December recap

The pictures are all out of order...but I can't help it!  I haven't figured out how to work this Mac yet!  ha ha!  At least I am online!!

So, December was so much fun around here!  The big kids went with Daddy to pick a Christmas tree this year.  They did a great job, and even helped decorate it!  We hosted a Christmas party for all our neighbors.  The kids had fun decorating reindeer cookies (thanks for the idea, Aunt Courtney), making sock snowmen, playing "Stinky Santa" (hot potato), and opening presents.  The adults helped with all the kid stuff (thanks guys! you know you love my parties!), ate a lot of yummies, and had a white elephant gift exchange.  The weather was so nice the dads ended up out in the yard watching the kids on the playground while the mommies drank wine and talked about all things important.  Fun times with friends!  Rodgers had a Christmas program at school where his class sang songs, there was a surprise visit from Santa (Eli got to sit on his lap), and we all had cookies and punch.  The kids were hilarious in the program!

Anyway, everyone came in for Christmas early to help us paint and get do some work around the house.  Do we have great family or what??  We got so much done, and it looks great!  THANK YOU to all who pitched in!  It is always more fun when to work when it feels more like a party!  The kids loved all the attention, too!  Nana & Papa B and Aunt Linda came in the Tuesday before Christmas, Nana Kathy and Papa Fred the next day, Aunt Patti Friday morning and Uncle Ian and Aunt Courtney (or Aunt "Cutney") Friday night.  We had a great weekend hanging out, working, playing games...and of course eating; that is what we do best around here!  Rod worked the Panthers game Saturday night the 22nd, and then the most amazing thing happened!  Santa came to our house early because 1) our kids were SO good this year, and 2) because he had a lot of toys to deliver this year and asked if it would be ok to come early so he didn't have such a rough night Christmas Eve.  The kids were fine with it, so he came early...and that allowed the golfers to golf on Monday...how convenient!  Thanks Santa!  So we celebrated Christmas on Sunday after church.  I couldn't believe there was no whining from the kids after coming down and seeing all the gifts and having to wait until after church, but they were fine.  Kylie did come find me giggling, though, after she got up and said, "Mama, come look!"  She took me into the living room and right over in front of the window where her Santa gift was wrapped and waiting for her, and she said with a big smile and a giggle, "I think it's a dollhouse!!!"  Daddy tried to tease her by saying he thought it looked like a big toolbox for him, but she wasn't falling for it.  Even so, she made it until we got home from church before running in there and ripping off the paper and shouting "it IS my dollhouse!!"  Priceless!  It was a long, fun day of gifts...especially long because Rodgers stopped to play with everything or read everything after opening it.  He still had gifts left unopened after we got back home from Columbia the following week...unbelievable.  Since we did Christmas on Sunday, we got to play with all our fun new stuff on Monday (like Rod's new Mac, which I am loving!)  Then Tuesday morning we had birthday cake for Jesus and hung out.  Then we loaded up and headed for Columbia in the afternoon.  All the house guests stayed another day.  We had Christmas with Nana Stewart, Papa Rock, Tripp & Becky & boys, and Uncle Will Tuesday night.  It was a wild and crazy time with all the kids!  They are all growing up so quickly.  Eli missed most of it cause he was exhausted already.  Daddy had to work the rest of the week, so he drove back and forth all week.  We had Christmas with Granddaddy (Rod's dad) on Thursday night.  The kids were happy to see him since we only get together with him twice a year...not nearly enough when they grow so fast!  Thanks to Tripp and Becky for hosting the festivities!  We finally made it back home Saturday afternoon in time to unload, regroup, and head to the Swineharts so our kids could exchange gifts.  It was so fun to catch up with them and get our whole families together!  It doesn't happen enough!  Sunday we went to church and Eli took his first nap on Nanny.  I told him it was one of his brother and sister's favorite things in the whole world when they were little like him.  Speaking of...Eli was the one on the red chair in the previous blog.  Thanks to all who played along!  And I can tell you he is well on his way to looking just like Rodgers' 6 month picture, too.  Ah...Sunday afternoon was so nice to be at home!  I was so happy that all the Panthers home games were over!!!  Nana Kathy and Papa Fred came back Sunday evening to spend a couple days and babysit for us on New Year's.  That gets us through December...more pictures of Christmas to come...I can't find the camera cord...