Christmas Day 2014

What a sweet Christmas this year was. On Christmas Eve, DW and I sat up doing last minute wrapping/putting together and getting everything ready for Santa. We finally crawled into bed around 1:00 and both of us were surprised when AB ran in our room at 3:30 to announce she was “SO excited and ready to open PRRREEESENTS!” Daddy quickly squished that idea and told her it was too early and she needed to get a little more sleep…which she did…between us. :) 

Around 6:30 she woke up again ready to go! She woke Mamie up and as fast as they could get there they ran to the tree to see what Santa had left.

We had a sweet time opening gifts and stockings and just enjoying the morning.

AB was so excited to give Maybree the gift she’d bought for her from the school’s secret santa shop. (It was a doll and a Minnie Mouse water bottle).

This was the year that neither of the girls really had anything on their wishlists. Neither of them had been asking for/wanting anything. UNTIL the gifts had been bought and it was a week before Christmas and Maybree decided she wanted an “Anna Frozen Airplane.” Easy enough, right? EXCEPT they don’t make an “Anna Frozen Airplane.” BUT, Santa came through and Mamie got an airplane adorned with Anna stickers, which seemed to fit the bill. :)

Tucker slept through the girls opening their gifts and stockings. When he woke up, they were both excited to show him what Santa had left for him. He got what little boy dreams are made of… a big cow, and some dump trucks and tractors.

The rockey-cow was a hit.

Breakfast was at Pappy’s for our traditional pancakes in our pajamas. It was Christmas Day last year that Adam & Lauren told us that Parker was a BOY! Our little baby (now, 5 month old, Tucker) was still a sweet secret between DW & I last Christmas morning. (We told my parents that evening and his the next day) – so sweet to think what a difference a year makes.

We came back to our house to get ready for a late Christmas lunch. My mom had some hand surgery the week before Christmas, so she was out of commission for cooking, so I said I would handle it this year. We did gifts with my parents and then got busy in the kitchen. I was extremely nervous, but in the end it all worked out and everything was edible. :) We planned an untraditional meal. My dad had gotten a 10 lb pork loin that DW & I put in the oven that morning. Dad also made some greens, and then I made macaroni and cheese, sweet potato souffle, acre peas, creamed corn, mashed potatoes, gravy and biscuits. Momma & I declared the gravy a Christmas miracle as we stood over the oven and stirred it. It was hilarious and I want to remember it always. My uncle, aunt & cousin were able to join us, and so were Pappy, Nie-Nie & Kels.

After lunch, the guys all got busy outside putting together the girls’ new trampoline. We sat around outside watching them, helping when we could and then watched the girls break it in.

It was a wonderful day.

~amw~

6 & 3

On December 9th, our Annabelle woke up a six-year old! 6 days later on the 15th, our Maybree turned 3! Time flies!

This year, for the girls’ birthdays, we did a joint party. It was a Gingerbread theme and we decorated houses, cookies and had a few other gingerbread activities. It was such an easy party – I literally threw it together the week of and I had almost all of the decorations already.

Grandma & GPa came from Georgia. They came early and had to leave early, but it worked out great because Grandma got to hold Tucker for like two hours while we were finishing up getting ready for the party. It was a huge help and she got to really enjoy the kids before the party. We let the girls open their gifts from them early before they left…

The little girls were so cute decorating their houses and cookies.

Singing Happy Birthday!

& then opening presents!

Grammy, Nie-Nie & the aunts were all a huge help, as always… refilling drinks and food, taking pictures, helping with activities, you name it- they do it.

The set-up/clean-up crew both showed up in brown. :)

I  hate that I didn’t get a good group picture of all the girls, like I have always done in the past. I did get the girls with Grammy & Pop after the party…

& with Pappy & Nie-Nie

It was another fun party to celebrate our two favorite girls.

Since we did the party the first weekend in December, we did a little something on each of the girls’ actual birthdays, too.

We had a special birthday breakfast before school on Annabelle’s birthday. Then she chose dinner at Red Robin and we went across to the duck pond to see the Christmas lights at NFRMC. We ended the night with Yogurtology.

On Mamie’s birthday, I took the girls & Tucker to breakfast at Cracker Barrel and to Do Art. Mamie had Daddy grill steaks for her birthday supper and we had cupcakes that night for dessert.

I can’t believe they’re both another year older!

~amw~

Fall

A few highlights & pictures from Fall, since I have been a terrible blogger and it passed right by!

- Football Season- I wouldn’t say it was a “highlight” to be a Florida fan this year, but it does play a big part in our family’s lives and hopefully we’ll get back to the winning Gators that we’re used to! :)

We took the kids to take our annual pics on Florida Field right before the season started. Tucker was only about 3 weeks old and it was so exciting to add he and Parker to the pictures this year!

- DW, like almost every year before, didn’t miss a game. AB got to go to a couple, too, and even lost her second tooth at the tailgate before one of them. She bit down on her fried chicken and it popped out! She lost her first tooth a week before at school, and on the same day, Tucker got his first one! (at 3 mos old).

- Sweetness napping…

- AB chose to dress as “Cindy Moo” for book character day at school…

 

- The girls and I competed in the Peanut Sweet-Treats Contest again this year at the Peanut Festival.

We entered a candy and a cookie and won both! Mamie was thrilled to go up and get her trophy! AB was a little more shy when it was her turn. :)

We can’t wait for next year, to try and take home a win four consecutive years!

- I mean REALLY… is he not precious? :)

- Luke Bryan came to the farm! It was so crazy to see one of the hay fields transformed into a concert “venue” and to see 14,000 people in the middle of it. We didn’t get to meet Luke (& we even bought our own tickets for the concert) (I KNOW, you’d think being in the family would have that perk- (ha!)  but this family’s pretty big – and The Farm Tour’s a fundraising event for college scholarships). It was a really fun concert and the family did get a reserved seating section that ended up being great seats. I almost backed out at the last minute of going, but I’m really glad I decided to go. I think my father-in-law, his sisters and their cousins who all own the Cattle company/farm together were really generous in letting the Farm Tour come, as well as donating the money they were paid for it. It was a neat experience and I’m glad we got to be a part of it.

- Annabelle was chosen as Student of the Month in her classroom in November. We are so proud of her! Grammy, Nie-Nie and Nen & Parker all joined us at school for the recognition assembly.

- Thanksgiving at School (also known as the day AB didn’t get to take her lunchbox to school and didn’t touch a thing on her lunchroom plate). Like mother-like daughter. :)

- Thanksgiving – We don’t really do much for Thanksgiving anymore, since it’s a really hard time of year for us. But this year, Beau & Kristy came down and we did lunch with them. We ate at our house, but my mom did all the cooking and it was seriously the best Thanksgiving meal any of us have ever had. It turned out to be a really great day and it felt good to have a “real” Thanksgiving again. I had the kids make pilgrim and Indian hats for everyone. Annabelle loved getting to pick what everyone was going to be. I wish I had a picture of the adults sitting around the table wearing our pilgrim and indian hats. :)  The kids cooperate better than the adults…

That night, Mom, Kristy & I ventured out for a little Black Friday shopping. It’s always been fun to stay out late and go.

- That  hat is too much…

~amw~