Merry Christmas Part 2

We always have a jam packed Christmas when we return to Tennessee. We left on Tuesday morning and drove to Cleveland, TN and had Christmas with Bucky's step mom and her parents. Then we drove to Whitwell, TN to spend the night with my (Julie's) mom. We spent Christmas Eve morning with my mom and my oldest sister Lisa and my other sister Lauren, my brother-in-law Jeremiah, and their three kids August, Avolin, and Israel. We then went to my dad and Karen's house for Christmas Eve afternoon. After that, we drove back to my mom's house and spent the night and had Christmas morning with my mom and grandparents. Christmas lunch we drove back to Cleveland to spend the afternoon with Bucky's dad's side of the family. After that we drove to Nashville, TN (2 and half hours from Cleveland) to visit Bucky's mom and step dad. We always have a bonfire and roast hot dogs and marshmallows and then end the evening with fireworks. So much fun packed into a small amount of time.

<


Xan checking out what is in his stocking


Xan admiring his new Thomas tracks.







Xan and Brennan all bundled up, ready to see the fireworks.





Home at last, enjoying his new Thomas tracks.

Merry Christmas

We had our annual "Family Christmas Day" today. We always travel to Tennessee to spend Christmas with our families, therefore, we started a family tradition last year where we set aside a day to spend at home and open gifts. We want to give the boys an opportunity to enjoy their new toys (and mom and dad) before the hustle and bustle of the Holiday begins. Prepare for picture overload...

Xan found his Thomas band aids in his stocking.


What's in here?


THOMAS PAJAMAS!!!!



Brennan distracted me for a minute and when I turned around I saw this...


He put the pajamas on and wore them all day long.




Brennan was equally excited about the Thomas band aids




We got Brennan a swing, he loves to swing!






Xan also got a new train. It's a Lionel brand train, not exactly a toy. He refers to it as "my train without a face." (All his Thomas trains have faces.) He laid in the floor and watched for a loooong time.






So much fun makes a little fella tired

Cool Dude

Brennan had a vision appointment on Friday. Everything went smooth and his eyes look great. The doctor did dialate his eyes, so she gave him a cool pair of sun glasses to wear on the way home. I told Brennan not to take them off and he didn't. I was shocked!

No Room In The Inn - Xan's 1st Christmas Program

Xan loves to sing and dance, so we knew he would love children's choir. This past Sunday, his class performed their Christmas songs. It was precious. The beautiful little girl standing beside Xan is his friend Hannah. Hannah was really getting into the music. Too cute! Sorry, I don't have video yet.

Christmas Traditions

This was Xan's first yeart to "help" with the making of Christmas cookies. He had a blast!

Contentment and A Thankful Heart

Beginning Tuesday night and all day Wednesday I had a nasty stomach virus. When I woke up Wednesday morning still feeling yucky from my upset stomach the night before, I complained to Bucky that this is one of those days that I wished my mom and/or sister lived closer so that they could come and take care of the boys so that I could stay in bed all day. (A little side note for those who may ask why didn't Bucky stay home with you. Wednesday has to be one of the worst days for me to get sick. Wednesdays for Bucky are like Sunday's for a Senior Pastor.) But God gave me several reasons throughout the day to give thanks in all things:

1. Brennan still takes morning naps.
2. Xan was more than happy to sit on the couch, during Brennan's morning nap, and watch DVDs while mommy rested on the couch.
3. Bucky came home at lunch and fixed food for the boys.
4. During their afternoon nap, the boys allowed me to sleep uninterrupted for 2 and 1/2 hours.
5. My friend Laura came over and took the boys to church. Then she and Laurel (our pastor's wife) brought them home too!

Yes, God has moved us a long way from our family, but He has blessed us with so many wonderful friends here in South Carolina. Even when I am sick, His grace is sufficient for me!

Turkey Bowl Three

The friday after Thanksgiving our youth host a flag football tournament. This year the weather was nice enough for me to take the boys and allow them to play in the sandbox. They both had a wonderful time. Brennan was covered from head to toe with sand because he decided it would be a great idea to roll in the sand several times. When we got home, I immediately took them both upsairs for a bath. As I was filling the tub with water, Xan had to go potty and before I knew it Brennan had stuck his hand in the potty and swirled it around a couple of times. I frantically pulled his hand out and began to take his wet shirt off. While I was getting the wet hand out of his shirt he proceeded to swish the other hand in the potty too! GROSS!!!!

Christimas Pictures

If you have or had toddlers and preschoolers, you know how impossible it is to get them both looking at the camera and smiling at the same time. Xan seems to only be able to do a fake smile for pictures. Ugh, it is so frustrating. So, Bucky (Josh) and I just gave up on getting a good picture of both of the boys together. We got some pretty cute ones of them seperately. However, I can not post the cutest ones yet because they will be used as Christmas presents. But here are a few of the ones of us trying to get the boys to sit still and smile together...

A funny story and Thanksgiving

The words you never want to hear your child utter...."Daddy, Mommy beat me. She beat me REAL bad at Target." Thankfully I have a husband who knew this could not possibly be true and did a little digging to find out what he meant before calling DSS. You see Xan and I have a little game we play. When I put him in his car seat, I buckle the bottom part of this seat belt and then I race around the car and try to get in my seat before he can get the top part buckled. Of course, Xan normally beats me (I am not a fast runner). But at Target the other day I actually beat him to my seat before he got the belt buckled. Hence the "Daddy, Mommy beat me. She beat me REAL bad at Target." In fear that he might mention this to his preschool teacher, I told her the whole story too.

A Time of Thanksgiving
God is good! He has especially been good to us this year. We along with Brennan's eye doctor determined in December 2007 that he was nearly blind (only able to distinguish between light and dark). However, we are convinced that through the prayers of faithful family and friends, God performed a great miracle and healed our baby's eyes. At Brennan's last eye doctor appointment his vision seems to be completely normal. To God Be The Glory!

Brennan is truly our miracle baby. To think that less than a year ago we wondered if he would ever enjoy looking at books or reach, grasp, and play with toys. He can do all those things today. Please continue to pray for him though, he will be starting physical therapy again because he is not walking. His legs scissor and he stands on his tippy toes when we try to get him to walk. We are sure that with some therapy, he will catch up soon.

We, of course, are so thankful for Xan. Xan is such a healthy, bright, and energetic child. He fills our lives with joy and excitement. The fact that he was born thousands of miles away and God picked him out especially for us and brought him home to us safe and healthy is a blessing and a miracle from God.

May we be found faithful in this exciting, wonderful, awesome, terrifying, exhausting, life changing task called parenting.

Trunk or Treat

We had a blast at trunk or treat. There were about 2,000 people total that participated this year. I was so proud of Xan, he was so brave and didn't freak out with all the people in costumes. Not one tear was shed, although he did stick VERY close to mommy. He is such a sweet kid, but it takes a while for him to warm up to new and different situations.

I bet you will never guesss what Xan was (LOL)...Thomas the Train, of course! Bucky and I actually gave this costume to Xan for his birthday because we knew he would be reluctant to wear it. That was a brilliant idea, he didn't even touch it, let alone wear it, for atleast two weeks after his birthday party.



Brennan was a bee, by far the cutest bee I have ever seen.


He even had a stinger.

Fun at Granny and Papa's House

We love going to visit Granny and Papa. Bucky's dad is a game warden for TWRA and they live on a game reserve just outside of Nashville. Xan loves seeing deer, turkey and other animals roaming around. We were at their house this past weekend for a wedding and Xan had an opportunity to wear Papa's boots.