Let the Christmas Festivities Begin

The day after we got home from our Thanksgiving trip, we visited our favorite Christmas tree farm to pick out the perfect tree.  Santa just happened to stop by while we were there.  Both of our kids just love him.  I wondered if Cooper might be scared, but I have yet to see anything that he is even the slightest bit afraid of.  Seriously, the boy has no fear.  Which scares me!  I am envisioning when he's 16 and driving...yikes!  Anyway, back to Christmas...we found a tree we love and had a great afternoon making the house look festive.

 This is it!

This is the year of Christmas pageants for us.  Lainey was an angel in an old fashioned Christmas pageant at church this week.  They performed it for the senior citizen's dinner and it was adorable.  

 All the sweet angels waiting backstage

 They worked so hard to learn their lines and songs

Cooper is playing the part of the toddler Jesus in our church wide pageant .  It's coming up this weekend so we've had dress rehearsal every night this week.  There is a song where the wise men come to visit Jesus and bring him gifts.  Every time they approach Coop with the gifts, he opens his mouth wide and looks so surprised.  It is the cutest thing I have ever seen.  I'll try to get a picture of it tonight to post.  It is such fun for Jamie and I to watch both of our kids act out this story that we love so much.  To see Lainey understand what Christmas is all about is such a blessing.  So thankful for these opportunities.

Giving Thanks

We were blessed to get to be with our families this year for Thanksgiving.  We enjoyed  a great lunch at Grandma Donna's and spent some time with Jamie's family.  As you can see from the pictures, new baby Abram was the star of the show.

 A little after lunch football and soccer with Uncle Burt and Anne

 Lainey's first experience with hedge apples

 Jamie's Aunt Denice is the proud new grandma

 Poor Hailey just wanted a little nap

 Loving on baby Abram

 The proud new parents, Erica and Lance

 The next day, it was on to my family Thanksgiving.  Cooper LOVED Malloree.  They just seemed to get each other.  It was so funny, like they spoke the same language.

 Maddie and Lainey had a great time together, but boy do they miss our Georgia cousins, Jules and Ava.

 Aunt Sherry cuddled up with Coop and Malloree

 At our family get togethers you can always find coloring and a game of scrabble

 All the family enjoying the wonderful meal my mom made...notice Seth stuffing his mouth : )

 Our first Thanksgiving with baby Elijah...such a cutie.

 He was loving his ride perched on his Papa's shoulders

A group picture of the kiddos...we're saving a spot for Jaxson, Jules and Ava.  Missed you guys!

Enjoying the Season

Happy Halloween

I am enjoying this fall season so much. There is a little chill in the air, we have a beautiful tree with bright orange leaves in our front yard. My mums are in bloom and we are enjoying the last bit of playing outside before the winter sets in. Such a beautiful time of year. We continued our pumpkin carving tradition a couple of days ago. Jamie and Lainey were a little more adventurous this year with a Minnie Mouse design. It turned out cute!

I didn't get the best picture of Minnie but I think you can make it out.

I love duo costumes on Lainey and Cooper, but I figure this is probably my last year of Lainey picking her costume and Cooper having no opinion about his : ) I am sure if he could tell me he would not have loved the idea of being the Beast with his lacy neck tie thing. But he was a great sport and next year he can be whatever spider man/superman/football player (you get the idea)he chooses!

This princess climbs trees

My favorite. Lainey and her impromptu curtsey.

Poor thing was so stuffed into his car seat

He's a happy boy now with his first sucker and his best buddy, Nolan.