Family Pictures

My mom was trying to show one of her friends our family pics and reminded me that I never posted them on the blog. We had these taken in October, but I didn't want to post them before I sent my Christmas cards and then I forgot about it! So...here they are!

Elli, Where's Your Tongue?

Snow Day

We had a fun snow day this week! No school for the day, no Bible study, daddy even worked from home. Brandon used some time during his lunch break to play in the snow with Noah. Elli was standing on her tip-toes and sticking her little chin up as far as she could to see the boys out the window so I finally bundled her up and sent her out. I don't think she loved it as much as she thought she would. :)

Bowl-a-rama

Noah has rediscovered bowling on Wii and LOVES it. It is currently his favorite sport (so he says). He has the most hilarious, spastic bowling form, but he rocks at it.

We thought it would be fun to take him to do the real thing. He was SOOO excited as soon as I mentioned it and he had a blast. He never throws it in the gutter on "wii sports" so when he got one at the bowling alley he thought it was good and said, "I got the gutter ball!!"

It was tough to get good pictures without standing in someone else's lane all while holding Elli who was trying to bat the camera out of my hand. Here's my best effort....

Christmas Recap

I think I enjoyed Christmas more this year than last. Probably because I wasn't crazed with just moving in to a house 2 weeks prior and new baby's nursing schedule!

We had a fun time doing the Advent calendar this year (I don't even think we unpacked it last year). Some nights Noah was very excited for Advent time and would run get his baby Bible and other nights he didn't want to do it because he knew that meant it was almost bedtime. He would say, "is it not Christmas day yet? Is it not Christmas month?" We really enjoyed teaching Noah about Jesus' birth this season. I think it's the first year he really retained and understood the information.

We started Christmas on the 23rd at my parent's house with cookie decorating, yummy dinner, and gifts.
Noah trying to keep the baby girls off the train track...
Uncle Ryan and Noah...
Crazy picture of memaw and pappaw with their grandbabies...
Opening presents!
Elli loved the fire...Oooooooh!
Uncle Ryan, Aunt Lindsey, and Alexis...
Helping Elli open presents. She was so not into it...
Lovin' Pete...
A remote control helicopter for daddy!
This crazy reindeer dog sings 'Sleigh Ride' and bobs back and forth and both girls love him. They were dancing queens, so funny!
They also loved Noah's Magneatos.
It was too late when we got home from memaw and pappaw's house so we put the safari race track set together on Christmas Eve morning...
Then we headed up to see my aunt and uncle...
My Jolly girl...
Then on to Great-Grandma's house. She bought all the girls this stuffed dog that flaps its ears up and down and it sings 'Do Your Ears Hang Low'? They were a huge hit!
Four precious baby girls in eight months...Ellianna, Evony, Lillian, Alexis.
This was hilarious! We took a picture with all eight great-grandchildren and Noah had to "hold" Elli. I've mentioned how she eats it up when she gets his undivided attention, well, in this case she was loving getting to snuggle with him. Just look at that face.
Christmas morning we celebrated with our family. Noah got a marble race. He has been obsessed with them ever since he played with one in June at Uncle Rob and Aunt Beth's house. We've made marble races out of wrapping paper cardboard tubes, paper towel tubes, race tracks, train tracks, you name it. We've watched marble races of all kinds on YouTube so when he walked in and saw his, he was beside himself.
Elli's big gift was the Laugh and Learn kitchen...She obviously liked playing with the marble race better.
On Christmas afternoon, we headed across the state to Elk City to see Brandon's dad's side of the family. Elli got a shopping cart complete with baby and a Leap Frog Potsy.
Noah got a giant fire truck and remote control helicopter!
The next day we headed to nana and pawpaw's house in Frederick.
Noah was so excited to see his cousins.
Everyone was home this Christmas! It was a house full (17), but so fun. Here they are playing Mexican Train or Chicken Foot or something like that.
Noah and Elli at Nana's.
Again, with brother's attention. :)
All the cousins! Abby, McKenzie, Noah, Camden, Elli, and Jake.
All 17, er 16 of us, (Elli was napping). Aunt Jennifer (far right) battled cancer this year and beat it! We decided to take our family picture in the shirts they wore for the OKC Race for the Cure. They have Romans 15:13 on them, "May the God of hope fill you with all Joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with Hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Noah got another marble race from Uncle Rob and Aunt Beth. He LOVES it because now we can build extra large marble runs.
Abby LOVED helping out with Elli and Elli loved her.
Noah playing with the Thomas Shake, Shake bridge from Nana...
Peeking out the window at everyone going, "bye-bye". Look at those sweet feet.
It was another crazy Christmas, but we loved seeing everyone and I kept telling myself, at least we weren't driving 9+ hours one way!