Sunday, January 8, 2012

And that's a wrap folks!

 We are finally finished with posting Christmas pictures.  Here are some pics of Christmas day with the Stewart family.  I cannot even tell you how much fun we had and how blessed we feel to have this wonderful family to call ours.  We love them all.  It was a great season, a great time to spend together, and great memories were made. 



 Granddaddy got a big family picture for Christmas.  In his words, "there's nothing better in the world". 
 How adorable is this, really?!
 Granny and Grandpa surprised the kids with plasma cars.  These things are SO cool.  Anna and David loved them, along with all of other adults.  They can ride someone up to 250 pounds.  We had races around the kitchen.  SO FUN!

 Here is our new favorite dog lover.  He would just squeal whenever Ethel was around.  So cute!

 My Granddaddy gives each grandchild a rocking chair, so Andrew and Jacob got theirs this year!  When he was a young father, he couldn't afford to give his kids a rocking chair.  So, he saved up his money and every week he would bring $1 to the store to put down towards a rocking chair.  He did this for 8 weeks until the rocking chair was paid for.  He couldn't wait to give it to his kids.  That rocking chair still sits in his house and I played with it all growing up.  Now my kids will play with it and have one of their own to remember their Granddaddy by.  Thank you Granddaddy!

 Anna and David got two wheeled bikes too!!  They would ride around the loop in the house for HOURS!  It was so fun to watch.  I didn't think that Anna could do it at first because she is so used to riding her tricycle but it didn't take long before she was whipping around on that thing. 


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Minute to Win It

 We played Minute-to-Win-It games on  Christmas Eve after the kids went to bed.  It was fun to play but ever more fun to watch.  Check it out!



 This picture is classic.  Look at my dad.  He not only got the cookie in his mouth in 7 seconds but we caught the very moment on camera!  Awesome. 

 This one was really great to watch.  You had to take a piece of Santa's beard, (cotton balls), and transport it into a new bowl only using your nose and Vasaline. 
 Ashley's cotton ball got stuck, and she never could shake it off.  Hilarious!
 These guys were CHAMPS at this game.  They even ran out of cotton balls.  I think they got up to 26. ;-)

 I was pretty impressed by my parents who did a great job with this.  They beat me and Josh!!


 This was personally my favorite.  I did terrible at it but it was fun anyways. 

 My dad was really good at every one of these games.  This one he finished right on the last second.  We all cheered.  It really was so fun!


 Every year we do a secret sibling swap where we all draw names and don't tell anyone who we got.  We open these gifts on Christmas Eve.  I LOVE this tradition.  It really is one of my favorites.

Christmas day is still to come. 

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Christmas Eve

Here are some more pics from our GA trip.  Don't worry, there is still more to come after this post.  ;-)  I asked Anna today what her favorite part of GA was.  She told me, "BARBIES!!"  When I was a little girl, my mom bought a bunch of handmade wooden barbie furniture.  I LOVED it and would play for hours.  We pulled it all out for Anna and she was in heaven.  I tried with all my might to get her to smile for a picture but she wouldn't take her eyes off of her barbies for even a second. 
 The whole family got there on Friday and the festivities began.  Anna and her cousin, David, decorated a beautiful gingerbread house. 


 Aunt Ashley brought the cutest snowman cutouts for the kids to make.  They each made 5 or 6 and loved every minute of it. 


 I just love Anna's curls in the picture.  Oh, I hope they last. 
 Here is cousin Jacob.  He and Andrew are almost three months apart.  They seemed to really like having someone there that was their size. 
 Uncle Greg and Granddaddy are helping Andrew ride the tricycle.  So cute!
 Now, Andrew is trying to run Granddaddy over!

 Here is our baby whisperer!  Aunt Kellie is UNBELIEVABLE with kids. 
 This is our Christmas Eve big dinner.  The kids were so excited to eat at the big table. 
 And doesn't it look pretty?



 We had a big Christmas Eve party.  This is part one, (pre bedtime). 
We sang carols, dressed up in reindeer antlers and Christmas hats, rocked out in jingle bells, read the Christmas story, and let the kids dress up like Mary and Joseph. 


 Here is our ever talented Amanda playing her violin with Dale accompanying her.  It was beautiful. 
 And here are Mary and Joseph.  Anna was SO excited to be Mary. 
 She took it very seriously.  She held that baby Jesus all the way until bedtime.  She rocked him to sleep, sang him songs, ....it was all very sweet. 
Christmas Eve party post bedtime, still to come.