This year we managed to squeeze in all the usual festivities. Plenty of hot cocoa, Christmas lights, decorations (even though I was quite bummed to realize our tree won't fit in this old house with it's low ceilings), lots of Christmas carols, a visit with Santa, Christmas movies galore, candlelight service, and our annual trip to Texas to celebrate with our friends and families. It was sad and strange not having my mom or grandparents this year but the silver lining was the baby shower at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens to celebrate the upcoming birth of Everitt.
Cousins!
Arden is 5 months older than Zoey but you wouldn't guess it judging by their height. However, my poor little meatball has her beat in the weight department.
After church on Christmas eve we read books and baked cookies for the big guy.
Hudson asked Santa for a monster truck and Audrey said she'd just like for him to surprise her.
They both got their wish.
They always get books.
Huddie was particularly excited about his father/son monster truck book.
Audrey with her Rainbow Brite book
Huddie scored a plate and cutlery shaped like construction trucks, Paw Patrol toys, those loops that launch hot wheels, sorry, I have no idea what you call them. I'm a girl. He also really liked his Lego Duplo blocks.
Audrey's favorites were her bath robe, kenetic sand, Frozen Legos, chunky necklace and Anna hat, but I think she was the most surprised at the fish tank.
The next day her daddy took her to pick out her own fish. Hudson wanted to go to, and of course wanted a fish as well. Audrey named her fish Frannie and Hudson calls his Bleu.
Arden woke up later than the bigs with the bed head she inherited from her daddy.
Ardie knew right away which items Santa had left for her.
She went right to her ball and new pink bear wub-a-nub paci.
Huddie was so excited that daddy liked the sweater he bought him.
Audrey drug her dad all over town to find my gift. She knew exactly what she wanted to get me. A locket. But not just any locket. It had to be silver. It had to be simple, no designs. And it had to have room for two pictures. After she gave it to me she explained that she came up with the idea so I could always have a picture of her on one side and Hudson on the other, so I wouldn't miss them when they're at school. I asked her "What about Arden?" She replied "Well she's always with you so I didn't think you'd miss her." ha!
Her daddy also got me something shiny. A diamond band.
Please excuse my stupid surprised face.
He's bought me one for every baby. Audrey's he gave me for Mother's Day when she was a baby. Hudson's he gave me while I was in ICU and he was still upset, scared and not himself. When I went into labor prematurely with Arden he hadn't yet bought a band, so I was very shocked to open it at Christmas. I love them all. Each one is pretty, delicate and slightly different, just like my babies.
He also bought me a ton of clothes, which always makes me laugh. It's a fine line, buying your wife clothes. I've seen it go very wrong. I buy all of the kids and his clothes, except for his athletic gear, but rarely buy for myself. (Being old and having had 3 babies it's just not fun to shop for myself.) So I love that he knows what I like and is brave enough to buy for me. He's a thoughtful kinda guy, so much so that when he made breakfast that morning he went the British route for me. When I text him and say I'm craving chocolate milk he knows not to come home with Nestle. It's Cadbury or nothing. I'm sure he used to think I was odd for wanting beans on toast or corned beef with grilled tomatoes for breakfast but now he quite enjoys it all. I definitely regret not having my grandmother teach him how to make Yorkshire pudding.
Soccer Shots has a break over the school Christmas vacation, so Barker was home all the time, which has been Heaven. He's cooked a lot, though. He's a great cook. I mean, pulled pork meatloaf? Come on! Last year for Christmas my dad bought Barker a smoker and I swear it's magic. He makes the most delicious things appear out of it, much to this distain of my jeans.
So we had a very happy Christmas. I think the kids were the most excited that my dad had a big wooden playground delivered. Hud was amazed to see an 18 wheeler in front of our house. Now if it would only stop raining so they could play on it so Barker and I could put everything Christmas back in the attic for another year.
