Winter in San Antonio

Ok, it may be awful in August, but December can be heaven. Friday was 70 degrees and beautiful! We hit the zoo. Honestly, the kids were all kind of grumpy, but finally warmed up by the end and especially when we hit Fuddruckers after for some French fries dipped in cheese. (YUM!!! Sorry, put that one in more for me than anything else:)

    
Look how much they have changed since when we came on 1-1-11!
 

We made it to Christmas!

Austin came running down to our room at 5:10am.  We made him go back to bed until 6am, then he still had to wait until we woke the girls up at 7am.  Poor guy, but I think it was worth the wait!

I am putting these in un-edited.  As you can see, we have runny noses, and it is nearly impossible to get a picture with all three kids or even two kids looking at the camera, but that is how our life is…loud, messy, and a little crazy, but full of lots of LOVE!

                  

It was harder to capture shots of Austin opening his presents because he moved quickly, but was so excited with each one…”YEAH!!, I got it!” He would shout.  On the top of his wish list was a baseball Nintendo DS game, a tackle buddy (Santa got him a Cowboys one, which he said he wished had been a Giants one, but Cowboys was his 2nd choice), and pokemon, baseball, and football cards.

Although Santa initially got Ella a doll house, she asked him for her own house.  One she could get in and play with all her dolls.  So, the doll house waits for her birthday.   This was a hit with all the kids.

 

The girls love to play teacher and put their babies to “night-night” and we aren’t using Reese’s (Hand sewn by grandma) bumper anymore, so with a tear, I cut it up and sewed mats and lovies for the babies. 

 

The other interesting and new thing this year, it didn’t matter which girl the gift was given to, the other one took and it made it her own.  Luckily they don’t seem to care and aren’t fighting…yet.

Austin did not want his picture taken, so this was all I could get.  After opening presents at home, we went back by my parents house and then to Grandma Chris’ house.  It was a present explosion, but very relaxing, and most of all FUN! 

I have very good intentions of sitting the kids down to write their thank you notes…hmm, part of my new years resolution to be more organized.  Here’s hoping I am able to stick to those resolutions!

Christmas Eve

After church, we headed home, made cookies for Santa…

  So I can always remember how they looked at this age.

 

Then headed to my parents for dinner.  It was hectic and crazy, but to see family we don’t usually get to hang out with.  Like Uncle Jacob who know resides in College Station (still accepting this one:)

Then it was time to get home and get the cookies out for Santa…

Time to say goodbye to our Elf on the Shelf, Max.  (Thank you Max, being able to use you and your “powers” was fantastic!  Too bad we can’t keep you all year)

Then off to bed!