Callaway Gardens 2010

Since we got out for Christmas break on Thursday, we decided to visit Fantasy in Lights on Friday instead of waiting till Saturday.  We debated over it some.  Getting the hubs to leave work early and therefore  actually leave the house on time can be a bit of a challenge.  But we decided that it would make more sense to go on Friday.  And am I glad we did.  Friday was clear and cool…it was colder on the trolley than it has been the last few years, but definitely not the coldest it’s ever been.  Saturday was a whole different story.  We woke Saturday to freezing temperatures and rain.  I am so, so, so  glad that we rode the trolley on Friday!  However, no trip to Callaway is complete without visiting the Butterfly & Horticulture Centers so after our scrumptious breakfast at the Country Store, we braved the cold and the rain and headed to the Gardens.

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My boys enjoy trying to spot the various butterflies.  Trey, in particular, likes to try to identify all the different ones.  However, they were getting quite frustrated with my obsession with  photographing this little guy.  He just sat there on the orange slice, eating.  You could see his tongue roll out and then he would roll it back up and then repeat the whole process.  This went on for several minutes and I was fascinated with photographing him.  The boys found it fascinating for about 36 seconds.  Then they were ready to go feed the fish. 

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After finally getting to feed the fish, it was time to head to the Horticulture Center and my boys were in a photo taking mood!  Yay!!!

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I just love all of the garden sculptures.  It is one of my favorite  things about visiting the Gardens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But my very most favorite thing about our annual trip to Callaway is spending this special time with my boys and making wonderful memories that we will all cherish for a lifetime.

Fantasy in Lights, Year Ten

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved looking at Christmas lights. Not long after we got married, I began hearing about the awesome light show at Callaway Gardens and I set my heart on going. In 2001, the Christmas I was pregnant with Trey, Phil treated me with a trip to Callaway for our anniversary. And I fell in love. The gardens are amazing and the lights are spectacular. We have returned each and every year since and it is always wonderful. And thankfully my boys love looking at the lights just as much as I do!

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We have been visiting the Santa at Callaway since Trey’s first Christmas in 2002. He is an amazing Santa with an old fashion coat and a real beard. To my boys he is the real Santa! For seven of Trey’s nine Christmases this has been the Santa lap that he has sat on and told his wish list to. The other two years (one of which was last year) , there was a replacement Santa and they were not nearly as good. Last year’s Santa was especially fake looking and I was extremely disappointed. I was so happy to see our Santa back this year.

Jesse was no more enthused about seeing this Santa than he was the day before seeing the Santa at school. He did not have a smile at all in the first photo. Luckily, there was no line this year, so the photographer was able to take the time to wait for him to decide to cooperate:-)

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Our second stop at Santa’s Village was to paint the boys’ annual ornament for our tree. And in true Christmas tradition, they both painted their ornaments with a rainbow of colors.

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After a few more photos, a quick walk around Santa’s workshop, & a quick bite to eat, it was time to hit the Jolly Trolley for our ride through the Fantasy in Lights!

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If you enjoy looking at lights, there are a ton of photos in the above album…but here are my three favorites from the night!

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And finally, instead of trying to capture FIL the frog as he leaped into the pond this year, I videoed him. Jesse really, really, wanted me to & I just can’t resist him!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

My precious baby boy…

 

Tasty Tuesday—Christmas Traditions

Several years ago, I heard about these cute (and really simple and super easy) reindeer cookies.  Trey and I made them that year, and my boys and I have made them every year since…a very tasty Christmas tradition!

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are so simple that the boys do most of the work themselves.  Should you want to make your own reindeer cookies all you need is a roll of cookie dough, M & Ms, and pretzels.  I usually use sugar cookie dough, but this year I accidently picked up chocolate chip dough so our reindeer had freckles:-)  To make the reindeer, you slice the dough into circles and gently pinch the middle to make the head shape.  Then add pretzel antlers, M & M eyes and nose,  and bake according to package directions.  Easy, easy, easy and Santa loves ‘em!

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Last week, my very creative scrapbooking and blogging buddy Nancy , posted about making snowman pops with her girls.  She had borrowed the idea from another blog, and the pops looked so cute and so easy that I decided to borrow the idea from her and make snowman pops with my boys.  So while I was picking up cookie dough, M & Ms, and pretzels for reindeer cookies, I also picked up small wooden dowels, marshmallows, white chocolate candy melts, and mini M & Ms for snowmen pops. (You could use almond bark instead of candy melts but I found that candy melts work much, much better.  You can find them in the wedding section of the craft section at WalMart.  I also got the small, wooden dowels in the craft section.)  Then all you have to do is place three marshmallows per wooden dowel, melt the candy melts and completely coat the marshmallows, quickly place mini M & M eyes, nose, and buttons, and place on wax paper to dry.  Once dry I placed them in individual clear party bags (also found in the craft section) and they were ready to hand out.  And they were soooooooo very yummy!!!  Especially with hot chocolate!   Wa-la!  A new Christmas tradition was born!

