Whew...

Merry, merry to you! Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2011!

We are taking a breather after a jam-packed December. I returned to working 1.5 days a week for 3 weeks (before having two weeks off for winter break), Zach closed on one of his major projects over the past year at work and we have attempted to keep pace with all the holiday hoopla with the addition of a new baby. This Christmas was made all the better because we have our babies to share it with, not to mention families we love.

Bennett, Camden and Cooper enjoying the Santa Tracker and snacks. Around lunchtime on Christmas Eve, Santa could be spotted near Russia on the tracker. Camden was so adorable...continually updating us on Santa's location. Camden and Carson are at the incredibly magical age of believing...Bennett and Cooper are not far behind. It makes me so excited for Christmas mornings to come.


Cooper and Bennett escaping our attempted photography session of all the grandbabies and family. Bennett talks about his cousins almost daily.

Christmas morning!!! Bennett was so excited to play with his train track. Success! He has carried Thomas around in his pocket for the past few days.

More train play. In his diaper (or as Bennett calls it, miaper.)

Christmas packaging is equally fun as the gift inside. He tried tying Poppy up with a ribbon on Christmas morning. Truth be told, Bennett was not into unwrapping gifts. He was quite excited to play with new toys once someone else did the opening.

Forgetful Mommy

I think I can chalk it up to trying so hard to be so organized...keeping all the balls in the air at the same time...wanting so much not to allow one to drop. Well...the ball that I can't seem to remember is the camera. I keep leaving it at home! As with most families this time of year, we have not slowed down. Santa visits, playing in the snow, fun at the Jolly Days and Yule Slide exhibit, cookie baking, cookie decorating, Bennett singing "twinkle, twinkle little star...", frequent smiles from our little peanut...the list continues.

So, we improvise with grainy pictures from our phones or borrowed pictures from much more organized friends and family. Above, Bennett and Elly Rose visiting Santa at our annual Brown County Christmas Tree Party. This year we had the added magic of snow falling outside the 100+ year-old log cabin, while Santa held our babies indoors.

Link to the last 2 years of pictures: http://fordupdates.blogspot.com/2009/12/beloved-holiday-tradition-for-zach-and.html

I had my money on Bennett not going within 10 feet of the big man, but he surprised us all by obliging when asked if he would like to sit on his lap. Maybe not particularly excited, but not screaming.

Elly Rose winking at Santa to make sure he knows just what to leave in her stocking.

Bennett loves to help in the kitchen, so I knew cookie baking and a slumber party at memaw and papaw's house would be a hit! It was...he rolled the dough, pressed the star cookie-cutter (his favorite one) and carefully moved the cut-out over to the tray for baking. We also attended a neighborhood cookie decorating party for the tots...so much fun. We love our neighborhood.

We can't wait to see family and just enjoy one another over the next several days.

Tree and Snow

We finished decorating the tree today. A week-long process at our home this year. Bennett helped by carefully placing a few ornaments, although I am certain he has taken far more off than he has put on the tree, and we have only had one casualty thus far...

While I have always loved snow in the winter (mostly just the month of December), in recent years, it has simply meant lots of shoveling, cleaning off my car and worrying about Fenny's bathroom routine. Today...the snow meant so much more and it made all the shoveling worth it one hundred times over.

Elly Rose enjoying the snow from the comforts of our sofa. Our neighborhood resembled a winter wonderland this morning.


Bennett sporting his mittens, boots, snow pants, winter coat, hat and other layers...he could barely walk.

Let the sledding begin! There was no stopping once daddy started...it turned out to be an exhausting work-out for Zach, but it produced so many smiles and giggles from Bennett. Just like every other outdoor adventure Bennett has experienced, he LOVES the snow!!

Look at that smile! It makes me wish for snow days everyday. I love weekends where we do a little hibernating and just hang as a family...no rushing out the door. Just us spending time together, enjoying the warmth of the holiday season.