Christmas in Weatherford

After church on Sunday we headed to Weatherford for one last Christmas celebration with my family.

More presents!

John Curtis was not very thrilled with the clothes he received.

This marble toy was a hit with the kids and adults.

After dinner the Hamilton clan came over for a while. The kids played so well together. I wish they got to play together more often.

Christmas Day 2010

Santa came!

Just what I wanted!

New underwear

New bedding

Fazzoodles

New game

Lunch at the Barkers'

Christmas Eve

Sophie and I set up a "fancy" table a few days before Christmas. We ate on our china for a few days.

We had our annual Christmas Eve lunch with the Waltons. This was our 4th year to celebrate with them on Christmas Eve and I'm so thankful for their friendship.

My kids love Evan's fun room

Lunch was yummy!

Sophie stayed busy pulling the little ones around

After the Christmas Eve service

Reindeer food!

Cookies and a note for Santa

My sister and I had a tradition of her reading The Night Before Christmas to me every Christmas Eve. I've read it to my kids every year since they were born. This was the first year Sophie was able to read it to John Curtis.

This is a copy of the book Lindsey was given when she was little by our great aunt and uncle that we read out of every year. After I got married and was no longer spending every Christmas with Lindsey she found one just like it and ordered it for me.

John Curtis found all the characters from the nativity as Taylor read the Christmas story.

Santa, Sewing, Singing, and Scrapbook

After running around last week trying to make it to everyone's parties and programs and get ready for company and a birthday, this week has been very refreshing. We have slept in, stayed in our P.J.s, watched movies, spent good time with friends, played Wii, visited Santa, caroled at the nursing home, made some crafts, and eaten lots of really good food. There is some impulse that makes people want to bring their preacher and his family food and I'm glad they don't fight it. Maybe they've tasted my cooking and feel sorry for my family. Whatever it is, we feel loved (and a little heavier).

I love this picture with BOTH of my kids sitting on Santa's lap. Last year John Curtis wouldn't go anywhere near Santa. This year he decided that since he was 4 he wouldn't be scared.

Last night the kids at church went Christmas caroling at two of the nursing homes in town. Sophie was brave and went around and told the residents Merry Christmas afterward. It reminded me of living in Marlin. We would visit the nursing home a lot and Sophie would toddle right over to the wheelchairs and climb up in their laps.

Did I mention we've had a relaxing week? That often means not fixing hair in our house. When G-Momma was here last weekend she gave Sophie some American Girl crafts. One was to make matching bears for you and your doll. Sophie worked hard to get Sally's done and even wrapped it up and put it under the tree for her. She did most of it herself. She's got sewing genes on both sides and she really seems to enjoy it.

Another craft was a scrapbook to do of you and your doll. She started this one this morning.

I love her invented spelling (this was on the way to NYC)

May your Christmas be full of peace and love!

John Curtis is 4!

On Sunday my baby boy turned 4. He forgot when he woke up and when we told him it was his birthday he said, "Right now?" He was so excited. He told everyone at church that he was 4 now.

We made the mistake of letting him choose where we ate lunch. Of course he chose McDonalds.

Taylor and Erick enjoyed a McRib...

REALLY enjoyed it.

Then we went home to open presents

and blow out the candle...

AGAIN.

I made Pioneer Woman's macaroni and cheese, BBQ wings, and asparagus for dinner. He ate his share of the mac n cheese.

What can I say about John Curtis? Joy is always the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about him. He is compulsion, silliness, fun. The boy loves to play, play, play. Taylor, Sophie, and I have a tendency to err on the side of seriousness and caution. John Curtis keeps us from being too stuck in our ways. He makes us laugh every day. When we are discipling him we often have to go in the other room to laugh so he doesn't see us. He is the perfect completion of our family and I can't imagine life without him. He and I get to spend a lot of time alone together with Sophie at school and me teaching right next door to him. I love the time we have together. I know as boys grow older it is hard for them to stay close to their moms, so I treasure this time all the more when I am everything to him. He asked me the other day if I still loved him when he does bad things. I told him I would always love him no matter what he did and he would always be my special boy. He said, "What if I grow up?" I told him he would grow up, but he would still be mine forever. He said, "I will always love you and I will always see you." I'm holding him to it.

Christmas with the Sandlins

On Saturday afternoon G-Momma, Poppa, and Uncle Erick came to celebrate Christmas and John Curtis's birthday with us. When they got here they took the kids swimming at their hotel while I stayed home and cooked dinner. After dinner we all opened Christmas presents.

Our big gift from them this year was a Wii.

The kids (and adults) have had so much fun playing it.

On Sunday morning they got to come to church and see Sophie as Mary in an interactive nativity scene.

Mary, Joseph, and Jesus

The first graders did a great job!

We also celebrated John Curtis's birthday on Sunday, but that deserves it's own post. We had a wonderfully lazy afternoon playing Wii (and dozing on the couch). Then Taylor, Kay, Sophie, and I went to church for a Family Christmas sing along celebration and hot chocolate. John Curtis was so wiped out he stayed home with Poppa and Uncle Erick. Then the kids got to go back to the hotel with G-Momma and Poppa and spend the night and the grownups got the Wii all to themselves. It was a treat for everyone! What a great time we had with family!