Santa Anyone??

Santa is coming and my boys are excited!! Luke has decorated, set up his list, & now has even decided to BE Santa!! He is definitely ready to be done with school and get on to the Holiday Cheer. He is anxiously awaiting the arrival of not only Santa, but his Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt & Uncles. We talk about all we will do, food we will eat, and places we can go. I hope everyone is ready for a few busy days.
My goodness though, will you look at that playroom behind him :) I didn't realize how messy it was. I know it was probably because I was out and Dad was home and let them make a mess :) What a sight!!
We will have to begin all the wrapping and getting things done so we can enjoy a great time when family gets here. We are planning a trip to Zootastic, a drive through light show, which we have heard wonderful things about and the boys can't wait to go. You can see Santa, roast marshmallows, and drink hot cocoa... a little boys dream I think. Just the coziness of it sounds great, I am sure it will be pretty cold though. Oh well...


***Note to all... Our Own Little Santa happen to love that picture... but asked that I not put it out in cyperspace... as he does have his reputation to protect. It could be accessed sometime in the future just when he was trying to ask that special someone out... We don't want anymore angst for our children if we can help it... so that is why I decided to take the Santa photo down!! But it was cute while it lasted :)

Our 2009 Christmas Tree

Ok... we went to the Christmas Tree Farm, got our Tree, got out the ornaments, went down memory lane... but where is the Tree?? Well, after Luke took some random decorating shots, we got a picture of it.

Helping Dad... Learning what it means to be the Dad :)
Doesn't seem like they mind either.

Getting some use out of the Perfect Swiss Army Knives from Aunt Linda and Uncle Gary

Ryan wants to help too... Thanks Dad!!



Standing back to admire... Wow, It's Big!!

Our 2009 Christmas Tree

The kids were so excited to get to decorating, but they pooped out rather quickly so the tree stands kinda bare right now. I told them that Grandma & Grandpa were coming soon so they had better get it ready!! This weekend they said!!!

Ornaments

Christmas Ornaments mean a lot to so many people... to me they mean history. To see that every year someone saved the most precious and cute ornaments to hang on the Christmas Tree. All those little reindeer, Santa's, mittens, pictures... those are some of the things our children look forward to. They each have their own box, of their own ornaments. Ones in which they made or were given. They love looking at them each year, talking about who they received them from, when, etc... They know when they get their own house, their own tree, their own families that box will be theirs to take with them. Until then they are mine, and I can look at them and remember their small little hands making them or as they get bigger their large hands holding them. All those little hand prints I received as they grew... what treasures they are now.

My Twins are getting so big... they will be bigger than me soon. I am already starting to not be the center of their world anymore. I have a poster they gave me for Mother's Day when they were maybe 5 or 6, and it said..."Mom, The Center of Our World" What a fleeting time that is. They grow so quick. I lost Jack at a festival the other day... it hit home how fast they grow. I was frantic... he is 11yrs old, I know he just got disoriented, but that little piece of me just panicked... was he afraid? No. Was he worried? No. Did he know he was going to find me? Yes. He was just hoping he wouldn't get in trouble. There was a time that all he would have wanted was me. Now he knows what to do. I know, I know... We have taught him well, We have given him the wings to fly... blah, blah, blah... doesn't make me feel any better :) I was afraid, I was worried... I can't keep them safe all the time anymore. I can't anticipate their next moved. I pray that God's Hands protect them and show them the way. I pray He gives me the strength to get through this next phase of their lives.

Ornaments... a little glimpse into the past. Little did I know that they would hold so many memories... Like I always tell the boys, "You won't understand until your a Parent yourself." So keep those special little mementos... pass on the stories and make sure they know them well... because someday their children will enjoy seeing Daddy's tiny hand print on a piece of paper hanging off the Christmas Tree.

Christmas Tree Farm

We went to get our Christmas Tree this weekend!! We had a wonderful time. We found a Choose & Cut Farm not far from our home and the kids were finally excited to have some family time together!! When we got there we realized that they only had White Scotch Pine tree's and since we never had that kind of Christmas Tree before were kind of apprehensive about it. Our only other choice was to go into the Mts. and that wasn't an option... so off to find our tree we went!!

The boys had a great time running, playing tag, and touching every tree they could. We found one right away, but that would have been to easy... off to the farthest part of the farm we went in search of the Perfect tree... of course the first one was the one we got. We walked all the way back to the front of the farm and cut our tree down. We had to camera's and of course those pictures are on the other camera... so I will try to figure out that camera and upload those photo's later today!! It is a beautiful tree... I can't wait for you to see it!!!

Have a great day!!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Beautiful Charleston, SC Harbor!!

We got to spend some time in Charleston, SC with my Dad... we had a wonderful time with lots of history. One of the boys took this photo and the tranquility of it just sums up my feelings about our trip. Our trip to the USS Yorktown was fun and a little boys dream with all the boats, submarine, and airplanes!! We took a ride to Fort Sumter, another interesting place... a lot to learn and a lot of history. I wish they had more information on the women during this time, but it was definitely very interesting...

Thanksgiving Happiness

We have decided this year to split up for Thanksgiving... As kids we spent Thanksgiving with my Mom and it was a huge affair. We had people in and out, lots of food and lots of fun. It will be a quiet Thanksgiving this year. Half of us will stay home with Papa, and half will go to NY to visit the other set of Grandparents. We will all have different experiences and enjoy the holiday in different ways, but in the end it is the thought and thankfulness we feel at this time of year that matters.

We are Thankful to have our Grandparents to enjoy the Holiday with. We are lucky to be able to visit and make memories with those special people in our lives. They can pass on stories and special moments that can be passed on to our children and their children. That is what this Holiday means to our Family.

The boys have received a Holiday Package from Grandma!! What lucky boys they are to get chocolate and money :) How loved they are, how special they are... it is wonderful to have Family!! I hope it is a memory that will live on in them as they grow and have children of their own and grandchildren of their own. That they will follow the examples of their grandparents.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!!!

MY GUYS

A RAINY DAY FOR TRICK OR TREATING... BUT THEY LOOK GOOD!!

I look at them and fall in love all over again. That feeling of overwhelming maternal love when you first meet your child, it can still come back when that same baby is much bigger, smeared with green face paint, and standing in the rain waiting to go Trick or Treating!! I love being a Mom, especially to these 4 bOYs!!