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Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year.  Yes, I have frequently blogged about how much I love summer.  And I do!  But Christmas has been my favorite since I was a little girl and it’s wonderfulness has only increased since I became a Mama and we began making our very own family traditions.  My boys love spending time in the kitchen making goodies, and I love spending time with them making memories.

Christmas parties, Christmas parties, Christmas parties…

Tis the season for Christmas parties, and we had lots of them to enjoy this Christmas!  The ladies of our Heart & Home women’s group held our annual Christmas party on December 13th at the Blueberry Inn.  Despite the fact that they lost our reservation, were out of anything that had chicken or steak in it and ran out of any kind of potato except for fries halfway through taking our orders, did not have enough help working and provided extremely slow service…yes, despite ALL that, we still had a great time.  My good friend, Lora, and I agreed that we were just happy to be out at a restaurant enjoying adult company WITHOUT any kids:-)  Truth be told though, our Heart and Home group is comprised of a great group of ladies and we always have a good time when we’re together…no matter what the circumstances are!

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Thursday, December 16th was our last day of school so the boys and I all had parties in our classrooms!  It was a wonderful day filled with food, friendship, more food, and Santa!

To kick off the third grade party, Trey and his classmates made a nativity scene ornament and I got to sneak in for a few minutes and watch.  Afterwards they had their gift exchange and Trey was very excited to receive the movie Home Alone.

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The third grade also had lots of yummy food to enjoy!  I didn’t eat any though because I had plenty of yummy food myself down in the fourth grade room, including snowball pops made from crumbled up cake and icing.  I’ve seen several recipes for these recently and I’m going to have to try my hand at them.  They are delish!!!  After Trey’s party, he got to go home with Ah-ee and watch his new movie, and I (after completing some work and hanging around for a few hours) got to go enjoy Jesse’s party with him.

The preschool kids actually partied all day!  Jesse was most excited about the happy meals that they got for lunch and his new Georgia Bulldog that he had received when they opened their gifts.  When I arrived he couldn’t wait to drag me out into the hallway and show me!  He was also very excited about Santa’s visit!  When I arrived, the kids were settling down to listen to a story while they waited on Santa…

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Suddenly they heard that someone was coming, and they all got very still and quiet…

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The big guy had arrived and all the kids were very excited to sit in his lap and tell him all about their wish lists…

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Jesse’s friends were all taking turns sitting with Santa.  But where was Jesse?  The little boy who just moments earlier had been brimming with excitement was hiding and not wanting to go see Santa.  However, since I had been hanging around school for THREE hours waiting on the big guy to arrive, I was determined that Jesse was going to take his turn.  After much begging, pleading, and cajoling, I finally got Jesse to sit on Santa’s lap for a brief photo!

And it was a brief moment!  Once Jesse had taken his photo, he was ready to head home and start our Christmas vacation!!!  No school for SEVENTEEN days (including weekends).  Yippee!!!

The Missing Magi—December 12, 2010

Both boys had parts in our church’s Christmas play, The Missing Magi,  this year.  The play is about a group of kids putting on a Christmas play and was really cute!   Trey had a couple of speaking parts & Jesse got to come in at the end as one of the homeless children and sing the last couple of songs.   Even though they both missed the last practice on that Saturday due to them BOTH RUNNING FEVERS AND HAVING A STOMACH VIRUS, they were fever free by Sunday night and did an excellent job!  My camera on the other hand did not do such a good job so not too many photos. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Our homeless women & children getting ready to “crash” the Christmas play.  They did great…especially the ladies who really got into their roles!

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It was another wonderful performance!!!  Thank you to Mrs. Kay, Mrs. Lora, Mrs. Jessica, and all the other wonderful women who not only worked tirelessly to put this production together, but who work tirelessly with our children each and every week!  I am so thankfully that my boys have each one of you to help guide them and teach them as they continue to learn and grow in Christ.

The Magi Visit the Messiah
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler  who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.  He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Luke 2:1-12

Merry CHRISTmas!!!

 
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

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From our family to yours, we wish you all a very merry CHRISTmas!!!
May the love of our Lord fill your heart and may you never forget that Jesus is the only reason for the season!!!
Phil, Christy, Trey, & Jesse

The beginning of Christmas 2010 Part 2

After eating shrimp gumbo & chasing lizards at Papa & Ah-ee’s, it was time to head to Grandma & Da’s and pick out the perfect tree!

Daddy brought the chainsaw this year and made quick work out of cutting down the tree.

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Once the tree was loaded (& reloaded after we lost it going down the highway), it was time to go back to Papa & Ah-ee’s so the boys could go home with Hinson!

The boys always have a great time at Hinson’s house!  They love playing with Hinson, they love baking and eating goodies with Aunt Lindsey, and they love playing video games with Uncle Chris.  Jesse especially loves it when Uncle Chris defeats Trey at said video games.

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Yes, the boys always have fun at Aunt Lindsey, Uncle Chris, and Hinson’s house.  Unfortunately, for this sleepover, Jesse didn’t actually make it to sleep.  We had to go pick up our baby boy around 11:30.  He wanted his Mama and I couldn’t help but smile at that!

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