Over the Highway & Thru the Woods

 Around 8:30 on Christmas morning

 when we were done with our family Christmas in Charlotte, 

I got a text from Tessa saying,
"Good morning.  'Twas the day!!!  

We have been up since 5:30 waiting for you.  

Come on, come on.  

Over the highway and through the woods."

To West Jefferson we go.

Handsome boy couldn't contain his smile!

 The fam tram will officially be bigger next year 

 after Tessa and Ryan's wedding in October!

Mia and Gruffalo and the favorite daughter.

Holding a treasured cookbook of family recipes!

Entranced by Shawn the Sheep.

Obsession further fueled by Tessa & Ryan.

 Somehow our 3 year old knew how to "make it rain" with money.

He plans to use it all for blueberries.

{Another obsession!}

It was a whirlwind of gifts and food in West Jefferson - 

and fun with family...

Aside from spending an hour playing McGyver at dusk in the cold.

As seen on Andrew's FB wall :: Remember that Christmas 

when I locked both sets of keys in the car 

and you had to pretend to be McGyver? 

Yeah, me neither. ♥

Oops.

We will laugh about it next year.

Promise.

Birthday "Cacon" for Jesus

While neither the most nutritional nor traditional Christmas breakfast, 

we enjoyed birthday cake and bacon ...

newly coined "cacon" by Alekzander and Andrew 

in celebration of Jesus' birthday.

In honoring Jesus, we unintentionally didn't honor his Jewish dietary rules

since he himself would not have been able to eat the bacon ...

But it was both disgusting and delicious at the same time.

Happy Birthday, Jesus.

Christmas 2012

 

  

{Early morning excitement.  Pondering which present comes next.

Stocking gifts.  Grandparent gifts.

Helping Mommy open her present.

Rex Cat helping supervise the opening of presents.

Santa delivered.  The highly anticipated Monster Bowling set!}

Growing Traditions

Christmas Eve traditions...

Church service at Forest Hill.

{Surrounded by friends who have known us 

for as long as we've been in Charlotte.}

 

Spending time and sharing a meal

with some of our favorite little blondies

and their family.

{So thankful for friends that are like family.}

2012 {Lila :: 6.5, Ella :: almost 2, Alekzander :: 3, Hali :: 4.5}

 

2011 {Hali :: 3.5, Ella :: almost 1, Alekzander :: 2, Lila :: 5.5} 

 2010 {Lila :: 4.5, Alekzander :: 1, Hali, 2.5}

Shoe Shine, Sir?

City Reflections

Singing Bears II

 

 Singing Bears at Founders Hall

Totally into the bears... for about 5 minutes... 

but with 50 minutes left on the parking meter, 

Mommy & Daddy won the battle of wills.

Seriously, we will all enjoy this pre-Christmas family outing whether we like it or not!

Take 3  ... aka "Take what you can get" 

with a grumpy 3 year old {having major snack envy!}