New Year's Eve

sure isn't what it used to be!  Although Paul and I have never been the late-night party type we used to at least try to make the effort to stay awake to see the ball drop in Times Square.  Well, on Eastern time anway.  Gone are those days...

I took today off.  I just felt like we have way too much to get done before Luke's birthday party on Saturday!  We spent most of the day taking down Christmas decorations and trying to clean the house.  We got out and ran a few errands but other than that we stayed home.  We enjoyed steaks on the grill, baked sweet potatoes and salads for our New Years dinner.  I don't know that I would have had it any other way!

Five Months!

Hanging out with Mom and Brother



You can't tell it, but she is happy to be 5 months old!





One of the many train tracks we built today

I was off today so the kids and I stayed home.  We spent most of the day trying to decompress from all of our Christmas activities.  I was also determined to get the kids' Christmas gifts opened, organized and put away.  They received so many things that we are putting some of them up and will get them out later in the year and act like they are new all over again.  Luke is loving that he has more track for his train now.  He constantly asks us to build him a new train track.  It is fun, but I am not very good at it.  He doesn't seem to mind, though!

Katherine continues to change daily.  She is developing her own personality.  She continues to enjoy babbling, giggling, smiling and cooing.  She loves anything to do with her big brother and usually lights up when he pays attention to her!  Her schedule has not changed much in the last month.  She still nurses or has a bottle every 3 - 4 hours during the day and is still consistently waking up for a very late night feeding, usually between 2 and 4 in the morning.  Some nights she goes 10 hours, but those nights have been few and far between lately.  The holidays have thrown everyone off schedule.  

Fun Days!

Aunt Mandi and Luke making pizzas

Luke teaching Andrew how Cranky the Crane works

Luke had a great time with Kessler!

That boy loves to slide

Apparently he was most happy at the train tables, big surprise!

While Andrew and Mandi have been home they have been most helpful in the babysitting department.  They and Mom have watched the kids two days this week so Paul and I can work.  The fact that their daycare is closed a week for the holidays is somewhat inconvenient.  Today Andrew and Mandi took Luke to play with one of their friend's daughters at Monkey Treehouse.  Apparently Luke had a great time with Kessler!  The played on the playground and played with trains.  Luke is always happy if there are trains around.  I am glad that he behaved and enjoyed their outing.  I think Nonnn was excited to have Katherine to herself for a few hours!

We are so thankful that they could help us out with the kids.  Maybe it will become a tradition...hint, hint! 

Our Last Christmas Celebration

Andrew was a little too excited about his video game

Yay!  A Subway gift card!

Katherine taking it all in

Katherine got to open some presents, too!

Power tools are always good

Katherine's baby doll from Nonna

Super excited about all his fun gifts!

We finally celebrated Christmas with Mom, Andrew and Mandi on Monday the 27th.  Paul and I both had to work today so the kids stayed at Mom's.  I think they had a great time but it made it a lot harder to get everything ready for Christmas dinner with two extra people there!  Especially when they are under age 3.  Supper was wonderful as usual.  We enjoyed our traditional beef tenderloin which was heavenly.  Mom made a new potato torte that we saw in Southern Living.  We decided it was a keeper!  I made red velvet brownies which we never got around to eating.  Everyone was stuffed from supper and ready to open presents.

Luke was excited again.  I don't know how we are going to make him realize that everyday is not Christmas since he has opened presents for the past 4 days!  He got some more Thomas the Train things, clothes, books, games and puzzles.  Katherine got some fun Summer clothes, toys and a baby doll.

We are so blessed to have enjoyed another wonderful holiday season with all of our family members.  We are so thankful for everyone's health and the fact that we got to spend time with so many of our family this year!

More Tullahoma Pictures

The barn behind Nanny's house looked beautiful in the snow!

Andrew and Mandi

Luke loved playing in the snow

Paul enjoying the snow, too!

While I stayed inside to feed Katherine everyone else went outside to play in the snow.  They made snow angels, threw snow balls and enjoyed the unusual Christmas snow in Tennessee.  Mandi took some beautiful pictures that I "borrowed".

A Tullahoma Christmas

Luke mainly ate the cranberry sauce

The gift was bigger than Luke!

Katherine took a little nap during the gift opening

Thomas and Andrew enjoying Luke's new train track

Playing in the snow with Andrew and Mandi

Nanny loves holding Katherine

Group shot...not bad, considering how many there were

Sunday we headed to Tullahoma.  The snow continued last night, but the roads were still perfectly clear.  We got to Nanny's around noon.  Both kids slept most of the way down.  Luke always loves going to Nanny's!  We ate lunch which was great!  I still don't see how Nanny is able to pull all of that off year after year.  We drew names again this year and, of course, the kids got gifts.  Actually, they got too many gifts!!!  It was overwhelming!  Luke played Santa and would get so excited each time a present was for him!  He had quite the pile accumulated before he started tearing in to them.  Katherine took a lot of it in and then took a nap on Cynthia.  Each of the kids got pj's, clothes, ornaments and lots of toys.  Katherine got a beautiful handmade quilt from Nanny.  Luke immediately wanted to play with everything!

