Believing in Santa!!!

Being the baby in my family by many years,

I was spoiled rotten...especially at Christmas.

At the same time, it was instilled

in me to be extremely grateful and giving.

I always knew the true meaning of Christmas,

but we also celebrated Santa in a BIG way.

I hope I am carrying on the same

traditions and ideals with my own family...

because boy do I LOVE buying gifts

for my babies!!! Luckily so does Troy!

As a child, I believed in Santa for a LONG, long

time. I don't know how old I was when I

overheard my sister late one Christmas

night after I was forced to bed tell

my mom to move the Coca Cola shirt

(remember those rugby Coke shirts?!?).

It was at that moment I then knew.

I'm thinking that was like fifth grade!!! ha!

Therefore I LOVE love LOVE it

that this seven year old...

(unless he's really tricking us)

truly believes in Santa!!!

PURE EXCITMENT! AN I-Touch!!!

PURE EXCITEMENT for everything!!!It's sometimes the little things that

make her most happy...She got her cupcake maker!I-Touch Crazy...Hadlee has wanted this little mini-van for

a long time. For some reason, she calls

it her "rubber ban" so now we all do!Santa just couldn't possibly leave

out Baby Boy Love!!!

Looks like Santa might have a name

for him picked out!

This Christmas was ALL ABOUT

STAR WARS for SkyWalker Pierce.Hadlee kept hugging me...she didn't know what to think!This kid LOVES to play and that makes it so

much fun to buy for him!

He has such an imagination.We opened more presents under the tree...

both Walker & Haddie are at a quantity is better

than quality stage as far as opening gifts go!!!Little Sister was really impressed by

Bubba's new gadget...

I think the next two pics are funny because

they are the only ones of Troy and me opening

gifts and it looks like we are both asleep in them!
Could we have been tired?

Or could it have been Walker's desperate

attempt to start the day at 1:30 AM?!?!?!?!?

Look what Walker got for Baby Brother...And look what Baby Brother

got for his Big Sister...Such a happy morning...I was so thankful to be at my home

with my healthy, loving, sweet kids

celebrating Jesus's birthday in a

BIG WAY!!!The rest of the morning was spent

playing, playing, playing,...and playing some more!!!Troy and I also caught a glimpse into the future...While the kids were taking a bath to get ready

to go, they started talking about Santa.

I chimed in by saying that I was really surprised

at all they got because sometimes I worried

if Santa would bring them anything with the

way they had behaved at times.

Walker looked at his sister and said,

"Yeah, I know.

We really pulled this one off."

Christmas Eve Night at HOME!

We made it home from our trip

to find a light snow fall at home!!!

Baby, it was so cold that the kids didn't

even care to get back in the snow!I just have to show Hadlee in her hat that

my first college roommate (Alison) made her...

probably my favorite baby gift that Hadlee received.

AND also the precious scarf that a sweet friend

(Caroline) from my school made her two years ago.

Then treat of all treats,

God Mommy's packages for Hadlee

and Baby Boy Love had arrived.

(Walker's hadn't made it yet!)We LOVE us some God Mommy!
It was really nice to be home on

Christmas Eve with just our little family.

We ate pizza, warmed up and then

opened a few presents. The kids started

out with what they got each other...HA! Yes, they both got each other a

RED Light Saber!

(The night Haddie and I wrapped her brother's gift,

he walked in the room and she showed him the

present and she said, "It's not a red light saber!" ha!)Haddie was so happy to finally

have one of her own!

Insert Star Wars theme song here...Daddy gave Walker a

VERY SPECIAL gift that night...A Red Ryder BB gun just like

Daddy had when he was Walker's age...This was a proud moment for T-Daddy Love!

Don't worry...Troy will take every single

precaution in the world to teach Walker about

this BB gun and it will always be put up safely!I LOVE MY GOOD LOOKIN' MANLY BOYS!!!

I gave Hadlee a VERY SPECIAL

gift on Christmas Eve, too!The BABY BROTHER doll...
AHHHHHHHHH...

Good Lord willing, soon this won't be a doll baby!

The kids also opened one gift for Baby Love...How funny that it was the same outfit

that God Mommy had sent him earlier that night!!! Just practicing...it has been a while!

Before bed that night, we were all sitting in the living room in front of the fire place and Hadlee and I were playing Memory. The wind made a noise in the chimney and Hadlee put her hands over her face in complete shock (it was ADORABLE!).

She and Walker both agreed it MUST have been Santa trying to come down the chimney, but he heard that we were still up (okay, so maybe I told them that!). Regardless, I've NEVER seen two kids gather up their things and head straight to bed as quick as they did! We read about Jesus's birthday and they were OUT!!!

(We won't even discuss Walker waking up from 1:30 to 2:30 IN THE MORNING begging to get up for the day!!!).