Let It Snow...

Bendaroos!

This afternoon we have had a BLAST playing with bendaroos! These
little sticks are so much fun...and they never dry out and you can use
them over and over again. Coolest things ever!

Thanks Sassy and Pal for such a FUN gift! They are making a whole
bendaroo zoo right now...good times:)

Thrive!
Frances
www.desertflowerministries.com

More Memories...

The next couple of days were filled with more fun with family and friends. The girls have friends that live near Grammy and Granpa and since they spend a week every summer there...they have quite a fun circle of friends that all wanted to be playing in the snow! So, after Christmas everyone was out enjoying the snow before it melted. The kids would literally play outside for HOURS sledding, having snowball fights, and just being kiddos!
Here the girls pile on the sled with their friend Casey. They were cracking up:)

Here is a picture of the finished AUBURN snowman! He sure was getting ready for the Outback Bowl game on New Years (and since I am writing this after the game WAR EAGLE!!!!). This picture is cute beyond words to me...it is the wallpaper on my phone so I get to see it every single day!!!

Then, we went to a wonderful Japanese steakhouse that we LOVE and go to almost every time we come to their house. The kiddos love the food (and so do we!) and the show is always a hit with everyone including Parker! The kids love to eat with their chopsticks and they fix them for the kids so that it is a little easier. YUMMY!!

(Virginia looks so grownie in this picture...the scarf and groovy headband are just too much!)

Then, as is the tradition, we always head over to Tanglewood Park for the HUGE light show!! It is like Lake Lanier or Calloway Gardens in its size...simply amazing! We all pile in one car and let the kids sit anywhere and enjoy the music and the ride. What memories we have together!

Halfway through the park there is a HUGE bonfire where we always roast marshmallows and eat smores and drink hot chocolate. It's so fun...cold...but fun! Parker even got to roast and eat a few himself!

The family all together roasting our marshmallows!

OK...I LOVE this picture of Virginia and Granpa!!! She just put a huge marshmallow in her mouth and Granpa just laughed so hard at her crazy expression. Too cute! Memories that last a lifetime were had the whole trip and before too long it was time to come home. It was a good long visit, but the next day we were on the road home.

Christmas Night at Grammy and Granpa's House

After a full day of driving and playing in the snow, we enjoyed a HUGE dinner together and then it was time for the presents!!

There were so many gifts had by all and we all were so blessed!

The girls wanted to start collecting the mini dolls from American Girl. They are MUCH more affordable...and for those of us living in an apartment...much more space friendly too! Virginia got 2 new mini dolls while Emma and Anli got one each. Anli got lots of fun new accessories to go with her dolls too. Anli is all about accessories!

Grammy got the best present of all!!!

Chris (Amy's husband) and Jay got new pajama pants and they are awesome! Jay got all the Marvel Comic characters while Chris got Mario. They are playing Wii resort and I tell you that game is so much fun!! Chris also go the new Mario game that they both enjoyed during the week.

Jay does some fencing action!

We had so much fun celebrating Christmas with Jay's family! Thanks to Grammy and Granpa for all you did for us during the week and all the amazing gifts you gave us! You are such a sweet gift to our lives and we love you so much!

More fun to come...

Fun in the SNOW Christmas day!

We finally got to Grammy and Granpa's just in time to play out in the snow for a while! We couldn't wait to get out in it and to stretch our legs from the long drive. I will say that all the snow out the windows made the ride so much more beautiful...just amazing!
The scene at their house was just awesome! It was a winter wonderland! We just LOVE snow.

Emma and Parker (their cousins) were anxiously awaiting the girls and they all got on their coats and began playing in the snow!

Parker was getting in on the fun for sure too!

Then...they began making a snowman that they ended up working on for 2 days! It turned out awesome! A photo will come in another post.

Jay and his sister Amy. This is Jay's only sibling and they are super close. We are both blessed with wonderfully close families! His shirt was a gift that has an old Atari controller and the words say "Represent." Crack. Me. Up! It was a gift from the girls to him:)

Then the snowball fights started!

And we ran inside for a yummy dinner and opening presents together! A wonderful WHITE Christmas!

***Lots of new posts below since I am trying to get finished with my posts for December so I can order my blogbook very soon!****

White Christmas...Part 1

After we had celebrated our birthday party for Jesus...we loaded everything up in the car and headed to Jay's family's house. It is quite a drive so we always make sure to eat yummy sausage balls and birthday cake and have lots of good movies to enjoy on the way. It's never really crowded on the road, but you have to make sure you know where to stop for gas and bathroom breaks and lunch...not very much is opened on Christmas day:)

We were having a wonderful trip when I noticed...

SNOW!!!

Yes, there had been snow in NC earlier in the week...but we didn't know so much would be left over for US to enjoy on Christmas day! I can't remember ever having a WHITE Christmas! So, I began to go crazy to get out and play in it. Jay assured me (with a phone call to his parents) that there would be plenty of snow at his parent's house. Um...I couldn't take that chance...no way!

So, after some begging he stopped at a church and let us OUT in that snow for a while! It was a wonderful break to stretch our legs and we were SO excited!!!

Look how excited we were to make a snowball and have a snowball fight together...this says it all!

And then a little while later all fears of not having enough snow to play in were dispelled...

...this awaited us as we arrived at their house!

What a wonderful WHITE Christmas!!!!