Christmas Eve/Christmas Day 2012

Reading the story of the birth of Jesus.  Hunter, Ryan, and Sean all have had colds.  Hunter espeically hasn't been feeling good and has been up and down through the night for the past three or so nights. 

Still well enough for a new tradition of cinnamon buns on Christmas morning :)

Opening gifts

And now it's Andrew time

This is me and Sean's very first time to do Thanksgiving and Christmas by ourselves without our families.  It was a little sad, but nice, too.  Christmas Eve we did steak and chicken fondue.  Only one to get burned was Hunter and it was only one time.  lol  We did cheesecake for dessert (not by fondue).  Christmas Day was officially declared "Jammies Day" and we tried to relax a lot.  We cooked ham, broccoli casserole, cheese biscuits, and an incrediably delicious pecan cream cheese pie.  We had a little bit more snow last night, but again nothing stuck.  We are now super excited for the arrival of Pastor Trail and Faithlyn and their three children (our former Pastor in FL).  They will be coming in Friday and staying the weekend.  :) 

Museum of Appalachia

Hunter likes to walk around with his pa-pa completely covering his head.  Silly boy!

We have this great place right up the road from us that has some of the best homecooked southern style food around!  In fact, we have only been to the Museum of Appalachia for food, their gift shop, and TN Fall Homecoming.  Saturday we decided to tour the actual museum.........and eat!!!!!!  We enjoyed ourselves, it was good for the boys to get outside and explore, and the food was fantastic as always!  It was definitely chilly, but we were bundled.  The fire in their restaurant after the tour was so nice!  The boys haven't had much outdoor time recently, due to chilliness and even a few snow flurries on Friday!!!!! 

Merry Christmas Adam!

Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge

They're standing so far from each other!  Most of my shots there isn't another soul around, which is so strange because it was super packed!

Ha!  Someone enjoyed lunch!

My family went to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg on Saturday for the day.  We went to The Inn at Christmas Place, some Christmas shops, ate a late lunch, and then walked the strip.  We stayed till it got dark to see the lights. 

Andrew did good on the way there with some nursing while driving to keep him happy.  The way back was a different story, especially with the traffic.  I really hope little man gets used to the car some time real soon.  He has rolled over a bunch now!  It seems to happen so fast!  He's growing up. 

Sean and I are out of school until January and we are excited to be spending some extra time together.  We have visited with some friends, got to see a new baby, and have started baking Christmas cookies. 

The Hunter fish died last week.  :(  Ryan fish is going to need some new friends. 

Enjoying the Christmas season.  Thinking of how I need to hug my family even tighter.  There are many families in CT that have been forever changed by a devastating tragedy.  And another family in Thailand suffering the loss of two of their children.  A family a little closer to home suffering from the terrible effects of alcoholism.  Crying out to God, falling to our knees, a fervent need to be in the word.  When comforting words seem to escape, when the loss seems unbearable, when tears are numerous, God is there. 

John 10:27-29 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”


“Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.” ~ C.S. Lewis

3 months old!!!!!

EARS!

What else do you need to start your day but a pair of mouse ears and a lightsaber?




And you gotta wear those ears while watching Mickey Mouse. :)

 

The Christmas Scale

Blount Mansion

OK, I'm not losing my mind!  The next three posts are all titled the same.  That's because it's all at the same place.  For some reason I was having a time uploading all the pictures so I got creative and created multiple posts and it worked.  It took twice as long and was a bit annoying, but that's OK.  Any way, this mansion in downtown Knoxville had an open house today (this means free) and it was decorated for Christmas, too.  Ryan was cute, asking the docent lots of questions!!!!!  The boys had fun playing outside, too, and it was a beautiful Saturday!