Christmas Day - December 25th, 2013

Christmas morning - my favorite day of the year.  It's all about family and being together and remembering Christ's birth ...and the presents are fun, too.

 The tree after Santa stopped by.

 Our notes from Chris the Elf and from Santa.

 Three sweet boys ready to open presents!

 This Patriots jersey is exactly what Brady has been wanting.  Like Eli with his Russell Wilson jersey, Brady has worn this everyday since he received it.  And I have been doing lots and lots of laundry.

 Major excited about his dinosaur puzzle.

 Brady got some new football figurines to play with.

 Daddy got a new movie...Superman Man of Steel

 I love the new platter I received.  It says, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."  It will be beautiful on the island in our kitchen.

After getting to play a little with our new toys, we packed everybody up and drove to South Carolina to spend the rest of Christmas Day with my mom and dad AKA Papa and Nana (Don and Pam Belcher).  This first picture is of the boys in the back.  Especially Brady, who has decided to make this trip fully dressed in Patriots attire...including the helmet.

 Please forgive that this one was taken at a rest stop in Georgia, but this dude is too cute.  He still has his cape on and he is still Super Major.  Everywhere we stop (and we had to stop every hour for one reason or another) many people comment on how cute he is.  It was a lot of fun.

After 5 and 1/2 hours we made it to Lyman, South Carolina.  The boys ran into the room where they were staying and began jumping on the bed.

 Papa and Nana had waited for us to open gifts, so here we are, ready to go!  Major is being held by Papa, then Eli and Brady (both in their jerseys).

 Bill got to play Santa again.

 Nana patiently awaits her gift...

 Major got a Thomas the Train book from Papa and Nana

 Brady got a clipboard (he has been asking for a clipboard for a long time, I love what this boy enjoys to have as gifts).

 Eli got "101 ways to draw Animals"

 Nana modeling her new coat

 Papa got a new Bible and more golf balls, basically what he wants for every Christmas. :-)

 Here are Brady and Eli playing with their new things.  Major was playing, too, but he got a new Thomas the Train that he could ride on from Papa and Nana, so he couldn't be caught by the camera.  I love this time right after opening all the gifts where the boys just play.  It is very peaceful and happy.

I am so thankful I got to spend Christmas Day with my parents!
I love my family!
Merry Christmas!

s!

Fun time with Papa and Nana in South Carolina - end of December

Just about everyday we were in South Carolina, the boys and I would go for a walk or go to a park somewhere.  One day, we found some street signs while exploring.  Here are the boys bringing their treasure back home to show Papa and Nana.  (These were found in a ditch, they were not cut down or stolen from their position.)

 

Here are Major and Daddy having fun with the camera.

Papa and Nana took us to see the new Disney movie, "Frozen".  (Papa and Nana also got the boys tons of movie theater treats, don't get used to this boys, this only occurs with your grandparents.) This also happens to be Major's first movie in a movie theater.  He was totally enthralled and didn't move the entire time.  Watching the boys was as much fun as watching the movie.

 

Then, the night before we left, (December 30th) Papa and Nana took us to an animal safari place where there were lots of Christmas lights and animals to pet and feed.

 Major feeding a deer

Eli feeding a camel, then Brady feeding a camel

 Eli and Brady in front of a...well...I'm not sure what that is.  An ox, maybe?

 Eli riding a horse...

 Then Brady riding a horse...

 And Major riding a horse.  He did great!  I really thought he'd be scared, but he just jumped on their excitedly yelling, "ride horse! ride horse!"

 

 Jonah and the whale...in lights! This place was really cool.

 Deer hanging out waiting for you to feed them.

 My crazy Brady

 Nana feeding a lama.  He was all about eating her hot dog buns!

 Since the animals came right up to the car, it was hard for me to get a good picture, but here is Brady feeding a zebra.

 Eli feeding the bison.  Look at that tongue!

Here is another picture of Eli and Brady feeding and petting the zebra.

Daddy, Major on his shoulders, Mommy, Eli, and Brady on the fake zebra.  Our family at the animal safari called Hollywild.

BISON!! I got to feed this one.  He didn't want to eat what the boys had. Since I am a Harding grad (and their mascot is the Bison), I guess he knew I was a friend. :-)