Paul and I decided on the way home that we were going to put a lot of the toys in the closet and get them out in the summer when they need new things to play with.  We all took naps while Paul drove us home.

Christmas at the Troutt's

Luke going through our family stocking

Claudia enjoyed giving Katherine her bottle

Luke reading a book Jon and Meme gave him

Paul enjoying the kids

Lauren showing off some of her gifts

Paul reading the great poem Bill wrote for everyone

Luke trying out the new b-ball goal

We made it to Gallatin by 11:30 or so this morning. Memaw and Kitty got there about when we did.  We opened our stockings and enjoyed brunch.  Luke was so fun again!  He helped everyone open their presents and we all loved watching him open his.  He was so excited about everything and made a big deal about all of his gifts.  Katherine did great.  Aunt Claudia gave her a bottle and she immediately had an explosive diaper!  I felt so bad because it got on Claudia.  I realized as I was cleaning  her up that the antibiotics Katherine is on for her ear ache were definitely giving her runnier diapers.  It got all over her sweet dress Paula had given her.  I sprayed it down with stain remover and threw it all in the washer.

Katherine got a baby doll, a suitcase, some sweet clothes and pj's.  Luke got a b-ball goal, new bedding, some Tag Jr books and a tool set.  Instead of doing several presents for everyone this year Bill and Paula decided that we will enjoy a family beach vacation together in the fall!  Everyone was really excited about it and we hope to start planning it soon!

We stayed until after dark.  All of us were worn out when we got home.  We unloaded the car and it looked like Toys R Us has set up shop in our living room!

Picture Perfect Christmas Morning

Luke getting a good look at the SNOW!

Katherine was super excited about Santa Claus

Our only family picture

Luke checking out his Cars Christmas book

Uncle Andrew and Katherine taking it all in

His very own wheelbarrow!

Reading one of Katherine's books

Nonna helping Luke with one of  Katherine's toys

He wanted to work his Thomas puzzle

What could be better than waking up to a white Christmas?!?!  The morning was absolutely beautiful. The snow fell all night and left everything looking like a painting.  The roads were fine which made it even better.  After our late night last night we all slept in.  It was after 7:30 before we heard Luke or Katherine stirring.  I must admit it was kind of nice!  Andrew and Mandi got to Mom's late last night and we wanted them to all come over and see the kids do their Santa Claus and have breakfast.

I called Mom as soon as I heard Luke getting up.  Somehow Luke did not even look in the living room when he came running to our room.  We were able to keep him occupied for a while.  Mom, Andrew and Mandi got here just as Luke was opening his first gifts.  It was so much fun seeing him look at everything.  He wanted to play with each thing before he opened anything else.  He also helped us open Katherine's gifts, too.  We all opened our stockings which was fun.  Luke got a wheelbarrow, the Toy Story movies, Lincoln Logs, a Thomas puzzle, flashlight and umbrella, some games, socks and some other little stocking stuffers. Katherine got a foam puzzle, bath toys, clothes, a tea set, rattles, books and some pots and pans.  Luke loved Katherine's tea set and played with it a lot.  We asked him if he liked Santa Claus now and he still said no!

It was hard to tear Luke and Andrew away from the toys for breakfast!  Mom brought sausage balls and I had made a grits casserole.  We also scrambled some eggs and had angel biscuits.  We ate in the dining room on our Christmas china.  It was so fun to have them here to celebrate the day with  us!

Christmas Eve in Gallatin

Nene and Luke feeling festive

Spending time with family and friends

This appeared to be a serious cooking discussion!

Luke wanted Jon to hold his had while they ate...

Katherine Roy with our little Katherine

We made it to church just in time.  It was standing room only so I opted to stay in the foyer with Katherine.  Bill and Paula had saved us seats so Luke and Paul joined them.  I decided it would be better to stay out of the sanctuary in case Katherine was not happy.  The service was great - scripture and Christmas carols.  Jim and Lauren sang and it was wonderful!  Everyone that passed through the foyer thought Katherine was a doll.  There were a lot of babies hanging out with us!

After church we went to the Troutts for supper.  Jim and Claudia did a great job organizing and cooking everything.  We took desserts and rolls and everyone pitched in to get everything done.  The Roy family joined us as well as cousin Jenny.  Both kids did great!  We ended up staying until about 8:30 which is the kids normal bedtime.  Luke still is not too sure about Santa Claus coming to visit.  He does not want him to come in the house!  Once we got home both kids went to bed fairly quickly.  Luke has been getting up a lot lately in the night since he was sick.  We are trying to break this habit but it is not going too well.  Merry Christmas everyone!