Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Christmas 2011

I've obviously not been keeping the blog up to date - other things are priority right now, and that is perfectly fine with me. I do, however, use this as a scrapbook of sorts, so I do want to update with pictures from Christmas!

We spent the weekend before Christmas with my parents in SC. We got to spend time with extended family and had a wonderful time!

Mimi let the kids open their stockings the first night we were there. Lily loved all the fun candy Mimi and Granddaddy found for her - no chocolate!
Bear's favorite stocking stuffer was his new watch - Granddaddy got a big thank you hug for it!


On Saturday, Grandmama Goings came over for dinner and to open gifts with us since we were going to miss her Christmas Eve celebration. I love this sweet lady, but it is so hard to see her without my precious Granddaddy! This was our first Christmas without him and it just didn't seem right!
Lily got all kinds of fun new toys from Mimi and Granddaddy and Uncle Travis and Aunt Jaclynn. She loved the wheelchair set for her American Girl doll.


Bear got his very own Lightning McQueen bicycle...we're finally getting around to trying it out now that the weather has warmed up.
We left on Tuesday morning and came back home - it was nice not to have school for the week. We had lots of fun activities planned, one being a day full of baking. Lily and I made lots of treats, and our friends Mae and Nate came over to decorate cookies too!

My little kitchen helper



Decorating sugar cookies...a big fun mess!



This is Bear, 100% of the time!

Since Uncle Jacob and family couldn't be with us on Christmas Eve, we celebrated with them the night before Christmas Eve. We had snacks, dessert and let the kids swap gifts. The adults played a fun "dirty Santa" swap - we ended up with a new waffle iron and a movie theatre gift card.

Rough-housing with the cousins - poor Uncle Jacob was on the bottom!
Me and my boys!


Showing Daddy his new Cars set from Brodie
We had a picture made of the grandchildren for Suzan and Harvey for Christmas - Lily and Brodie were so excited for Mammy to open it!

Brodie, Lily & Ethan

We had a sleepover downstairs that night - it was a fun new tradition that we started and the kids thought it was so fun to sleep with the Christmas lights on!

Christmas Eve morning - they begged and begged, so they each got to open their gift from Daddy that morning.


Bear was in love with his new cowboy boots, while Lily loved her scooter for her dolls. I also got surprised with my gift - beautiful diamond earrings.

We had Christmas Eve lunch with Mammy and Paw and finished exchanging gifts with them.


We wrapped up the day with the Christmas Eve service at church, including Silent Night by candlelight, and dinner at Waffle House! Bear thought his chocolate chip waffle was "exceptional!" We then hurried home to prepare for Santa...

Sweets and milk for Santa
and reindeer food for Rudolph and friends.

While we were sleeping, Santa arrived and left tons of fun new toys for Lily and Bear...




Bear was very excited to get his "Finn McMissile airplane"
Lily checking out her stocking..those little things bring such joy!

Santa, I really wished you had consulted mom and dad before bringing a drum set!




Learning to play the wii


We had Christmas brunch at our house, a late lunch with the McWhorters and Olivers, and spent the rest of the day enjoying are new gifts and each other! Christmas certainly is the most wonderful time of the year!

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Getting ready for Christmas

Our December was jam-packed with fun! Christmas is my favorite season of the year, and I just cherish all the special memories we are able to make each year! We were busy, with most weekends (and a lot of weeknights) filled with activities...here's a sneak peak for how we got in the Christmas spirit!

We had breakfast with Santa at the Cartersville Country Club. Lily and Bear brought their list - Lily asked for a drum and a wii, while Bear's only request was a Finn McMissile airplane (Santa looked a little confused by that one - hope he can find what Bear was describing :))

Our church puts on a Ladies Dinner every year, with proceeds benefiting a local women and children's charity. My sweet friend Casey and I hosted a table and loved that some of our favorite ladies could join us.



Our elf, Kringle, spent December with us, giving Santa a full report of the comings and goings of the McWhorter household. He was a little more mischievous this year, than in years past...

We had a fun dinner party with the Jones's and Adams's. This group of kiddos has grown quickly over the last 5 years...we are so blessed with great friends who are like family to us!

The Cartersville Christmas Parade is always a great way to kick off the Christmas season. Bear and I got to watch the parade with Brodie, Blake, Kenny, Jacob and Sabrina...

because Daddy and Lily rode in the parade for the Chamber. Lily was so excited to ride with her daddy!


We built gingerbread houses at Lily's school



and Bear sang in his first school program - he even had a speaking part, which he did wonderfully!



More Christmas celebrations to come....