Christmas

We had a great Christmas this year!  Christmas Eve we always spend with Jeremy's family and we usually go to his parents house but this year we had it at our house.  It was a lot of fun to have everyone here.  We had a nice lunch and after we ate we opened gifts with everyone.  Bennett got spoiled and received so many great gifts!  His big gift was from Gigi and Papa Daddy and it was his train table.  He loves his gift and has had a lot of fun playing with it everyday since he got it.  A huge thank you to Papa Daddy and Uncle Josh.  They helped Jeremy put the table together and that thing was a pain to set up!!  After everyone left we got ready for Santa's arrival!

Carder enjoying her new chair

Bennett climbing on his train table box

Playing with his new table!

Milk and cookies set out for Santa

Christmas morning Bennett slept in so we waited for him to wake up.  I am sure in years to come we will wish that was the case.  Once he woke up we ate breakfast then opened gifts.  Bennett didn't quite get it at first but once he opened his first gift he got the hang of it very quickly!!

Checking out his stack of gifts

Tearing into his gift

He loves his new football

Admiring all of his new trains!

Putting his new trains on his train table

Playing with his new Hot Wheels ramp that launches his Hot Wheels.  I don't know who loves it more Bennett or Jeremy!!

After we had Christmas at home and Bennett got a nap we headed over to my dad's house to have Christmas with them.  It was a lot of fun seeing Ryan, Ella, and Bennett get so excited over all of their gifts.  All 3 kiddos got so many great new toys!  They are all spoiled rotten by grandparents!

Happy about his new Rock n Roll Elmo

Ryan and his new Lightening McQueen

Bennett and Ryan playing with Bennett's new truck

Checking out his workbench from Pop Pop!

Ella pushing her baby doll in her shopping cart

Spoiled little boy was very happy!!

Being thrown by Uncle Dallon.  He always goes to Uncle Dallon to get thrown around!

Standing on Pop Pop!

We are so blessed to live close to both of our families and be able to spend time with everyone over the Holidays.  Christmas was great this year and it is so much more fun to see everything through a child's eyes.  We finally have our house back in order and all of the Christmas decorations put away.  Now we are ready to celebrate New Years!  We are excited about 2012 and all that it has in store for us!

Christmas Party

Today at Bennett's school his class had their Christmas Party.  All the parents brought different food and the kids ate and played.  Since the weather was so nice today they moved the party outside on the playground so it worked out really well.  When Bennett came outside he was looking around for me and as soon as he saw me he ran over and hugged my legs screaming "Mama"! So sweet!  Bennett had little interest in eating lunch and he made sure I stayed by his side.  I think he was afraid I was going to leave him.

Sitting at the table with his friends

Not interested in eating his lunch

He was way more interested in playing!

Having fun!

Towards the end of the party Bennett's teacher passed out presents from the teachers to the kids and presents the kids made for the parents.  The teachers got a really cute book for all of the kids and the parents got the sweetest plate with our child's handprints on them.

Our gift!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

Bennett's last day of school is on Tuesday then he is off for the rest of the year.  I can't believe we only have 10 more days until Christmas but what I really can't believe is I have every gift wrapped and ready to go!  

Santa and his poor ears!

We took Bennett to see Santa today and poor Santa may be deaf after he had Bennett screaming in his ear. The Santa we take Bennett to is called The Real Santa and you make an appointment to see him.   You write out a wish list and Santa reads it while they video tape it and take pictures.  Our tape will be mostly screams.  Bennett did the same thing last year and I was pretty sure it was going to be the same reaction this year.  Maybe next year he will have a better reaction to Santa if not maybe I will bring Santa some ear plugs!

Waiting to see Santa

Jeremy and this poor lady trying to get Bennett to stay on Santa's lap

Bennett trying to escape

Doesn't Santa look thrilled!?

Santa reading Bennett's wish list and Bennett screaming "DADA"!

After we left Santa we headed over to Lenox to ride the Pink Pig but the lines were so long to not just ride the Pink Pig but to also buy tickets.  I was in no mood to stand in line for an hour or more with a 2 year old so we just went to eat lunch instead. All in all it was a fun day even if Bennett didn't seem to enjoy everything.  I can't wait to get our video and picture of Bennett in the mail.  The picture I picked out is pretty funny!

Bennett is 2!!!

Bennett turned 2 today!  I cannot believe how quickly the past 2 years have gone and how much he has changed.  I was thinking today that just 2 years ago he was a tiny little newborn who couldn't do anything on his own and today he is a energetic 2 year old who wants to do everything on his own!  Our morning started out with doughnuts and gifts.  We got Bennett a set of table and chairs for our kitchen so he was excited when he came downstairs and saw it.  He enjoyed breakfast sitting like a big boy at his table.

His Happy Birthday sign

His new table all decorated!

Enjoying his doughnut

After breakfast we opened gifts.  We had one small gift to give him since the table was his big gift and we had him open gifts from Mema that came in the mail earlier in the week so we saved them for his actual birthday.  He was so excited to open his gifts!

He got excited when he saw we got him something with Curious George on it!

He love his new book from Mema

So happy!

His birthday candle burning down year 2

Today was a school day for Bennett so we planned to go to school during his lunch time to have lunch with him and we brought cookies for his whole class to enjoy.  He was happy to see us walk in and sat so still when we first got there and ate his lunch.  That didn't last too long soon he wanted either Jeremy or I to sit with him or hold him.  The class sang him Happy Birthday, gave him a hat, and handmade card.  His class is so sweet and they were all so cute.

Eating his cookie

He didn't want to wear the hat so he covered his head so Jeremy couldn't put it on

After school we took him to Target to pick out a toy which was a Hot Wheels car.  I love that a $.99 toy will make a 2 year olds day!  I had to run over to the grocery side of the store to get a few things and Bennett took off down to the ice cream aisle.  It was pretty funny that he knew exactly where to go so since it was his birthday we picked up a little treat for him to have.  After his nap we took him to dinner and got Pizza.  I think Bennett had a great birthday!

He took every car and train he has and put them all on his table

Our sweet 2 year old!

I still can't believe Bennett is 2!  He is the biggest blessing Jeremy or I could have ever asked for.  I am so thankful to be Bennett's mom.  Happy Birthday sweet boy!  We love you more then anything!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

Today we went with my family to a Christmas tree farm to pick out our tree.  The place we go to is great they have a huge variety of trees to choose from and if you want you can cut down your own tree or they have certain types of trees that are already cut that you can choose from.  The pre cut trees are the kind I like so we did not take long at all to pick out our tree.  My dad loaded our tree, their tree, and my sister's tree in his truck so it made it really easy!  After we picked out our trees we went to lunch then my dad delivered all of our trees to us.  I really can't think of a better way to pick out a tree.  We also bought the best tree stand, it is literally called the Marriage Saver tree stand and it is the easiest thing to use.  We had our tree set up in 30 seconds where in past years it has taken hours and there was one year we broke a couple of tree stands so it was money well spent!

Checking out our new tree stand

Jeremy and Bennett in front of our tree!

Me and Bennett and of course he is making a funny face

Ella in front of the pretty tree they had decorated

Bennett saying Dada when he saw one of our Georgia ornaments.  Anytime he sees the Georgia G he says Dada.

Our tree all decorated

Playing with our pug ornament

Bennett learned a new shape because of our tree.  We have a few star ornaments so now he says star and points them out when he sees them on the tree.  We finished all of our decorating around the house and outside.  I love this time of year and I am so excited to have our tree!!  Now I just need to start wrapping gifts so we can put some things under it.  Thankfully I am done Christmas shopping.  I think this is the earliest I have ever been done!