Christmas 2016

Christmas Eve Eve:

We have three things that have become traditions for our little family to do on Dec. 23rd.

The kids exchange gifts with each other.  This year we took them separately to choose something for the other.  Reid brought his own money and chose new markers (because the other ones had dried out), colored pencils, and a princess coloring book for Georgia Kate.  Georgia Kate chose a lego set for Reid.  They were both so excited!  We will include Rhett in the fun next year. :) 

The kids make a birthday cake for Jesus...

We always go on a Christmas lights walk/bike ride.  Reid declared this his very favorite tradition and was looking forward to it all month! :) 

Christmas Eve:

Christmas Eve is spent with the Preston side of the family.  We play games, decorate cookies, go to church, have appetizers for dinner and open gifts!  

It was a wonderful day and evening!  Chris and Reid ended up leaving a little early to make a Christmas Eve trip to Urgent Care when we realized that Reid most likely had an ear infection.  The fact that he was crying about his ear hurting during present opening tipped us off. :( My mom brought the rest of us home so that I could get Rhett to bed and then Georgia Kate and I spent a little time together before Chris and Reid got back.   

A little Motrin and some antibiotics and this boy was back to normal and more than ready for Santa to come! :) The kids sleep on our floor on Christmas Eve.  They were sooo excited and it took them forever to fall asleep!  

Christmas:

Santa came!  

Practicing his walking...

All Georgia wanted for Christmas was slippers.  She was thrilled that Santa brought her mermaid slippers!  

A real football for Reid!

Grandma, Grandpa, Sue, Christie and Seth came over to spend the day with us!  The kids stayed in their pajamas all day. :)

We had a wild and crazy New Year's Eve.  Chris was in bed recovering from the flu, so the big kids and I played a few games after we got Rhett to sleep and then we were all asleep by 11:00. :)

Cheers to 2017!

Santa Pictures 2016

Rhetty Spaghetti

This boy is not the most adventurous eater and prefers to mostly stick with fruit and cheerios (and also randomly loves lettuce), but spaghetti is the one actual meal that he will eat and LOVES.  He just can't get enough!  Love our little Rhetty Spaghetti! ;) 

Rhett is taking steps!

Mid-December Rhett started letting go of furniture and taking a couple of steps here and there, but yesterday he decided he was ready to get really brave!  He took up to seven steps at a time and also stood on his own for several seconds!  I know it's just a matter of time before he's toddling around the house like a big boy.  Reid and Georgia Kate were just as excited as we were (maybe even more!) and were squealing the whole time!  I love experiencing our baby's big milestones as a family!  

2016 Christmas card

December Fun!

Well, we've had lots of Christmassy fun this month!    

I decorated most of the house the day before we went to the ranch for Thanksgiving, so when we came home, we got our new Christmas jammies and got to work decorating the tree as a family!  

Every year we get the kids a new ornament that represents something about them from that year.  Reid got a baseball glove...

Georgia Kate got ballet shoes...

and Rhett got an ice cream sundae (to go with his birthday theme).  

Then it was December 1st!

You better not pout, you better not cry...

Georgia Kate went to her best school friend's birthday party.  She talks about Faith all the time and it's been so fun to see her form her own friendships for the first time.  

Mumsie and Popsie treated us to a night at Santa's Wonderland!  Inflatable slides, a petting zoo, live music, hot chocolate, and a private carriage ride through the lights...  We had such a wonderful time!! 

The kids had their Christmas programs!

Georgia's first preschool program and Reid's last...

Baby brother loved cheering on his older siblings! :) 

We changed things up for our small group Christmas party this year and went to Escape the Room and had dinner at Maggianos!  It was such a fun night!  

We met up with Alli and Perry at the Second Baptist train display one Friday.  The kids always love this!  

Georgia Kate had a little mini Christmas performance at dance.

Sweet Emery is in the class next door at the same time. :)

Love these four...

I got to attend the kids' Christmas parties.  I always love spending time with them in their classrooms!  

GK's class got to wear pajamas on party day.  She was sooo excited about this!

Reid's class did pajamas one day the week before.  

I love these gifts so so much.  They were both just as excited about the wrapping paper as they were the actual gift, so it needed to be documented as well. ;) 

After school parties, Chris took the big kids to the ranch for a couple of days where they did things like play in the mud and wash "Reid's Ride".  They had a blast, as usual!  

Rhett and I spent a couple of days at Mumsie and Popsie's house.

We had our annual Christmas lunch at Brookwood with the Myers girls!

Our friends the Allens hosted a wonderful party for our small group kids and Santa and Mrs. Claus came!  Lindsey took pictures of all of the kids with Santa (more to come) and then Santa read from Luke to the kids and then sang Christmas songs with them.  It was so special!  There was also cookie decorating, reindeer food making, and lots of playing and laughing! :)

We made gingerbread houses!

I told myself that we were going to say no to some things and not over schedule our month, and I feel like we did that.  While we did have a lot of pre-planned fun, we also had a lot of time at home to enjoy Christmas music, Christmas movies, Christmas books, a little bit of Christmassy weather, and of course, lots of cute Christmas clothes! :)