Our Fantastic Family Of Four Forever Believes

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family" Anthony Brandt

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

CHRISTMAS AT OUR HOME

We had a awesome Christmas! I was so happy that Jerry was here the whole Christmas, like I said before, he had to leave last Christmas for work. Thank you Lord for allowing him to be here! The Lord is always good!


After we got home Christmas Eve, from my grandparents house, the kids were playing with the gifts that they had received, and I started getting ready to make our Santa cookies.



Caiden and Jerry were playing PlayStation football on-line, and they were having a ball. But my Bailee Grace helped me in the kitchen, and she was taking little videos with her video camera that she just got.



I love cooking with my Bailee. She was really grown into a responsible girl over the last few months. I am so glad she is so eager to always help out in the kitchen, what would my life be without her??! I can't imagine.





She loves to help me with so much, she even helps me clean. And that night, she wanted to be the one to set out Santa's cookies.


Even though my children do not believe in Santa anymore, we still carry out the child tradition of milk and cookies. Jerry and I did not come out and tell them the truth, but when they came to us this year about the "realness " of Santa, we told them to search their hearts to find the real answer. We never lie to our children, for if they can't trust us, who can they trust? They know the real answer, so we left it as that.






We spent so much time at my grandparents that by the time we got home, it was close to 11 o'clock. Jerry and I stayed up a while, making sure everything was in place.



Jerry and I got into bed about 2:30, and the next thing we knew, the kids were running around the house at 5:45 am!! I was like.."I'M UP, LETS GO OPEN THEM GIFTS!!"




No matter how old they get, the excitement of their faces never gets old, and it never goes away, the more I think about, the better it gets!!









They had to check if Santa ate the cookies!!



looking at thier stockings




Caiden decided to take a picture with my new camera


I love watching them open gifts.


They each take turns ,and I love watching their faces when they unravel all that wrapping paper.



Caiden got LOTS of Bakugans! From games and cards to trade, to tiny tiny ones, I didn't know they could be the size of a quarter!













Bailee also asked for a tent for when her friends come over to spend the night


Caiden got a thing full of football cards



Caiden got a couple of board games

Bailee's favorite CD













One thing that Bailee really wanted was a game for her Nintendo DS. It is a personal trainer cooking. It shows how to cook certain recipes step by step. She wanted us to use it together. She loves to help me cook!









She also asked for a purse and a wallet





Caiden got lots of PlayStation games



Bailee's main gift was a pink digital camera, she was so glad to get it!










She also got big karaoke machine, for she LOVES to sing.





Caiden loves this game!






Bailee also got an i-pod radio to help get us up in the morning for school!





Jerry helping Caiden open his main gift



Caiden got a Guitar Hero world tour for Playstation 3


Caiden was so worried that they might be sold out, but we had him fooled!








Sorry, this is the morning of Christmas, I know you do not want to see my face, but hey, who puts make up on a 5 am!! Not me, this is real life poeople!!! Deal with it!! LOL






Caiden loves trading sports cards. Jerry often takes him to Jamie's Field of Dreams to buy cards.

Jerry and Caiden looking at his football cards



This certain pack came with 100 cards, and he got a real nice football binder to keep them in. Now Caiden and Bo can trade cards. They enjoy comparing cards with each other!

Jerry is such a great father, I am so glad that he is so involved with them. He always find time for them.















After opening gifts, Bailee and I started cooking our big breakfast. We cooked eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, toast, biscuits, and pancakes!











Jerry and Caiden was assembling the Guitar Hero.





We already had the first guitar hero, so it was cool to have 2 guitars, we could ALL play!







Jerry and I had so much fun playing it together!









Bailee decided to bring out the Guitar.


Bubba and Baxter I think had enough of the Christmas thing, so they decided to take a nap!



After hours of playing with all the gifts, I started to prepare our dinner. We skipped lunch since we had such a big breakfast. We had Fried turkey, dressing, broccoli rice casserole, homemade turnip greens, which I cooked the day before, cornbread, fried okra(Jerry's fav) butter beans, and macaroni n cheese.


It was so yummy! I love cooking for the holidays. Yes, it it alot to cook and clean up, but I don't mind!





After our wonderful dinner, Jerry decided to hook up or printer. I was so excited! Not just for me, but for the kids! They have to do so many projects for school and now we could get this projects done in a flash now!





Jerry and I usaully don't get each other gifts for Christmas. We get things for each other thourgh out the year. We feel that the kids are only young once, and we want the focus on them. So, the day after Christmas, Jerry decided to take the kids to town to let them spend thier money they got for Chrsitmas. I had some time to pick up alittle and clean the kicthen. They were gone for quite a while, and I got worried and called to check on them. Jerry told me that they were having a hard time finding one of the games that Caiden wanted. Jerry said that they would be home soon. They finally got home and I asked them what they got. They suprised me with a monitor for our computer!! I was so shocked and happy! Happy that they actually took a gift of thiers and turned around and gave a gift in return! Caiden, Bailee and Jerry pitched in and bought me a gift!! Thanks ya'll for being such thoughtful poeple and for blessing my heart, not with a gift, but with the giving from your heart! I love you all soo much!




We had a great Christmas, yes, the gifts are great, but the gift of being a family was the best of it all!