The Blackwell Beat: January 2010

****Extra long post with tons of pictures!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. It was Caroline's first Christmas. We enjoyed spending time with all of our family. Here's a recap of our two days........

On Christmas Eve afteroon, we go to my mom and dad's. We enjoy opening presents with my brothers and parents. I didn't take a lot of gift-opening pictures this year (I never use them).

Jed, Brock, and Connor

Notice Brock's mouth. He and Connor ate candy all afternoon.

Can you tell?

Here's a family picture in front of my mom's tree.

Christmas Eve evening, we go to my Meme and Paw-Paw's house. We eat, enjoy time with each other, and open gifts. Connor really enjoyed opening gifts this year. After he opened something, he would say, "Ooh, it's pitty (pretty) momma.

My mean brother put this on Connor's head and said he looked like Caroline with the big bows. I couldn't resist taking a picture.

Caroline stayed awake the whole time. She enjoyed playing with her gifts after we opened them for her. She is such a sweet little girl! Here she is with her mini guitar that meme picked out for her. It was a hit with all of the kids!

Here's a group picture from that night. We are a very big bunch! If we continue to grow we may have to start renting somewhere to have Christmas! Meme and Paw-Paw have two children, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Meme and Paw-Paw's ended Christmas eve for us. We went home, bathed the kids, put them in their new Christmas pjs, and set out cookies for Santa Claus using our new plate and cup made by Brooke Ward Williams. We used the cookies that we made earlier in the week with our cousins. Connor ate his and Caroline's gingerbread cookies, so we put out some of the one's that I iced for Santa. We did two girly ones for Caroline and a few boy ones for Connor.

Christmas morning Caroline woke us up. She was "talking" and laughing in her crib. We woke Connor up so he could see what Santa left him. This is what they found......

Connor got a tractor, Alabama ball and bat, sidewalk chalk, tons of books, a brush, a broom and dust pan, stuffed animal, pjs, clothes, and lots of other stocking stuffers. Caroline got a toy box, a laugh and learn purse, a spin toy, a picture frame, books, clothes, a pair of shoes, and a few stocking stuffers.

After both sets of grandparents came to see what the kids got, we went back to my mom's for breakfast and opened a few more gifts. Then we were off to Nay-Nay and Pop-Pop's for the rest of the day. We enjoyed a wonderful meal, gifts, and just spending time with each other. Here's a few pictures from our time there.

Connor opening his stocking. These are the only pictures of him I could get because he won't pose for pictures anymore. He thinks its cute to run from me!

Caroline posing pretty for the camera.

When we finally got home Christmas night, Jed and I took a few pictures with the kids before we put them to bed.

This picture of Jed and Caroline is one of my favorite holiday pictures!

She looks so cute I could just eat her up!

By the time it was my turn, Connor wasn't in the mood for pictures anymore. We had to bribe him to take them. That's why he has his blue brush in his hand. Caroline looks like she's saying, "Please, NO more!".

Needlesss to say, we had a GREAT holiday! We are so truly blessed to have such great family!

****Note: You'll have to bear with me for the next few posts, I've got to go back and document our Christmas holidays. We've been super busy--work, parties, cleaning, organizing, more parties, and more work. So, I'm going to try my very best to get caught up in three posts.

Every year, my cousin Lauren and I get together at her house to make sugar cookies for Christmas. We have a great time cooking, while the kids have a wonderful time playing together. This year we were VERY brave..... We let the kids help! Yes, I know we are crazy, but they had an awesome time. We hope to continue this tradition for years to come.

Connor just loved it. He has started pulling up a chair to the counter when Jed and I are cooking. So, this was right up his alley!

Connor and Kade worked together. Kade would cut cookies out and before he could pick them up, Connor would cut more out on top of them.

Here's Kade helping Connor. Kade is such a sweetheart. Connor loves him SO much!!!! He's so good with the little kids!

Bailey provided everyone with aprons. She wore a chef's hat. She was too cute!! She and Brock thoroughly enjoyed ~~making~~ eating the cookies. Bailey wanted to cut some out, but before she could Brock would steal her dough and eat it! They were hilarious.

Needless to say, we didn't eat any of the cookies that Bailey and Brock made. We kept those separate!

We also made each of the kids a big gingerbread boy and girl that they could decorate. I helped them, and Lauren took pictures afterwards.

It is so hard to take a picture of Connor lately. He runs away or just won't smile. It is SO not fun. Of course when we took these, he didn't want to do it. We finally talked him into it. Here's the first picture.....