Christmas Morning

12.25.12

We woke up to some serious rain which really puts a damper on what the kids received for Christmas and Kiki and Pops ventured out in this yucky weather to watch the kids open their gifts. Beck and Kinsey waited patiently in the hallway while we all got our cameras ready.   (Notice that Kinsey is wearing Beck's socks.  She pulled them out of his drawer and put them on before going to bed.  She loves her big brother SO much.)

Beck, being the oldest, got to check out what Santa brought first.

Kinsey did an awesome job of waiting for her turn.  She didn't get that from me because I would have been trying to peek around the corner.

Pops was a big help taking toys out of boxes.

Beck's very own Optimus Prime pillow!

I think Kinsey's favorite gift is the lip balm!

Unfortunately, the kids could not play on the trampoline that Santa brought.

And, Santa brought Pops a golf cart that got stuck in the mud.

The kids rode their vehicles in the house!

And, they decided to eat breakfast in their tent. 

As a little girl, I remember opening gifts Christmas morning then heading to Grandma's house and that's exactly what we did.  Luckily, we only have to travel about 20 minutes because the weather is still yucky. 

Christmas Eve

12.24.12

We spent Christmas Eve at Kiki and Pops house and enjoyed spending time with the family.  There were many delicious desserts to sample and I think my favorite is the chocolate pie.  I love chocolate!

Devin and his sweet wife, Sierra.

Story time...Laura shared her recent reality tv audition experience with us.  How impressive!  One day, this girl is going to be famous!

Aunt Karen, Rachel (traveled from Louisiana to be here with us tonight) and Laura.

Beck and Kinsey wanted me to take their picture in front of the Christmas tree too.

Badger misses Nanny so much.  Beck and Kinsey love petting Badger.

Sorry this picture is blurry but I just love the expression on Kinsey's face, I love the big smile on Brent's face and I love the way he's embracing his two little angels.

Beck and Kinsey did a great job helping Nanny open her Christmas gift.

It's tradition to get Christmas pj's on Christmas Eve from Kiki and Pops.  Kinsey was so excited that she quickly took off her clothes to put on her new pj's!  As always, super cute pj's and I can't wait to see all of our nieces and nephews wear them.

I was torn between these two pictures.  One was taken with my big fancy camera and one was taken with my iPhone camera.  I love you Brent, Beck and Kinsey very, very much!

A big thanks to Kiki and Pops for putting this together!  We really enjoyed spending time with the family and we look forward to spending time with the Mask family and the Bishop family in three days.  Christmas is tomorrow!!! 

Two Days Til Christmas

12.23.12

We have been doing a Twelve Days Til Christmas countdown by letting the kids open a little gift each night.  Last night, I gave them each a fun Christmas pen, a Santa coloring book and a 1,000 sticker Christmas book which kept them entertained during church this morning. 




We took a few pictures after church.




Then, we picked up lunch from Sonic and ate with Nanny.  She loved seeing the kids all dressed up.

Only 2 days til Christmas!

Galleria Mall

12.22.12

Since we are in Dallas, we decided to take a trip to the Galleria mall to check out the beautiful Christmas tree located in the middle of the ice rink.  Unfortunately, I forgot to bring the double stroller so we are all walking today.  Well, I know three of us that will be walking and I know one little girl will tell us that her legs are broken so she can be carried.  I love all of the decorations this time of the year!

At the skating rink, there were groups of girls that had just finished taking skating classes and they were showing off what they had learned.  What a treat!  Beck and Kinsey loved watching them skate.

Escalators are so much fun!!!

Beck and Kinsey especially loved the roller coaster video ride that cost $1.  Then, we made our way to Santa and got some pictures for us and the grandparents.  We had to bribe Kinsey with a sucker to get her to sit in Santa's lap.  (I wanted to go in the Tiffany store but there wasn't time for that kind of shopping.)

The kids had a blast in the play area then we ate lunch.  At 1pm, a circus performance began and we watched it from the 3rd level.  The little 30 minute show was quite impressive.  Beck's favorite part was when the two clowns spit water on each other.

After the show, the performers handed out a red sponge nose...too funny!

We spent a total of four hours here and Brent was done plus the kids were ready for a nap.  What a fun-filled weekend in Dallas!  Only 3 days til Christmas!

Gilmer State Play-Off Game

12.21.12

The Buckeyes are playing at Cowboys Stadium this Friday afternoon at 4pm in hopes of winning the final play-off game of the season.  They had a pretty tough schedule this year but lo and behold this young team has made it all the way to the top.  I can't imagine what this team will look like over the next 2-3 years.

Daddy took off work early today, drove to Gilmer to pick us up then we made the trip to Dallas and of course, Beck and Kinsey fell fast asleep.  Yes, we are supporting the Buckeyes by wearing orange and black.

Between bathroom breaks, finding a place to park and getting in the stadium, we finally made it after the game had started.  Luckily, we arrived just in time to see the Buckeyes score a field goal which is the only time the team scored the entire game.  The opposing team, Navasota, is ranked 10th in the state and unfortunately, they kicked Gilmer's booty.

Brent and I toured the stadium a couple of years ago so we knew what to expect.  Seeing the cheerleaders and the drill team on the giant screen made me think of how lucky these girls are to be able to perform in a stadium of this size.  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!

Uncle Brian, Aunt Katherine, Ava and Lola joined us at the game and the kids sure enjoyed the entire experience and they especially loved the treats!  Kiki and Pops sat in the section next to us with Uncle Kerry, Vickie and Jackson.

I walked down to where the drill team was sitting and took a picture for the Facebook page.

The half time show was really fun to watch.

We tried to leave the game before it ended because it was too painful to watch but we ran into a few people we knew such as Brent's high school friend, Sam.  And, we took a few pictures in front of the beautiful Christmas tree.

Brian and Katherine had to pick up Otto but the rest of us ate dinner at Trail Dust Steak House.  They had a live band, a good size dance floor and a two story slide for the kids.  After we ate dinner, the kids and Kiki cut the rug.  Yeehaw!

Jackson, Beck and Kinsey LOVED the slide!!!

We stayed at the Sheraton next to the Galleria mall and this is a picture of the kids trying to escape!

This has been such a fun and exciting day!  We are making the most of our trip to Dallas and plan on seeing the big Christmas tree at the mall tomorrow.  Only 4 days til Christmas!