of the grandkids. Let me tell you, it wasn't an easy feat, but with a little photo shop help from our developer, it turned out so sweet! They loved it!

Gran-D and Papa J gave Carolina an American Girls Bitty Baby. She loved it! She squealed and flapped her arms she was so excited! Here she is giving her "some love". :) (Donna just had to wait 34 years to buy a doll for someone!)

Carolina and Bitty Baby!

We gave Heather a wedding planner!

Lawton opening his stocking . . .

Carolina and her sweet stocking that Gran-D feverishly worked on and finished Christmas Day. It turned out so cute - love it!

Somehow, I didn't manage to get any pictures of Brent and Emily! They were there and we had a great Christmas Day with our families!

The stockings were hung . . .

not by the chimney, but on the shelf! :) I finished Carolina's stocking just in the "nick" of time - December 23! Plenty of time compared to Lawton's - I was finishing sewing up his on Christmas Eve at around 5:00 for his first Christmas!

Here is Carolina's finished stocking! You see, crazy me started my stocking when I was back in college for my "hope chest". I finished all three of our stockings for Lawton's first Christmas. So, I couldn't very well not make Carolina's, too. Hopefully one day they will really appreciate all the time and love that went into making these needlepoint stockings!

This Christmas Eve was the first time we have not spent with family. Because of different circumstances, we just stayed at home all day and had good family time. (No offense, family, but it was a very enjoyable day just the four of us!)

Here is Lawton putting out reindeer food on our front sidewalk.

This is a picture that Lawton drew for Santa. I think it is a reindeer? I really can't remember because he drew it several weeks before Christmas . . . :)

Here is a picture of the cookies we worked so hard on (see previous post for the cookies and Lawton's pottery plate)


On Christmas Eve, we decided to give the kids our presents. Carolina was so excited to get the Build-a-Bear Lawton made for her! She seriously squealed in excitement! (And it just so happened that Carolina "gave" Lawton his own gift card to make his own bear! )

We gave Lawton this Transformer costume, a doctor's costume and a policeman costume (thanks to the after Halloween clearance sale and Emily getting them for me because we were camping!). The Transformer costume was a hit . . . however the other two still have their tags on them. I have faith though that he will want to wear those too - eventually! :) He immediately tried on his costume and wore it the rest of the night.

We gave Carolina this ?? baby toy. Somehow Lawton never had one!

And here is Lawton giving Chad a bicycle helmet. Chad is planning on getting a bike with some Christmas money for exercise and to ride with Lawton when we go camping. Lawton told Chad that he needed to ask Santa for a bike, too, so that they could ride together. It didn't take much to convince Chad that he needs a bike . . . :)

I gave Chad some desperately needed (and practical) new running shoes - the Brooks Beast is what they are called. And yes, they are a Beast! I love my baby's SIZE 15 SHOE! (I wear a 5 1/2 well, 6 now after two babies, so it will be interesting to see where Lawton and Carolina's shoe size will land! )

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve!

Pre-Christmas activities

Cookies for Santa

We diligently worked on cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. A teacher at Chad's school gave him these cool cookie cutters because she thought we would enjoy making them with Lawton. They were labor-intensive, but fun and memorable!

"Let's go to the Movies"
Chad and I took Lawton for a special afternoon treat to see Madagascar 2 at the theater. This is only the second movie he has been to (the first was the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything). We let him choose between Madagascar and The Tale of Despereaux - the music and colors on the trailers of M2 won out. . . Chad stashed a few snacks from home into my purse right before we walked out the door. Lawton caught a glimpse and asked Chad what he had. When Chad told him they were snacks for the movie, he said, no, you have to eat popcorn at the movies! How he knew or thought that, I'm not sure, since the only movie he had been to over a year before and we never eat popcorn at home. So, since it was a special "Lawton" afternoon, we got popcorn. And boy, did he chow down! :)

Desperately needed haircuts!
In case you didn't know, I am the resident barber. Chad's hair is not hard to cut, he just needs a buzz every two weeks or so. :) I started cutting Lawton's hair when he was a baby and haven't quit yet. I know most of you are thinking that it is past time for him to go to the barber. . .because I realize I'm not that good. I just can't quite get the fade. . . but it does save some money so I am still cutting it. However, next time he needs a hair cut we might be getting in the car! Lawton wanted to get in on the action and cut Chad's hair. Chad was a trooper - Lawton kept on buzzing the same patch over and over again! :)

Lawton got a little rough - caught in the moment!
Our Anniversary Celebration

Noni and Dandy came over and watched the kids while we celebrated our anniversary. Chad surprised me by taking me to see Amy Grant and Vince Gill perform their Christmas concert at the Ryman. It was fantastic and wonderful to just go on a date. We had a great night out! He was so prepared- he bought the tickets back in October the day they went on sale! Sadly, I don't have a picture of the two of us, but I do have this picture of Lawton waiting in his Spiderman costume, looking out the window so he could "scare" Noni and Dandy. They played along and were "terrified".
Painting at Brushfire

For Lawton's first Christmas, we went to a pottery place and made a "cookies for Santa" plate with his footprint and hand prints (making a reindeer). So of course, Carolina had to have her own plate, too! Here she is getting her foot painted. . . I didn't get a picture of the finished product - and haven't picked them up yet.

Lawton picked out a motorcycle to paint. The finished product was quite interesting . . .
Here is a classic, horrendous, mischievous, fake, "I'm a stinker" smile from Lawton to leave you with. We love this boy! Enjoy!

Preschool Fun Festivities!

Here is a picture of a (half-eaten) snowman cupcake that I made for Lawton's party. . .

Here is the "present" that Lawton "made" for us!

Lawton, Brown and Wilson eagerly await some presents from Mrs. Donitta

All the children had to close their eyes while Mrs. Donitta mixed up and passed out their presents from "a boy" or "a girl". Lawton was pleased as punch to get a Cars Lego set!

I wouldn't miss being there for the world! :)

His class (minus Brown and Charlie . . . not Charlie Brown . . . Ha!)

Here he is at his Christmas program that night. Hmmm. . . do you notice that everyone else is looking the other way? :)

Okay. Now he is participating a little more! :) He actually did great and exceeded all my expectations (but they were very low expectations . . . :)

Noni and Dandy came to see him (and Gran-D and Papa J were there, but I wasn't able to get a good picture of them)

During the reception afterwards (where Lawton inhaled a plateful of assorted sweets and chocolate concoctions under Daddy's generous watch) Carolina was infatuated with Dandy's beard. She just kept reaching up and feeling it in amazement!