A White Christmas - the first since 1882 in Atlanta

The boys were so excited to go down and see what Santa put in their new bags. What a wonderful treat...a white Christmas. The snow starting falling mid-day but we got around 2 inches of snow. It has been over 128 years since Atlanta saw snow on Christmas...and even then it was only a third of an inch. How lucky are we?












We had to leave Grandma's house a bit early due to the snow falling and dropping temperatures - there was an increased chance of ice. So when we did get home, we all got out and played for a while in it. So much fun - made for a great Christmas!





The morning after Christmas, we got up had breakfast and went outside to enjoy the snowfall. The snow was too icy to make snowmen, so we went "sledding" on our boogie board instead. I think it was way more fun. I had the camera settings off and so these pictures are a bit off...but - still fun to see.

Christmas Eve

Last visit from Elvin
Christmas Eve morning, we woke to find a surprise. Elvin's (our elf on the shelf) made his last visit and he brought these great bags for the boys to leave out for Santa.


Christmas Eve with family
But the day brought even more fun. We hosted the family again for dinner and presents. Derek and I love to cook, so it was lots of fun to come up with a menu and get in the spirit. We were making great progress until Derek was derailed with the early arrival of his iPhone 4. The rest of the day he kept disappearing to activate it and transfer all his information.

Christmas Parties

Such a wonderful time of year - parties, parties everywhere. First was the party at the boy's school. Hatcher's class had prepared a performance - they sang 3 songs to all the parents. It was super cute - Hatcher had a solo. He did so well. I will have to load the video when I get a chance.





Then there was the annual holiday party and Neil and Ramona's house. The usual suspects were present. We got an updated picture of all the kids on the couch. Since the photo was taken, Derek and Cynthia's daughter has arrived and Fran and Colman announced that their 3rd will arrive this spring.





And finally we hit Amy and Greg's house for a quick get together for the kids to do their holiday exchange. They each drew names and had to pick out the gifts. It was super cute. It was also great to see everyone again. Then we headed to see a live nativity scene at church. It was freezing outside, so we went at the last possible minute and headed home the minute it was over...but I was glad the kids got to see it.

First visit with Santa - lighting of the Forum Christmas Tree

We made our annual trip to the Forum the Friday after Thanksgiving for the lighting of the Christmas tree. When we arrived, we didn't see Santa or Mrs. Claus in their usual setting, they were out enjoying the cool night air and admiring the giant Christmas tree. The boys ran right into Santa and Mrs. Claus to see how their were and tell them what they wanted for Christmas. The kids were so excited.




Our visit with Santa was just the begining...the next day we made time to decorate our house. Hatcher and Aidan loved doing the outside decor the most. The weather was perfect...it had been super cold for some time so to have a warmer day was ideal.









We decided to try and visit with Santa one more time - since the first time we felt rushed and it was at night. So back to the Forum we went. This time we also rode the horse-drawn carriage. The kids loved it. Hatcher told Santa he wanted the game Mousetrap and Aidan told Santa he wanted a "round and round Lightening McQueen thing." It was too cute!

Recap of our Thanksgiving...an early one in the Mtns and one at home

This holiday started with a Thanksgiving lunch celebration held at the boys' school. Derek couldn't make it, but I went and enjoyed time with the boys. Hatcher's classroom had a program prepared...it was super cute. Here are few pictures from that.



And, the following evening, the boys had their choir concert at church. They really have enjoyed singing and were looking so forward to the concert. Hatcher loved it...but Aidan took a good while to warm up. By the time he was ready to sing, their 3 songs were ending. Each of their classes sang a total of three songs. Super cute.






We made a semi- last minute decision to meet Grandaddy Wayne and Abuelita...Aunt Roxie, Uncle Jim and Hilton in the mountains for an early family gathering. We stayed in a little house in the NC mountains near Boone. The boys had a blast hanging out with their cousin Hilton and running around the property. We went hiking, shopping and just hung out. Derek and I were glad we could make it and thrilled that we were able to see each other for the holiday. And...The NC gang surprised me on our last night there with a birthday cake and gifts. It was just such a great time. A very big thank you to Wayne and Nuri for letting us have the big bed and room for us and the boys to sleep in. It was very generous of you! Some of my favorite pics.








For Thanksgiving, Derek and I hosted the family at our house. We had both of his brothers and families as well as P'Bo's brothers - in town from Texas. Hatcher and Aidan had the most fun hanging out with Zach. It has been great seeing them play so well and so much more often together.

Its been a while...but we've been so busy

It has been a while since my last post - over a month now. But man have we been busy. Mostly - I think that since my evenings have been filled with work - yes, work - I fell way behind in keeping up this blog. The nights I haven't worked - I was preparing for the holidays or just taking a much needed break. Outside of the holidays, we kept busy up until the week before Christmas - with gymnastics, choir and tennis. All of which happen after school and close to dinner or just after a quick dinner - leaving very little time for unwinding. We have been super lucky this last few weeks of the year, Derek really didn't have to travel all that much and was home for dinner most nights. I love when he is home - he takes bath duty - and he helps put the laundry away. So although it was almost 7 weeks ago it seems like we just got back from Disney. Thanksgiving seems a blur and Christmas flew by. So, before I have a massive blog download to catch up - let me just give you some highlights on the boys.

First off - can i just say how much I love being the mother to these special boys. They light UP our lives and make each day so special and unique. They are growing like weeds - both physically and mentally. Half way through pre-K, Hatcher is getting really getting so good at writing. He wrote several of his own thank you notes this holiday and is really excited about learning to read more. Aidan is talking up a storm and finding his own personality. He likes things his way...and doesn't mind getting into trouble if it means he can hold his ground. Aidan is still trying to write his whole name - but really has only perfected A, i and D. He is counting really well and loves to stop me in the middle of a book to count out the items on a page. Both boys LOVE music; however, Aidan is more the dancer and Hatcher more the singer. Derek plays rockband with them all the time and is really good about just turning the radio/ipod on. They are both getting better about sleeping in their beds all night long. Derek and I are getting at least one night a week without kids coming in our bed - so we are making progress. Although, most nights, we do have at least one of them come in between 2-4 am. They are so much fun...and such good boys...we are so lucky.