Christmas Day

Santa came on Christmas Eve and brought Luke a bike and a big Mickey!


All of the stockings.


Here comes Luke!


So excited to see his new bike...exactly what he asked Santa for!


Ringing the bell, his favorite part of the bike.


He rode the bike all around the house on Christmas morning because it was too cold to go outside. He was in heaven!


Opening the presents from his stocking.


Anything else in there?


Opening gifts from Mommy and Daddy...a Leapfrog Scribble & Write, Legos, and Candyland.






Daddy's turn!


Mommy's turn!


Nate totally fooled me...I asked for cooling racks to use when I'm baking. He got them and wrapped them in a big box...underneath the box were two pairs of new boots!




After enjoying some time at home, and a quick game of Candyland, we headed over to Dallas to spend the rest of the day with my family.

Just in time for our traditional brunch.


After brunch it was present time! Luke was excited to get this guitar from Mammie and Boppa.


His new smile for pictures just kills me.


I think out of everything he got, this was the biggest hit. Unfortunately, it's also the loudest and most obnoxious. Of course.


Putting on a show. All day he dragged that microphone around and demanded that we watch his "concert".


Family pictures...




Nate and Daisy taking advantage of a quick catnap.


Aunt Bee reading books to Luke.


Luke took this picture using the self timer on my camera.


After a long day, Luke snuggled up with his puppy blanket and new stuffed animals for a rest on the couch while the rest of us played Mexican Train.

Ready for Santa

We got home from Nate's parent's house in time to make the 7:00 pm service at church. There was no childcare so Luke got to sit in the sanctuary with us for the first time. He was really good; poor thing was so tired that he didn't have much energy to do much. Our church does glow sticks instead of candles since the congregation is so big and the only thing we heard out of him was "is it time to do the glowsticks yet?" a few million times until it was actually time. I was really glad we made it to church; just really puts us in the true spirit of Christmas.

After church we came home to set out cookies for Santa. Luke selected each bark bar and almond butter cookie and carefully set them on the plate. And he insisted that Santa needed water instead of milk, which I think he was grateful for. After all, at our house Santa doesn't drink milk.



I wrote Santa's note but Luke signed his name.


The next morning, all the cookies were gone!

Christmas Eve

Our Christmas celebrations began on Christmas Eve, when we headed out to Emmett to celebrate with Nate's family.

Luke with his presents.


His exact words after opening this was "look! I got a rollypop!"






Nana and Daddy Matt gave him a puppy blanket and he LOVES it!


Family pics...

Children's Aquarium and Butterfly House

Last Wednesday we met my parents at Fair Park for a little excursion. The Children's Aquarium opened recently and we wanted to check it out. Plus we had to visit Luke's favorite place, the Butterfly House at the Texas Discovery Gardens.

The Children's Aquarium was okay; there wasn't a ton to see but what we did see was pretty cool. There was a tank where you could stick your hand in and grab shells or pet crabs and lobsters. Luke liked to look in the tank but did not want to put his hand in. His favorite thing was a place where you turned a dial to make a turtle "egg" hatch.


He didn't mind getting up close to the tanks with small fish.


Looking at starfish with Mammie.


However, he did not want to get close to the tank with a sea turtle or the tank with the sharks. We're in front of the shark tank here and he was panicking.


Much happier with the butterflies. He desperately wanted one to land on his finger. It didn't happen, but he did get to sit next to one for a little bit.


Cheesin' it up on the steps. He sat down and said, "Hey, Mom, take a picture of me!"




The mascot of the butterfly house, the zebra butterfly.


The blue morpho butterfly; Luke's favorite:


This flower looks like it belongs in a Dr. Seuss book:

Gingerbread Train

My aunt Peggy brought Luke and me a gingerbread train kit when she and my uncle Britton came to town for Thanksgiving. I couldn't wait to try it with Luke, but decided it would be a great activity for the week before Christmas. After all, we need stuff to do while he is out of school!

Today was the day for us to make it. This morning when assembled the train, and then we decorated it after naptime. It went very smoothly! I was very impressed with how great Luke did, and it was so much easier than that silly house we tried to do last year. I don't think I even blogged about it because it fell over within about five minutes of putting it together. I got so mad at it that I threw it away.

He was excited to get started, but then he saw all the candy decorations. That was what he really wanted!


Mom, can I eat this?


Helping spread on icing for the wheels.


He kept calling the front of the train a beard, and then demonstrating. Where does he get this stuff?!


Here's the base!


Time to decorate!


Finished product...


Finished product without the cheesy kid in the background :)