Church Christmas Party

This year at the party, all 3 of my kids sat on Santa's lap without so much as one tear. I was/am a proud Mama. Cole and Zeke were in the Nativity pageant and were the stars of the show. It is too bad too because Cole was a goat and Zeke was a shepherd not one of the characters with names. I guess they are that good. Sage was so sad she wasn't in it. She asked the Primary president if she could be a goat next year. We sang Christmas carols and Sage was up there with the leader, leading the music. It was so cute. McKelle was all over the stage when no one was performing. She had the time of her life just walking around up there.

Happy Birthday Cole!

Cole didn't want a friend party this year as long as he could have Zeke at his party. I gave him an opportunity to change his mind for two weeks ensuring him that Zeke would be at both the friend and family party. He insisted that he only wanted a family party. When Wes got here on Wed. Cole ran up to Allie and said, "Allie, I decided to not have friend party but you can come because you are family." It was kind of cute. So Thurs. around 4:30, we headed over to the Billy Blevins house and started our party.



There were enough kids to play some kid games so I got us all together to play Farmer in the Dale (his cake was a farm). Cole was the farmer and after a few seconds, he tried to leave the game. I had him finish the one game and then he said, "Dad, I don't want to play games." Will said, "Okay, it's your party, what would you like to do?" Cole said, "I just want to ride my new bike." So off they went outside to ride the new bike. The adults looked at the ads for Black Friday and the kids played in the toys and on the swing.




We ate a second Thanksgiving diner and then opened presents and had cake. I think everyone had a good time, although it was not birthday party style. I guess that is how they do it in the south! ha ha ha Cole only stayed up until 9:30 because he was so tired. Happy Bithday cole and Happy Thanksgiving to all. I am thankful for my little boy who is not so little anymore. Also, I am thankful to have had 2 of my siblings here for thanksgiving. That has been the first time in many years. I had a blast!

Vines

One morning, we were walking through the battlefield and we decided to off road it. We came across this area with vines hanging out of the trees. That was fun because I have never NOTICED vines before. The kids had a blast swinging on them and playing monkies and tarzan on them. Zeke was even to swing from one to the other. We didn't have cameras but here are some pictures from a different time when the vines were revisited.

Family Pictures

Thanksgiving morning we (Wes and his family, my family and Victoria and her family) got up and went to the battlefield do do family pictures. We were first with Victoria behind the lense. McKelle did not want to cooperate, we were never looking at the same time and I guess I don't enjoy that stuff at all. It is kind of funny because I love pictures but I guess I don't love them so much when I have to get a group of squirmy kids to cooperate.



That is why I don't do paid photographers. I don't have the patience to do 500 poses and try to make kids happy all in the same timing. We will just say that our family pictures turned out less than perfect but that is okay.



Every cute picture of McKelle that we were lucky to get, she has a very runny nose. I guess that is why you pay people to photoshop?! We did get a few cute ones and I was the one to end the session, not the photographer.