Merry Christmas-2008!!!

This is the 2nd year we stayed put and everyone came to us. It is becoming a very nice treat. My parents use this as their stopping point on their way south to Florida. And Jeff's parents come down for a week + to see all their grandkids. My parents arrived Sunday before Christmas and stayed with us. We were very busy doing lots of fun things. My mom did her annual gingerbread houses with the boys. This was Andrew's first year to do one. I think he ate more candy than actually went on the house. We went bowling too. Michael has been asking to go again-he went about a year ago and LOVED it! So we all went one morning. Christmas morning the boys woke up to snow from Grandpa Guild again. He brought it all the way from Michigan-where snow has been in abundance this year. Then they dug into their presents. It's amazing to me all the planning and shopping that goes into that day...and it's over in a blink of an eye. But it was so fun to watch. Later that day we hosted a nice dinner with The Guilds, Carmen and Craig and my whole family. It was a lovely day. The day after Christmas was Round II. We spent it with the "Guild Gang". We all got togther for breakfast. And then it was present time again. The cousins always love playing together and wear us out just watching them. But those days are few becuase Jeff's brother Mark will be moving to South Carlolina in another month or so. So we'll take all the playdates we can get. All in all it was a fabulous two days of Christmas. Only 354 more days until next year :)

Christmas morning snow

Gingerbread houses with Nana

Christmas Morning

Playing on mommy's Guitar Hero

Guild Crew

Andrew and Sarah Anne
(the babies of the family)

All the cousins

Jess and Sarah Anne(5 mo.)

Happy Birthday Andrew!

I still don't know if it's officially hit me that my baby is 2 now!!! Andrew turned 2 on December 14th. We had a little party at our house. The theme was Thomas the Train...one of his fav's at the moment. The kids had a blast playing together. We had our traditional pinata too. Andrew was much more into opening his gifts this year. He had been looking forward to his birthday for quite some time. After being to several b-day parties throughout the summer/fall he kept saying "Andrews birthday next"! However, when you asked him how old he was going to be, he would say "3". Somehow he skipped 2. He has since figured out he's 2. But hasn't mastered holding up two fingers. He's at such a fun stage and has a hilarious personality. We look forward to what this next year will bring with our little man.

Christmas Parade

This year was the first time we've ever gone to the Christmas parade in Collegedale. Michael and Andrew's cousins (Ryan, Katie, and Cameron) were on a float this year. So we went to support them. Little did we know it would be as much fun as it was. I think the kids ended up with just as much or more candy as they did at Halloween. The weather was perfect too, nice and sunny. It was a great way to start off the Holiday Season.

Marching Band-And Michael begging for candy :)

Only in TN... decked out tractors!!

Cousins float

Santa!!

Thanksgiving 2008

Turkey cookies!

Michael and Papa in their jerseys.

Michael very intent on the game.

Jess, Michael, and Dad

Thanksgiving Day

Martz Family shot

Campfire roasting and hot cocoa

Chocolate face!

Sisters

Where's Waldo?

I know it sounds cliche, but I really do have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. First and foremost, my wonderful husband. There isn't a day that goes by that I'm not reminded of all the wonderful things he does for me and our family. I am also immensely thankful for my two beautiful boys and their health. I am thankful for my loving parents and their health. And Jeff's parents as well. I'm happy to have two sets of loving grandparents for my boys. It is so important to have them in our lives. I am thankful to have both of my sisters live here in Chattanooga with me. They are wonderful Aunts to my boys and I am blessed to have them as babysitters too :) This is just the tip of the iceberg, but you get the idea.

This year for Thanksgiving we drove up to my parents home in Ohio. We left Tuesday afternoon and stayed through Sunday. Wednesday night we took Michael to his very first hockey game. He absolutely loved it. He even has a Columbus Bluejackets jersey (to match my dad). Within the first 10 minutes there was a huge fight that broke out, and in typical boy fashion, he thought that was the coolest part. Thursday both sides of my family came over for Turkey day and the feast began. As always, there was tons of food and we ate way too much. But that's the point right?! Saturday night we had a mini-campfire out back and roasted marshmallows and had hot cocoa. The kids had a lot of fun, as did the adults. It was a wonderful relaxing week with family.

The Wiggles

A few weeks ago we took the boys to The Wiggles. It was their first "live" performance. They had such a good time and had fun singing the songs and doing all the motions.

The Abbotts Visit

November 2008

Greg, Sarah, and Ben made the long trek down here to spend a long weekend with us a few weeks ago. We always have so much fun with them. And my boys LOVED having Ben around to rough house with. Friday was kind of a lazy day. We just let the boys play and Greg and Sarah recooped from getting in late the night before. And we went out for Mexican that night. Saturday proved to be a day of surprises for me. It started by going over to the Hockings to visit and hang out with the Lemons and Guajardos too. Jenny Sue, Jenny and Lisa made BEAUTIFUL cupcakes for my birthday (the big 3-0). We had a wonderful time visiting and letting the kids run around and play outside. Then that night, Jeff arranged for a babysitter (my sister Mindy) for the boys and we went out for what I thought was a nice dinner with Jeff and Greg and Sarah. But when we got there all our friends were there. I was totally surprised. We had a great dinner and then all went to the Comedy Catch. It was a really fun night!! Sunday we took the kids to the aquarium. They boys had a blast and loved watching the sharks in particular. It was a really fun weekend. We look forward to the next time we get to see Abbott's. Maybe Greg's 30th :)

Happy Halloween

Michael the Pirate...Arrrh!!

Andrew as Nemo