Christmas Day

Merry Christmas!!

Here are the kids all dressed up for church. I love seeing my kids in their "Sunday Best."

After church we headed over to Mimi and Pop's for lunch. This is my very favorite meal of the whole year! Sadly, I didn't even get to take a bite of the plate I was making. But worse than that was why.....
Gracyn kept telling me that she didn't like Mimi's candy. I told her that there wasn't any candy on her plate and to just eat her lunch. But, then it clicked with me. I started asking her what candy she ate and where she got it. Turns out, she ate a Butterfinger candy--not good for this little girl with a peanut allergy. Wouldn't you know it, we left her Epi-pen at home and Drew and I thought we should get her home--close to her Epi-pen and a hospital if need be. But, she started throwing up on the way home and more when we got home and I knew we were in the clear. Not exactly how I wanted to spend Christmas day, but just so thankful that my baby is okay! (And it also answered my question if she'd grown out of her allergy yet...)

Christmas Morning

Santa came to our house! He filled the stockings and then left goodies and a promise of a playground for the backyard. His helpers are going to deliver and install it later in the week. :)

They are super excited!

As usual, Gracyn ran straight to Hudson's stocking first to investigate what all he got.

Hudson is a HUGE fan of matchbox cars!

Let the opening of presents begin!!

Daddy like his new shirt.

This Little People airplane was a hit!

Gracyn picked out this Toy Story book and wasn't too happy with me that I was wrapping it to put under the tree. At last...she can play with it!

Finally, Hudson has his very own hoppy ball-and it has Buzz Lightyear on it!!

These magnetic dress up dolls have already proven to be a great purchase--she LOVES them!!

Hudson is loving all his new cars, trucks, trains and airplanes!
What a Merry, Merry Christmas!!

Ready for Santa

Gracyn was so excited to have Santa come to her house!! She couldn't wait for him to get here!!

We made some candy cane cookies for Santa and Gracyn thought that he might like a Christmas tree cake too. I think he LOVED it! :) We decided to leave the reindeer food in the bag for Santa to give to his reindeer since it was cold and rainy when we were going to bed.

Hudson is our little swiper. He enjoyed a nibble of Santa's cookies...much to Gracyn's dismay!

Gracyn had a hard time falling asleep--she couldn't wait for Santa to come to visit!!

Christmas Eve

We spend Christmas Eve over at my parents' house. We eat finger foods and open presents--and have a great time!! Every year my mom reads a story.

Hudson, ran wild during the story....and loved every minute of it!!

I found these two messing with the tree.....here comes TROUBLE!! :)

The kids love that they get to help themselves to whatever goodies they wanted to eat. (Maybe that's why Hudson ran wild during the story!)

Brier has started walking...

Opening presents with 5 little ones--5 & under--was complete chaos!! It's amazing that everything got home with the rightful owners!
Mimi made everyone towels with their initials.

This was one excited little girl when she opened up her Hello Kitty sleeping bag!
Love Hudson in his new moose hat!
Everyone was interested in seeing Hudson and Gracyn's new giant waffle blocks from Mimi & Pop!

I sure do love these two guys!
My parents get everyone a chair with their name on it when they turn one. They brought Brier's out and Hudson was intent on sitting in it and was NOT happy when we told him that it wasn't his, but Brier's.

He ended up pushing him out....now he was happy! (It was WAY past bedtime at this point.)

Time to get home and get things ready for Santa....

O' Christmas Tree...

We had a great time decorating the tree this year. Well, (most of us)--here's what one of us was doing...

The kids really got into it. Gracyn LOVED getting to put the ornaments on and deciding where they would go.

(All in one spot, by the way!) :)

Hudson was also in on the action.

"TA DAAAAA!" So proud of her work!!

But, eventually the tree ended up looking like this...

Hudson's favorite thing to do was to walk by the tree and take off an ornament EVERY time he walked by. And he would leave it somewhere on the ground. Drew got so tired of stepping on ornaments! So, every time he saw one on the ground, he put it back on the tree higher up so Hudson couldn't reach them. I said that it could be worse---at least all the presents stayed wrapped! :)

Deck the Halls......

***(We've had computer issues for most of December, so I'm WAY behind on posting on the blog. There's LOTS of catching up to do!!)***

I let Gracyn & Hudson pick out something for our yard for Christmas. I was really pushing a super cute sock monkey--but good old Mickey won...hands down. It's all for the kids anyways--right?? :)

They love him though...

And that makes it all worth it!

I also got Drew to put up lights on the house--after MUCH debate!! The kids couldn't wait to turn them on every night.

(I really need to learn how to use my camera....sorry for the awful pictures!)

Cousin Christmas

I'd say that 4 out of 5 isn't bad...Hudson wouldn't take his thumb out of his mouth for anything!!

Goodbye Curls!!

We did it--the curls are gone! Hudson got his first haircut last weekend!! He looks so grown up now--more like a little boy than a baby! :(

One last look at the mullet!

Hudson got to sit in Lightening McQueen! He drove the car the whole time she was cutting.

He was having the time of his life!!

Such a handsome little man!!

Not to be overshadowed, but Gracyn got her first haircut too!It only took her 3 years to grow it!

She was so "esited" to sit in the Barbie Jeep.

They both did a GREAT job--no tears and they sat so so still. I think it helped that Mickey Mouse and Veggie Tales dvds were playing to keep them preoccupied. :) Gracyn would NOT let the lady wash her hair though--but she did manage to persuade Gracyn into a little braid. And, for those of you who know this little girl well, you can testify that it was a MAJOR accomplishment for Gracyn to try something new!! :)

She was pretty serious while she was cutting and doing her hair.

But, perked right back up once she was all done!

When we got home, Gracyn said that she wanted her hair back on and didn't like getting a hair cut. We calmed her down and told her that it would grow back. When she woke up from her nap, she announced that it had indeed grown back and her hair was long again. (She only got a trim--and you wouldn't have know it was even cut.) Silly girl! :)