Christmas 2012, part 2 (more pictures)

Setting up lights outside

Helping Daddy take lights out of the package

Helping Daddy take lights out of the package

Starting to string them out

David decided that he wanted to ride his big wheel instead of helping.
Michael was helping pull the lights straight.

Waiting on you Daddy!

Finding the 'corner' of the yard

Michael was telling David to stop playing and get back to helping Daddy!
(David was ignoring him...)

Mostly done!  Lights were also wrapped around the lower part of the tree.

Starting to put ornaments on the Christmas Tree!

Everyone's stocking was hung on the fireplace.
(L to R: David, Rachael, Sheba, Chris, Michael)

Sheba's new toy from her stocking

About 2 minutes later...

4 minutes after getting it...

Taken away after 5 minutes of playing with it!

Grandpa Dave & Grandma Lela came over for lunch and to help celebrate Christmas.

Michael's new slippers

David's new slippers

Opening gifts

Christmas 2012

Christmas Morning before the boys get up

Being very patient right now...

 

Sock Monkey stocking (Mama embroidered their initials on the hat)



Checking out what Santa put in the stocking

 

Sheba likes her new toy (lasted less than 5 minutes!)

 

New watch!
A Time Teacher (hour and minutes are different colors and match the hands)

 

Really excited about his new 'Video Game' system!

 

Loves the Tag reader and the books he got with it!

More stuff to explore

More stuff to explore

New cookbook from the show "the Chew"

Daddy likes the movie he got

 

Christmas Advent Book Countdown

Aunt Liz (Rachael's sister) stopped by a little while ago with a gift for the boys: a basket of wrapped books to count down to Advent.  They get to open one book a night to read and count down the days until Christmas (there are 24 books).  The calendar has been marked with who gets to choose the book each night (have to take turns) and we opened and read the first one tonight (David got to choose!).  Aunt Liz has been doing this with Cousin Charlie and it is a wonderful idea!  I think that we will need to continue this tradition.....

 

 

Look what we found!

While shopping for a few things at Kohl's today, we decided to get a new ornament for everyone. Michael got a teddy bear with his initial and David got a sparkly dog. We picked out a motorcycle for Daddy and Mama got a Russian doll.

 

Christmas 2011

Here is the picture of the boys with Santa this year:

We had a good Christmas this year:

Tree & Gifts before the boys got up
(We decided to wait until Christmas Eve after the boys went to sleep to put the presents under the tree)

At church Christmas Day morning
(we all got new tops to wear!)

Grandpa Dave & Grandma Lela helping with some of the gifts

How quickly they learn to rip things open!!

David got a new RC 4-wheeler that can run outside

More things to add to the Toy Station: trucks, cars, helicopters, Dragon Ship, 2 small RC cars for Michael...

A few more things that don't fit at the Toy Station: RC Sesame Street train (currently residing in the yellow tub); fold out race track; Barrel of Army Men, Tanks, Planes, etc; Marble Run & Electronic Snap Kit. 

The boys also got assorted clothes & pajamas.  They opened gifts in shifts: stockings before breakfast; Santa gifts after breakfast; went to church, came home, had lunch & rest time; opened the rest of the gifts after Grandpa Dave, Grandma Lela & Grandpa Frosty came over (around 4:00) then dinner at 5:00 before playing some more before bedtime.  We had a good day.

First Visit with Santa

We took the boys this morning to see Santa for the first time.  It went really well!  We practiced smiling and telling Santa what they wanted for Christmas (cars, even though Mama tried to get Michael to say "Land Rover" instead of 'Car') 

We went ahead and got a package of pictures (we will post one once we can get it scanned).  Here are ones we took while waiting our turn:

Decorating the Christmas Tree

We got the Christmas Tree put up a couple of weeks ago, but didn't get it decorated until tonight (the lights were strung last week).  The boys had fun helping hang decorations and Chris enjoyed watching (before he had to leave for work).  See if you can tell who decorated what parts...

Mama and the boys getting started

Waiting for ornaments to put on the tree

This is fun!

Making sure the sides & back get some

All done!!  Now all we need are the presents under the tree...


At dinner, the boys were asked what they wanted for Christmas:

David: a train and 20 motorcycles

Michael: motorcycles

(They take after their daddy!
He wants a motorcycle too!)