Christmas #3: Mommy, Dad'N & Noah

Christmas Day....Christmas still going!
After getting home from Longview for my family's Christmas, we STILL hadn't opened just OUR family presents. Around 6:00 pm, we finally began. Noah got lots of new toys and really liked the Mr. Potato Head, a remote controlled car, and a big ride-on truck that had blocks in it. Poor Noah was so tired by the time we finished...he didn't even have the energy to open his present from Santa....to be continued....
Our Christmas tree

Noah's new rocking chair

Noah gets a new Longhorns jersey

Mommy & Noah open "prizes."

Noah & Dad'N play with his new remote-controlled truck.

Christmas Part 2: Grampa Rogers, Runtes, & Seidels

Merry Christmas 2009!
Christmas Eve turned out great, but Christmas Eve night/Christmas early hours were another story! Noah had a rough night with little sleep due to his ear infection, so we didn't even have time to do our small family Christmas before we had to leave for Longview for Christmas with my whole family: My Dad (Grampa), his wife, Susan, my sisters Susie & Denise, their husbands Doug & Brad, and my nephews (Andrew, James, Matthew, Nick Nick) & niece, Ella Marie. We had a big bunch of presents and had a wonderful lunch with the whole family followed by visiting. Noah & Grampa play trains.

Dad'N & Noah watch the Polar Express go round the tree!

Susie & I cuddle under her new blanket.

Susie, Denise, Dad, & myself

Grampa acts silly with Noah & his cousins.

Nick Nick & Noah

Noah opens a present

Noah & Mommy

Every year my dad writes & frames a poem for one of his grandchildren. The poem shares his special relationship with each grandchild. He started with Andrew, the oldest (far left) and has done a poem each successive grandkid. This year, he wrote a poem for James, and read the poem aloud to James. Next year, Nick Nick will get a poem, and Noah's poem will hopefully come the year after that! Isn't my Dad amazing?

Me & My Dad

Christmas Eve 2009

After the snow, and a trip to Walgreens, we finally took part in a Christmas Eve tradition...opening one present. My sister, Denise, dropped off a present for each of us. Noah got a new book and helped Michael & I open our gifts. Noah calls the presents "prizes" and is so much fun this year! I can't wait to wath Noah open his prizes Christmas morning! Mommy & Noah open Christmas Eve gifts

Noah says, "Prize, prize" as he opens the presents. Sometimes when I bring Noah home a gift from a store I tell him he has a prize...hence the calling presents prizes.

Dad'N & Noah open gifts Christmas Eve 2009

Noah's 1st Snow...on Christmas Eve 2009!

Christmas Eve 2009-

Noah has been running fever. Again! Last year on Chrismas Eve, Noah, Michael, & I were all sick. It was the 1st time I've EVER missed my dad preaching on Christmas Eve candlelight service. It was Noah's 1st Christmas Eve & I remember feeling so disappointed and sad. So when we were unable to go to church again this Christmas Eve, I felt all those feelings coming back.
Noah's fever cam down and low and behold...we look outside to see SNOW! On Christmas Eve! If we hadn't been sick, we would've missed this special winter miracle. We took Noah outside to show him his 1st snow. He had a blast! So did we! Mommy & Noah....Noah's 1st snow!

A Christmas Eve treat! SNOW!

Dad'N & Noah enjoy Noah's 1st snow!

Noah kept sticking out his tongue to catch snowflakes.

  Happy Christmas Eve!

Noah's 1st Gingerbread House

Susie had a doctor's appointment, so I kept the boys & we decorated a gingerbread house. This was Noah's 1st gingerbread house & it was made extra-special by having Matthew & Nick Nick there for the fun!

Noah was the 1st to lick the spoon! Then I got all the boys spoons & we had an icing fest!

When the boys left for home, Noah gave hugs to everyone...and this "hugga" to Nick Nick made my heart melt!

Santa Baby

I got all the girls shiny, sparkly Santa hats. Here we are!

Rebekah, Grammie, Alice, & Brenda

Grammie got the silver hat because she's always shiny!

Christmas Part 1: Grammie & The Carliles

Christmas with Grammie & The Carliles 2009Shiny hat girls...Brenda & Mom Bry had some weird thing going with Alice's Barbie. Here he is trying to woo her with a beverage;)

Rebekah and Michael hold up a pretty picture of Grammie

Noah got so many new toys...like this cool Doug & Melissa car ramp from Bekah & the family

Michael & Bry's bromance continues...

Christmas with Grammie & the Carlile clan was fabulous. The kids had a great time opening presents, eating cookies, playing, and just hanging out. This was the year of the Christmas crouton. I can explain. Michael eats croutons like other people eat chips or grapes...one after another. For some odd reason, it's become a tradition and a treat to come to Uncle Mike's house because Michael always has ginormous bags of Sam's croutons, and the boys (who usually eat healthy at their house) get to have croutons right out of the bag. Ahhh, the little things in life. Well, Michael got each of the kids their own ginormous bag of croutons for a Christmas present! He was so surprised to discover that the boys got HIM 3 boxes of croutons for Christmas as well! We laughed and laughed. Noah recognized the crouton bag right away and all the kids started munching on the croutons like they were the most fabulous thing ever! Michael & Mom ...I got her the cute sparkly Santa hat & the necklace she's wearing...so Grammie & so fabulous!

Grammie & Noah

Grammie gives Noah kisses

We got Alice this life-size Barbie which she loved.

Best present I've ever received...Noah Michael

Dacing It Out With Grammie & The Carlile Kids

The night that Grammie & the Carliles arrived was so much fun! I just love when they visit! I had Christmas party music playing, which the kids loved...and I got out an early Christmas present out for Grammie & Alice...sparkly Santa hats...a silver one for Grammie & a red one for Alice. I opened up a bottle of champagne, and cranked up the tunes. Noah had a BLAST dancing it out, Christmas style...with Grammie & his cousins!

Grammie & Alice get the party started with their sparkly hats! Sam & Lucas join the fun!

Alice is a showgirl!

Lucas is quiet, but he can bust a move, as demonstrated by this updated version of the running man!

Noah had the time of his life...What could be more fun than dancing? Dancing with his cousins & Grammie, of course!

Evolution of the glazed Christmas cookie

Since I'm the cookie girl, I thought I'd try a new cookie recipe this year. I wanted to make something special for Grammie, Rebekah, Bry and the kids for our Christmas this year...and this is what I chose. These are the cutest little cookies that you can use as place cards for your table. The dough has to chill for at least 4 hours. Even the glaze is homemade. Of course, I didn't have the life force to even get them started until the day that our company came, which is why the names are so sloppily written on the cookies...because Noah was tugging at my leg when I was writing the names. Oh, well. I tried. Here the trees are getting their glaze on.

I'm not a neat baker.

After the m&m's are on the cookies and the names are written, I melted chocolate chips and poured it into the bakers cups.

After the chocolate hardened, I put the cookies in the chocolate, tinted some coconut green so it looked like grass, and whala...a new tasty treat is born!

Noah's cookie before it got dunked in the chocolate.