December 26, 2012

Christmas 2012!

This year was our first Christmas in Richmond!  And our last at our current house!  After all the anticipation of Santa's visit, we had a great day.  And an exhausting one too!  Cooking my first Christmas dinner sure made me appreciate all the work my parents have done over the years :)  The Lanes stayed with us in the morning for presents and then headed back to North Carolina.  Friends Jamie and Annie came over for dinner and a fun evening.


Excited to see Santa arrived!

Santa's big gift was a dollhouse fire/police station



Ripping open his stocking

Serving Grandma's famous Eggnog French Toast

"Helping" Marley with her stocking too

Marley loved her new toys as if she hasn't had one in years (that may be true)

New alphabet mat

Who can spell his name?

Munching on her new bone

Fun building set

Ripping into another one

Race car track from Papa and Nana

A School Bus like Daddy's!

James' first turkey

Jamie and Annie came over for Christmas dinner. 

As always, Marley is hanging with the meat

My version of Grandpa's famous pie

Our feast!

Charlie finally took his jammies off for dinner.  But left the slippers on :)

The only thing he ate of everything I cooked... microwaved peas :(

Ready to dig in!

We build the Lego hospital after dinner




December 24, 2012

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve came too soon.  We were lucky to have Nana, Papa and Todd come up to spend the night and Christmas morning with us.  After going to a 5:00 church service and touring Richmond's Tacky Lights, we headed back home for a relaxing evening waiting for the big guy to show up.

Snacking on some appetizers

Doing some final prep for Santa's cookies

Hope he likes sprinkles!

Tasting a checkerboard cookies

Yum!

Getting to open a Christmas Eve present

Lightning McQueen slipper!

He kind of loves them

My guys

Attempting a family picture

The Lanes

Reading the Night Before Christmas

Prepping Santa's plate

Looking yummy

James spent an hour after bedtime on this

All set


December 23, 2012

Christmas Preparation 2012

We had a fun time preparing for Christmas this year!  With mom on evening/weekend bedrest and dad starting his new job in Goochland, Grandma and Grandpa came up to help out.  It was great fun having them join us for the holiday season (though they headed home just before Christmas).  Charlie was also soooo into Christmas this year.  3-year-old Christmas is the best (until 4 I'm sure)!  He takes interest in every little activity and was so curious about it all.  By the end of the month he knew every word to The Night Before Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolf, The Charlie Brown Song (Hark the Herald Angels Sing), Santa Claus is Coming to Town and of course Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel (thanks JCC).  We had an awesome month.  Below are some pictures....

Pulling out the Christmas tree as soon as we got back from Thanksgiving:


Helping me spread out the branches


Richmond Christmas Parade:

Playing the trumpet

Visiting Santa at the Mall:


Posing afterwards in the car with the crown Santa gave him

Checking out the new train to go around the Christmas tree:



Mom's art project... an advent calendar of envelops for each day:



Charlie's letter to Santa:


As he dictated it... it was his activity on day 15

Making fudge with Grandpa:


Decorating a gingerbread house:



A rare appearance by mom