I'm going to jump on the bandwagon with one of those caveats: LOTS OF PICTURES AHEAD!
Seriously, though, I tried to slim down the amount of pictures. I really did. But this blog is basically my digital scrapbook, so this is the best I could do!
As Jack likes to point out, the boys got THREE Christmases this year. They opened some presents from Bech and me the Thursday before we flew to Mississippi.
Early in December, Pottery Barn Kids put all of their stockings on sale for half price. I still didn't have stockings for the boys (I have just been using some red velvet Pottery Barn ones that I bought years ago for Bech and me), so I jumped on that sale. Here is Jack modeling his new stocking.
And, of course, they're Fair Isle!
I stuck with the four gift theme: something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read. This is Jack opening up his "want"--Lego Scooby Doo Haunted Mansion.
And Gil is opening up his something to wear. He loves to wrap a towel around himself like a robe, so I bought the boys matching Cat & Jack robes from Target.
We flew out two days later. We spent our time between New Orleans, Brookhaven, and Jackson, and got to see all of our family!
The first night we spent in Brookhaven, and Jack and Gil got to see a big surprise at Bella and Doc's house...NARNIA!
In my parents house, there is a small children's den that leads onto a sun room. My parents had an old wardrobe converted and then made the sunroom into a playroom. Now you walk through the wardrobe to get into a really cool playroom. Jack and Gil (and their baby cousin, Anne Douglas) LOVE it!
A sign waiting to welcome the grandchildren.
The art corner
The reading nook
Looking in through the wardrobe doors
We spent a coupe of days with Bech's family, some time with my family, and then back to Bech's family for the last bit. Here's Jack, chowing down on some pancakes in NOLA. Doesn't he look SO old here?
And here he is wearing Bech's mom's reindeer outfit that she wore when she was five!
In Brookaven, we checked out some amazing Christmas light displays.
And opened some presents early.
We ate our Christmas Day dinner on Christmas Eve Eve (stick with me here, things get a little tricky). Then we opened presents on Christmas Eve day, before going to church that night.
All the cousins on the stairs on Christmas morning (well, you know, Christmas Eve morning).
And then opening their stockings (my mom might have taken advantage of that same Pottery Barn Kids stocking sale, too...).
This is the first year that Jack has really really wanted a specific present...Lego Jokerland. Here he is opening it (and then being told that he could not put that together until we were back in Vermont!).
Gil didn't want anything specifically, but he did have a lot of fun opening presents!
And he cried some...that's just Gil...
We might be a tad Star Wars obsessed...
My brother-in-law took this cool shot from the foyer. Actually, Dave is pretty much the reason that we have any Christmas Day shots. I think it's because it's his daughter's first Christmas. Thanks, Dave. I am the worst at remembering to take pictures.
After a full day of opening presents, eating a yummy brunch, and playing with toys, we headed to our church's Christmas Eve service, one of my favorite parts of Christmas every year.
After church and a quick stop to a family friend's house for a party, we headed up to Jackson for another Christmas.
Dave is married to my sister, thus Dave was not there to take pictures at my in-laws. You will notice pretty quickly. I'm just proud I remembered to snap two pictures!
Jack and Gil both had a blast opening presents, checking out their stockings, eating brunch, and playing with new toys.
We stayed for one day after Christmas and then headed home last Tuesday morning, bright and early. We had a great trip, full of Target, Sonic, CFA, and lots of family (and maybe a sushi dinner thrown in...). We did get a walking pneumonia diagnosis for Jack the day after we came back. Not the best welcome home present! But he's better, we're unpacked, and this semester officially started today!
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