Christmas 2012

Christmas 2011 was just awesome.  Having two boys instead of one made for a different kind of holiday this year, and I am already looking forward to next Christmas when Colson should be walking and even more interactive and playful.  This year, he mainly just hung out and stayed happy.  Cooper on the other hand, was wiiiide open with excitement about the holiday celebrations!

Our first family gathering was with Josh's family at his parent's house.  Cooper and Colson wore their matching shirts announcing they are on the nice list (compliments of their Nan of course).  Cooper had a great time playing with his cousins and his grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  He most definitely gets plenty of attention when he is with his family.

Mark beat Santa this year by getting Coop his #1 requested toy on his list.  He referred to it as "a certain wii game called Go Vacation."  That is because when Santa sent him a video from the Portable North Pole, he said it just like that.  So from that point on, it was "a certain wii game."  He pretty much came out of his skin with excitement over the game!  Of course, the next morning, he insisted we venture out to the mall so he could make sure to tell Santa Claus that he did not have to get him the game anymore because Mark got it for him!

Cooper's Aunt Pam always seems to show him extra attention.  It is so clear that she just adores our boys, and Cooper thinks the world of her for all of the love she shows him.  He has not stopped playing with the gift she gave him, either, as this airplane flies all over our house nowadays.

He also opened up some Hot Wheels from his Aunt Lacina and Uncle James.

Colson received a few more toys which is great since he really has very few.  

But I think he would have preferred to have played with his Pappaw's tool set.  He did not take his eyes off of it!

Our celebration with the Chappelear family, as always, was a blessing.  I find myself thanking God once more for allowing my sons to have such involved, loving, caring, and incredible grandparents in their lives.  

The next morning Buddy and Kelsey set up a hot chocolate party for Cooper.  

Then, we spent Christmas Eve preparing to go to NanPa's for another celebration.

Both boys put on their Christmas outfits.  Cooper in his Christmas sweater that mommy loves and Colson in his first Christmas tie.

Thankfully I was able to sneak in pictures with both of them.  Cooper did not want to have his picture taken with both mommy and Colson, but did agree to just having his picture made with mommy.  No family pictures this year.  Maybe next year.  But we did manage to get some good pictures in front of the tree with each of them.

Cora was also dressed in her Christmas best.  She and Cooper played all night together.  I am thankful the two of them get along so well (most of the time anyway).

I spent some time with Coop and Cora decorating sugar cookies for Santa.  I think they ate more cookies than they decorated, but I would say that is what makes cookie decorating so much fun.

Sadly, my battery died right after I took the first pictures of the night.  So I am counting on Justin and Grace to send me a few more pictures to add to the blog.  I am especially hoping for some of Cooper and Cora with their gifts from Pa and Nan.  Cooper got a big talking dump truck and Cora got a Dora microphone.  It was quite hysterical watching them play with their new toys all night!

Once we arrived back home, Cooper headed outside to sprinkle reindeer food in the front yard for Santa's reindeer.

Then he quickly set out his cookies for Santa.

Then he headed to bed.  He was so excited that he could not sleep.  After about half an hour passed by, Josh went in to check on Cooper.  He was sitting up in bed with his hands propped behind his head, eyes wide open.  That was when we realized that his new room had a straight ahead shot of the chimney from his bed.  Cooper was laying in bed watching the chimney intently, waiting for Santa to arrive.  Josh asked hm what he was doing and he whispered "Waiting for Santa to come down the chimney."  He toughed it out for over an hour, but eventually he fell over and slept soundly.  He was exhausted after all of the excitement from the day.

While he was sleeping, Santa snuck in to deliver toys for the good boys.  He most definitely enjoyed Cooper's cookies, and left him a letter thanking him for them. 

Cooper woke up sometime before the sun came up, and saw that his stocking was stuffed with toys.  He dumped it on the floor, grabbed a few items that caught his eye, and ran to the bed with the items and his letter from Santa, waking us up to show us.  We somehow, sleepily, persuaded him to climb back in bed and go back to sleep.  That was our Christmas miracle.

Later, once the sun was up, he woke us up again and went back into the den to check out his stocking.  As he was digging through, Josh asked him if that was all Santa brought him.  He must have forgotten that Santa delivered toys to the OTHER tree in the playroom, because he said that was all he had.  Funny, though, that he seemed content with it.  Until he saw what else he had coming...

He walked into the playroom and shouted "OH....MY...GOODNESS!!"  We just laughed as he made his way slowly around the tree, checking out the items that Santa had left him the night before.

He immediately unpacked his "wots of cars" and started playing with them.

We had to encourage him to open presents.  He seemed quite content to play with what Santa had brought him.  But once he started opening presents he definitely caught on! This was one of my favorite gifts that I gave him this year - a Super Cooper cape!

Colson just hung out in his chair and watched Cooper open all of his presents for him.  Colson did not get much this year.  There were diapers, a swaddle blanket, a few outfits, a sleeper, and 3 or 4 toys under the tree for him.  But he seemed quite content!

The two of them looked pretty adorable in their matching Christmas pajamas I had Amanda Hackett make for them with some clearance fabric I found after Thanksgiving.  

For breakfast we enjoyed a big casserole, biscuits, and some Santa pancakes for Cooper.  Christmas breakfast is always a special treat.

After breakfast, the mess was cleaned up, the gifts were put in their places, and all of the excitement and anticipation for Christmas morning started fading away.  Too fast.  This year Christmas arrived too fast, happened too fast, and ended too fast.  Maybe I can find a way to make next year's Christmas pass by a little slower so I can soak up a many memories with my family as possible.  This year was a good one for sure, but I wish it could have slowed down...kind of like the last day at work did before the holidays.  That was painfully slow.  Why is it that work days go so slowly but vacation days seem to fly by?

Cooper has been spending his time since Christmas enjoying his new toys.  I have been working around the house doing the usual organizing routine that everyone does after Christmas, trying to find room for the new stuff and find something to do with the old.

But as you can see, he got his "gun to shoot people with."  And he loves it.  So far, he hasn't shot anything he is not supposed to shoot. But we keep Colson inside while Coop is playing, just to be safe!

Since it is almost time to celebrate again, so I will go ahead and wish everyone a Happy New Years!  

I hope that 2012 is filled with as many blessings and wonderful memories as this year was!