Christmas in WV

On the 27th, we headed to West Virginia to spend the week with the Hattens. We usually only make it to WV twice a year, so the kids (and us too) are excited to be there. It was super cold all week and we had snow flurries, which the kids thought were great. Nothing really ever stuck to the ground, but at times it looked like a snowglobe outside.

Present opening at their house is an all day event. We started around 10am, took a break for lunch at 12pm, and then finished around 3pm. Catherine and Will had to help everyone open each present (part of why it took so long) and play with every toy/read every book once it was opened.

Here they are helping Aunt Wissa and Uncle Andy open presents.

Catherine reading a new book with Mimi.

Catherine got a princess Bella Dancerella video that teaches you some ballet dances. She is totally enthralled by it.

Will enjoyed eating lots of treats while we were there. He really liked these ice cream cupcakes, which he decided were easier to eat without any utensils or hands.

It was a fun week to relax and enjoy time with family away from home.

Christmas in Union

On Christmas day, we headed to Union for the afternoon. We had lunch at my dad's, with Will wearing his hat and rainboots of course.

Later that afternoon we went to Amanda's house and had dinner with my mom. Will really likes hanging out with Mama Belk. I thought this pic of them together was so precious.

Everybody getting ready to open a few Christmas presents....

The pregnant sisters. Kelly is due with baby Jasper in about 4 weeks. I'm 26-27 weeks in this pic.

We had a great time celebrating with our family.

Christmas Morning

I'm a little behind getting the Christmas pics posted, but better late than never. We had a great Christmas Eve and morning at home. It's so much fun to watch the kids' anticipation and excitement. We made them at wait at the top of the stairs on Christmas morning to come down together. They were so cute!

Catherine's favorite gift was her dollhouse. She also got a princess Scooter, some rain boots, and a suitcase.

Will loves his Hot Wheels. But his real favorites were his rain boots, suitcase, a Reds hat, and a wallet.

Merry Christmas!

What a Night!

We had a very interesting night last night. It started out pretty well. We went to Chick-fil-A to see Santa and have dinner. Catherine loved seeing Santa, even though she couldn't think of anything to ask him for for Christmas. She finally came up with "decorations"--not sure what that's supposed to mean. She had the "Birthday Buckaroo" horse with her from her preschool. Each kid takes it home for a night on their birthday and writes in a journal about what they do. She was excited to take him to see Santa.

Will was a fan of Santa in theory, but not in person. He kept saying that he wanted to see Santa, but when we walked up, he completely freaked out. Jay was holding him, but he was shaking and crying and truly terrified. You would have thought we were handing him over to a kidnapper or something. He did however like the candy cane Santa gave him. He ate it after dinner and wanted another one. We told him that to get another one he had to see Santa. You could tell this was causing a really big dilemma....he really wanted the candy cane but did not want to see Santa. He decided to skip the extra candy cane :)

So we got home from Chick-fil-A and about 5 minutes later, Will fell and hit his head on the brick fireplace. He had a very deep gash, about an inch wide but very deep. I was pretty sure we needed stitches, so we all headed to the ER. (Yes, this is our 3rd ER visit in 6 months.) The ER was crazy busy. Apparently Catherine did not handle the stress of Will bleeding and other sick people very well. As we were checking Will in, I look over and she started throwing up in the middle of the floor. Great. This was getting interesting! So 4 hours, 5 stitches, and 2 throw up buckets later, we headed home at 11:30pm. Catherine's reaction was really quite interesting. Within a couple of minutes of Will finally getting his stitches, she perked right up and started talking and was completely fine. I think she really was very worried about him. I'll spare you the details of keeping a 2 year old still to put 5 stitches in his head, but let's just say that it is not an easy thing for a mommy (or daddy) to handle. I did pretty well, didn't even cry, but it was not a memory I will forget. Poor Will. But what's a boy without a few battle scars? Thankfully today he seems okay. We just have to go back on Monday to get the stitches out.

These are the things that make me feel like a legitimate parent! We're all about making some memories.

More Happy Birthday

These are pics from today, Catherine's actual birthday. I really can't believe she's already 4 years old. I know that sounds cliche, but really...wasn't she just a 6lb 3 oz baby who surprised us by coming 2 weeks early? Wasn't she just born during the ice storm and we couldn't even go home for a week? Didn't she just learn to walk and talk? Wasn't she bald for a long time? Sometimes I have to look back at the pictures to remember her from the early years. I love how interactive she is though now. We have so many fun conversations, often about very real and serious things. She loves to help and is gaining lots of independence. She is a wonderful big sister and loves babies. She has such a sweet spirit and is already learning what it means to love God and know that He loves her.

Our big 4 year old in all her Christmas red

With one of her big birthday presents from Mimi and PopPop, a baby stroller she's been asking for weekly since this summer.

On her big girl bike from Mommy and Daddy. It's a little cold to ride outside right now, but we'll practice downstairs and in the garage from now until spring.

Will loved the birthday activities too!

Happy Birthday, Catherine! We are so thankful that God made you part of our family.

Princess Birthday Party

Catherine is 4 years old today! We celebrated by having a Princess birthday party yesterday with some of her friends. They all wore their fanciest princess dresses and jewels.

Here's the birthday princess!

Playing princess bingo--it went fairly smoothly (once Jay learned the names of the princesses to call out) and everyone won flower bracelets.

They each decorated a princes placemat with stickers and jewels to use at lunch. They took turns one by one showing everyone their placemats and describing their princess gowns. We then had lunch and cupcakes.

So many silly princesses! We had a great time and love that Catherine's friends came to celebrate with her.

Catherine's Dance Lessons

We got a chance on Tuesday to observe Catherine's dance lesson and see all that she's been learning this fall. It was so much fun to watch 8 little girls in their leotards and tutus. They really have learned a lot. Catherine definitely knows more ballet terms (in French) than I do. This has been a great activity for her and she's enjoyed making some new friends too.

Many thanks to my friend Taryn for the photos since I forgot my camera that day.