Christmas 2010

Blake helping Dad build a fire. It was so COLD! The fire was welcomed!

We spent the Sunday prior to Christmas at Aunt Becky's. It was a fun time! We celebrated Taylor and Uncle David's birthday, sang around the piano, marveled at Aunt Becky's tree ate a yummy breakfast and just visited.

For the Family service on Christmas Eve the children presented the Nativity story. It was simple and sweet. I think it helps cement the story for the children. We came home and scattered the reindeer food, put out cookies for Santa, and read the Christmas story and Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Santa was very kind this year. Blair got a vanity for her room and Blake (and mommy and daddy) got a Wii. I forgot how much fun video games can be. Blair has given numerous facials and pedicures for those brave enough to sit in the chair!

Hogan got what he wanted most for Christmas...attention.

Like New

I was flipping through some old photo albums at mom and dad's with the children. We came across me in an old dance costume. Blair said, "where is that? I want it." So of course we still had it and of course we found it and of course she wore it for two days straight!

Ho Ho Ho...

We visited Santa this past Sunday. My pictures with Santa did not turn out because the camera had been in the car and wouldn't defog to take pictures. (Reason number 552 why I hate cold weather!) I took one before we left and put one in with Santa just because. Blair was so funny. She LOVED Santa! She kept saying, "ho ho ho" and laughing really big. She said really loudly as we were leaving, "Merry Christmas Santa, I love you!" Blake asked Santa for a Wii. Santa said, "well we have a we here, you and I make a we!" Blake thought that was hilarious.

Christmas Trees

We go to North Carolina every year at Thanksgiving to get Christmas trees. This was Blair's first trip. Jake (Blake and Blair's cousin who Blake shares a birthday with) came too. It was a good time, even though it was pretty cold and windy in the mountains.

Opryland Hotel

The lights at Opryland are as beautiful as ever. We had a wonderful time visiting this year!

A Pilgrim and Less Than Enthusiastic Indian

Basketball

Blake decided that he would give basketball a shot this winter. Well, let's just say it's going to be a long season. On the bight side, his buddy from his class is on his team and Scott is the assistant coach. He's having fun and that's all that matters!

For My Mother...

because she says I never put any pictures of myself on here.

Trick-or-Treat

We trick-or-treated with friends. It was Blair and the boys (again). These are only three of the five that accompanied her. We covered a lot of ground. Blair had to use the potty halfway through. Conveniently we were near a house of someone we knew. She reaped the benefits of falling behind and decided to eat as much candy as she could stuff in her mouth!

The Vampire and The Bat

Blake wanted to be a vampire for Halloween. He was pretty cute for a vampire! It was appropriate that my neighbor happened to have a bat costume and Blair just loved the idea of being a bat with her brother as the vampire.

Cinderella

Blair dressed as Cinderella for her party at school Friday. Her class is so sweet. There's the perfect combination of boys and girls. They are mostly all friends and neighbors and most have been together since they were one.

Ballet Buddies

Abby and Blair before ballet class.

Fall Break Fun

For fall break we headed to east Tennessee. We had a fun filled week. The kids went to Bays Mountain and Warriors Path parks with Nana. I got in a little shopping with my mama. The pictures that follow chronicle many of our adventures. The weather was perfect! We traveled back to Clarksville on Saturday. We stopped by Aunt Becky's house on our way home and visited with her, Rodney, Taylor, Aunt Harumi and Uncle David. We roasted hot dogs and smores for lunch, yummy! Blake and Blair had a blast playing in the leaves. We were glad to be home and Scott had a steak dinner waiting for us with a set table!

Pumpkin carving was a hit. Blake and Blair didn't do a lot of the work. Although they did help a little with the "plop" as Blake called it.

The finished product!

Giving "sugar" to papaw.

Kathleen Blair and her mimie Kathleen.

Prior to leaving for east Tennessee we attended a birthday party of some good friends at the bowling alley. They were very eager to do go again. So, while in Kingsport we gave it another try. An excellent activity for a rainy, windy morning.

It's hard work keeping up with a big brother. If she could just get rid of those training wheels, which, she asks daily to take off.

Mom, Blair and I went to the pumpkin patch at Cassidy UMC. They fill their front lawn with all shapes and sizes of pumpkins and sell them for a fundraiser. It was the church where I went to pre-school and was baptized. When I went inside to pay for the pumpkin I felt like I was four again. It was all so familiar and the smell took me back in time.

Blake and Blair amused themselves with acorns. Blake would toss them up and then nail them with the badminton racket.

Pumpkin Patch

Blake had his first Kindergarten field trip to, of course, the pumpkin patch. There were several unique animals like a zedonk (that would be a combo between a zebra and a donkey), several other animals, and a bull and cow elk. We even got to hear the bull elk bugle. He had a lot of fun!

Women's 1/2 Marathon

On September 25th I did something I never thought I'd do. I ran a 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles) in Nashville. I had a wonderful training buddy and encourager in Kathy. It was a great experience and I something I think I'll do again. Scott, Blake and Blair all came to cheer us on. I think they had a small part in this too!