The most wonderful time of the year

I love this time of year and hate that it has already come to a close. We wait and wait and wait for Christmas to get here, and then in a matter of hours, it's all over. Last Friday I took Ian to Holiday In The Park.
It's a little hayride down "Christmas Card Lane" and then to the nature preserve for hot chocolate and cookies and a chance to look at some fish, snakes and some other wildlife. Of course, the highlight of this journey to Ian, was the wildlife! What? The lights and the hayride, weren't his favorite? Nope, the wildlife. That was what he was so excited about. Easy to please, this kid. So after, oh wait. Meant to say that Michael wasn't feeling good, so he stayed home with Emery. It was past her bedtime anyway. I digress. So after the hayride on a tractor through Christmas Card Lane we drive over to THE Chick-fil-a. When I say THE Chick-fil-a, I mean it! This place is a Griswold Christmas X 100. Lights up and down the building in neat little rows, 5 inches apart, a curtain of lights around the entire lot the establishment rests on, and all of the other must have lighting fixtures a kid wants to see. A choir singing Christmas carols and Santa anxiously waiting to hear what each little kid desires at the moment.

We wait in line to see Mr. Claus and have our picture taken. The best part is - I have my own camera - so it is FREE! Gotta love that! It was a great night and it was awesome to spend some time, just the two of us.

On Sunday, the Ludlam clan comes over for our Christmas get together. Michael grilled some ribs and brisket and we watched the kids open their gifts, ate some good food and spent some good quality time together. I love it when we all get together. We always have such a good time and the kids love playing with each other. Ian adores Chandler to death and it gives mommy and daddy a nice little break! It was fun watching the kids open their gifts as their was much excitement!

A few nights later, we decide to take the kids to a neighborhood that really goes all out with the Christmas lights. Michael and I get the kids strapped in, all excited to go, well I am all excited - Michael just goes along - we stop at Starbucks, get our coffee's even though it's 79 degrees out, Christmas music blaring and we are viewing the BEST display's ever. I am oohing and awwing and pointing, so excited about it and what does Ian exclaim over the blaring music? "I want to go home and get my blankie and watch t.v". You gotta be kidding me. So we cut our journey short and decide to read books, rather than watch t.v.

Christmas Eve arrives and we go to the family service at Wesley Memorial where Ian attends school. It was a good service and Ian and all of his school friends got to go on stage and sing a few songs they have learned in Chapel. We got it on video and it is quite funny, as one of Ian's friends is showing Ian his belly the whole time and trying to get him to sit down! Kids are too funny! At the end of the service, the kids waved around their glow-sticks and we sang Silent Night. It was magical! We got home and baked Santa some cookies, wrote him a note and got Ian into bed. Then we had to take ALL of our presents next door to my mom's house, as that is where we were having our Christmas morning. Don't worry, Ian's letter was explicit in letting Santa know we were nextdoor and not at our house and to put the presents under Mamaw's tree.

Christmas morning was so fun, as Ian has reached that age where he gets really excited. I got the first 2 milliseconds on video, as I ran out of tape. Nice going mom. Santa gave him the number 1 request - the remote control dinosaur that burps, stomps, picks up bones, sniffs the bones, rears on it's hind legs and roars his loudest roar.


Ian was on top of the world. The bike we were excited about - was not a hit, but I am sure it will be as he grows.



For now, the dino is all he can think about! Emery was adorable too, gazing at the lights and basking in her buffet of new toys. She loved the paper and just seeing what all the commotion was about! My little angel!




After our delicious meal, we headed over to the park across the street so Ian could run around, ride his bike and Emery could dip her toes into the leaves and the grass for the first time. I had my camera and got some cute shots...

We have had a great couple of days and have loved having daddy home to play. It is always so nice and it makes me sad when he has to go back to work. It seems like everyday we should all be together. That's just the way it should be.