December Fun!

I have to say that this was one of my favorite Holidays!  Kellen was SO much fun and SO into everything that had to do with Christmas!  I also knew that this was the last Christmas for Kellen as a "only child", so I wanted to make sure that it was a pretty special one.  Over the last few years we have started some traditions and it is so much fun to continue them each year and also add to them each year!  Since we were adding to our family this year and last year Kellen actually got board opening gifts we decided to slim it down this year.  At first I felt guilty because he didn't have a whole lot under the tree, but when you add gifts from all the grandparents & Aunts & Uncles he was super spoiled, umm, I mean blessed with all the fun things he got!  So here we go with what our Christmas Month looked like...

November 29th ~ A few years ago we started the tradition to go Christmas Tree Hunting (well shopping at Home Depot, but "hunting" sounds more fun) with Uncle Andy & Cousin Ansley!  We meet at Home Depot and will pick out the best trees we can.  :o) It was so hard this year because last year we had the most beautiful tree and it was hard to find something that was just as perfect!  After some debate on size we loaded up the two trees on my Explorer and headed to Uncle Andy's to drop their tree off!  Then it was back home to get our tree in just the right spot!  Here are a few pictures...

 November 30th ~ Pictures with Santa!  Last year we were blessed to be able to go take pictures with Jason Pendley.  The experience was amazing.  No lines, the Santa was amazing, and Kellen loved it.  So this year I emailed Jason to see if he was doing it again.  At first he was not sure, but after a couple emails he finally said he was going to do it!  :o) I was not the only one asking!  Another reason I love doing this is Jason donates all the money to a needy family or this year he donated it to some needy children at his Son's school.  Anyways here are a few pictures of Kellen & Santa....

This year Kellen asked for a "REAL" car & a car wash!  Ha!  Thank goodness he changed his mind a little and just asked for some cars!  :o)   So Santa brought a Hot Wheels car track that goes on the wall!

December 1st ~ Decorating the Tree & The Woodstock Christmas Parade! This was so much fun and a new tradition that we hope to continue each year!  All the floats had lights on them (It was a night time parade).  Kellen enjoyed it, but did get a little tired since it went on for so long!  But we ordered a pizza from the Italian place on the square and ate it while the parade went by.  It really was a lot of fun!  Here are a few pictures from decorating our tree...

Love this sweet Boy!!!

December 19th ~ Kellen's Christmas Party at School!  I am an awful parent and did not take my camera and so all the pictures I did take are on my phone.  I will try to get Matt to help me get the video and the pictures off my phone and put them on here!  :o) It was so cute.  They sang 3 songs and it was so fun to watch the kiddos!  Then we went back to his classroom and they (the kids) exchanged gifts (books) and ate lunch.  they aslo gave the parents the cutest gift of a Christmas tree made out of hand prints.  It was so cute.  Kellen is still loving school and I love that he loves it!  He is learning SO much and is such a smartie pants!  

December 23rd ~ Lights of Life at Life College.  Kellen loves the lights and we will drive through it several times.  Before we went he asked if he could go see the dragon in the pond that waves his tail.  He remembered it from last year!  I could not believe it!  He loves looking at all the lights.  We noticed this year that they had a petting zoo and pony rides, but none of us were dressed and I was wearing slippers!  Ha!  Next year!  

December 24th ~ Christmas Eve...Our tradition is to spend Christmas Eve together as a family.  We started out the evening making cookies for Santa (we used the break can bake & added sprinkles). Then we enjoyed a yummy dinner of  Loaded Bake Potato Soup & Cornbread!  While we ate dinner we watched Santa on the computer to see where he was!  Kellen loved this part...he still asks if he can watch Santa on the computer...we have told him Santa is on vacation and in Hawaii!  Ha!  After we finished up we opened up our gifts!  This year we tried really hard to keep it under control!  Kellen's favorite gifts this year were books!  Here are a few pictures...

Daddy's Falcon's Apron

 

A red tractor just like Grandpa Steve!  Thanks Nana! 

Cookies For Santa!  Yummy!

December 25th ~ Such a fun day!  We woke up and Santa had come!  He ate all the cookies and only left crumbs!  And he left presents in our stockings!  Kellen was so excited!  And Santa left a Hotwheels Wall track and that was WAY cool!  of course Kellen and Matt had to set it up before we left!  We ate a small breakfast and then got ready to head of to Meme & Papa's for a Christmas Brunch!  Uncle Kevin and Aunt Amanda make some yummy French Toast Bake & and Egg Casserole that were so yummy!  Then let the spoiling begin...Kellen got so many fun things!  Aunt Amanda got him BOB books and I have to say that this is probably one of Kellen's favorites!  I can't believe he is actually reading them and loves to read them to us!  He is so proud of himself!  :o)  After we finished up there the boys headed to the airport to pick up Grandma Keeta!  After everyone was home we went for round 4 of gifts with Grandma Keeta!  Kellen got a scooter and LOVES it!  He is on it everyday!  Here are some pictures...

After all the Christmas celebrations were over and Kellen was tucked into bed, Grandma Keeta & Nana helped us take down Christmas!  Knowing that Miss Quinn was joining us the next day I knew that the house needed to go back to normal and I wanted to make sure that we could spend the entire next day with Kellen and hanging out!  It was such a fun holiday season and I hated to see it end, but I knew that the next day life was changing as we knew it and I was flooded with all types of emotions.  But all in all I could not wait to meet my little girl!  So next post...Quinn's Birth Story!