The Winters' World

Christmas preparation and Eve 2014

We always set up the Christmas tree the Sunday night after Thanksgiving
My big helpers cheesing it up for the camera:

All three cheesing! LOVE!!

My greatest gifts in life, them and their Daddy!

At the beginning of December, E hadn't quite learned to crawl yet. Thank goodness!

We LOVE footed pajamas around here!

We had two Christmas programs, the one at the kid's school (only 3 years and up perform))

And the one at our church!

Elise was a proud supporter and attendee of both :-)

Our church puts on an awesome Breakfast with Santa event!

And they have professional photos with Santa available! unfortunately, Blake was having a "2 moment," as we call them. Two outta three ain't, bad, right?

And, he's back!

So we went to Cabela's, where we had better luck with Santa for Blake...only problem was, his suit made Sissy want to sneeze, haha! There's always next year :-)

We do an Advent Calendar, and our activities are chock full of crafts, some service projects, and fun Christmas-themed activities. Making our Reindeer fingerprint cards!

Our upstairs tree (it is only 4 ft) holds all of the kids' ornaments they've made. It's my favorite tree! And our calendar sits right by it. Jameston and Blake loved waking up each morning to find our elf on the shelf, but what they loved more was finding out the day's activity

Heart melt

What's becoming a tradition is taking our letters to Santa to the Galleria, where Macy's donates money for every stamped envelope. And we all love seeing the world's tallest indoor tree!

More crafting!

And wrapping!

Brett had to work Christmas Eve morning, so the kids and I enjoyed a North Pole breakfast with our Elf before he had to leave (complete with powdered donuts, green (spinach) smoothies, and bananas :-)

We hosted a dinner that night with my brother and sister. I love cooking and hosting!

Then Brett, the kids, and I exchanged our "Want/Need/Wear/Read" gifts!

Teamwork on their "need" gifts: New mittens and toboggans!

I wish they got along this well all the time!

Helping Daddy

This girl and that paper. She went to town!

We had a wonderful, family-filled Christmas this year. Hope you and yours did as well!

Christmas morning and travels!

Note from Santa on Christmas morning

The kids went easy on us and slept in...Jameston was afraid to get up for fear Santa hadn't visited yet :-)

I've got more pictures that I plan to add, but these were their favorite presents: Ninja costume and Mike the Knight gear

E's new wooden puzzle

The boys loved seeing Sissy in her princess tiara

One of the best gifts ever right now!

We treated the boys and let them rest while watching a movie that day. Stop the front door! No naps that day, which was a-ok with us (once a year :-)

We headed to Wichita to see Mimi and cousins. E helping her open her gifts

One of my favorite displays at one of my fondest childhood memories: The Fantasy of Lights!

All FOUR boys! Hobo even tagged along

He looks so big here :-(

That night I got to see several friends from high school who were also in town visiting their family. Same crew, fifteen years (!) apart. Yikes!

The next morning we braved the roads (and winter's first snow) and headed to the panhandle

We reunited with Brett's dad's family...Simon Says fun with the cousins!

And Memaw!

Teething much, Elise?

All about that paper!

This boy and his drawing/writing/coloring! Cousin Ruby helped

These two, Blake and Wyatt, and their antics

All six "big cousins" eating lunch

Everyone except Wyatt, who was having a hard day (his 3rd birthday)

Sweet pic of the oldest ones performing their "talent show"

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Thanksgiving 2014

Better late than never, right? That's my motto and I'm sticking to it!

Our three greatest little (big) blessings, right here:

This girl is loved!

We headed to Balmorrhea on Wednesday morning for a "fun" almost-10-hour-drive. But we made a pit stop in Vincent to check out some property...this gal loves her daddy!