The Christmas Story

I saw this on another blog and had to share. Not only is it adorable but what a great way to teach other children the story of Jesus' birth!

White Christmas

When my family lived in Long Island we were used to snow but now that we have been in the South for over 20 years I get really excited every time we get any! We have never had a White Christmas since moving to Georgia. I can even remember one year it was so hot we had the windows open and were wearing short sleeves! Well, this year was another story and we finally got a White Christmas!! In the middle of the afternoon on Saturday light rain gave way to snow and it kept up for a few hours. By the time we went to bed we had accumulated a few inches! It wasn’t sticking to the pavement but because it had been raining earlier and the temperatures dropped, the roads weren't safe so we had a slumber party at my parent’s house. That definitely wasn’t the most fun night ever…but I certainly enjoyed having a White Christmas and waking up to such a beautiful view in the morning!!

Christmas Day

Even though we slept at our own house, we packed the car and drove back to Hattie and Poppy’s first thing in the morning! What a sight when we walked in! The tree was surrounded by colorful presents and it was obvious that Santa had been very good to us this year. The whole family sat down for breakfast before we got started and then we opened presents in our pajamas until around 2 in the afternoon. We played lots of card games and ended up staying in our jams the entire day! Halfway through the day snow clouds rolled in and started dusting the grass and trees with fluffy white snowflakes. It was the first White Christmas in Georgia in over 120 years! How special that Carter’s first Christmas was also our first White Christmas since leaving Long Island. Later on, Carter enjoyed a few bites of twice baked potatoes before getting tucked in for the night. Everyone else spent the rest of the evening watching the snow fall (post coming), eating “Reindeer Diapers,” and playing Team Gin.

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve we spent most of the day relaxing at home with our little family. After getting all dressed up we headed down towards my parent’s neck of the woods and attended the candle light service at Perimeter Church. Carter was so well behaved during the service but right in the middle of Silent Night he let out a huge BURP! Hahaha! At least the people in front of us thought it was just as funny as we did! Afterward we went back to their house for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of shrimp and pesto pasta. The boys played cards, we filled up our bellies, and everyone got a chance to play with the bubs. We typically open our family gifts on Christmas Eve but since we did Secret Santa picks this year we waited until the morning. Carter helped everyone open their new jammies and we posed for lots of pictures before packing up the car and heading home.

The Jacks

Before Carter I was mildly obsessed with our dogs. They got all of my attention, slept in our bed on occasion, went for lots of walks, and had many trips to the dog park. Then when Carter came, the pups took a back seat to my new priority. It was really hard work caring for a newborn and two very demanding, high energy dogs and many days I threatened to get rid of them. When our female Jack started digging out under the fence and running away multiple times a week, I seriously considered not looking for her. Every time they barked, C would wake up and it was driving me crazy. I admit I was not the best dog mom for many, many months and had even gone so far as to look into rehoming them. Then, all of a sudden, something changed. Things got easier. I got the hang of taking care of Carter and the Jacks together. Not every day is a walk in the park and they still can get on my nerves, but I am thankful to have these two crazy dogs and hope to have them around for a long time!

Lots of Noise

We are celebrating the holidays with family and friends but in case you need a dose of the bubs here are two videos I took! He is such a talker now and spends most of his waking hours making lots of noise!

Merry Christmas

All 100 Christmas cards have been licked, stamped, and mailed but to all my bloggy friends:

The Greatest Christmas Gift

Each year we are reminded that Christmas should not be just about giving and receiving presents. But if we really think about Christmas, it truly is all about gift giving! At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the greatest gift ever given! This year we are also so blessed to be celebrating the birth of our own son and sharing all of our Christmas traditions with him. I could never have imagined how much more special this time of year is now that I can share it with Carter and thank God that He allowed us to have one of His little angels. In all of the hustle and bustle we sometimes loose sight of the why but hopefully we can make sure Carter understands from a young age ‘the true reason for the season.’

Snow falling gently on the ground
'Tis is the night before
And in my heart there is no doubt
That this is gonna be
The brightest holiday
'Cause here you are with me
Baby, baby, I can't wait
To spend this special time of year with someone who
Makes me feel the special way that you do

We'll stay up late tonight
Decorate the tree
Just look into my eyes
And I will tell you truthfully
That I don't need no Santa Claus
To hear my Christmas wish
I got you in my arms
And what could be a better gift
Than to spend my very favorite time of year
With the one I really love so near!

I hope this evening finds you surrounded by family and friends and no matter what holiday you celebrate we wish you all the best in the months to come. Merry, Merry Christmas Eve! xoxo The Hamiltons

Chrismukkah

The other night we hosted the Gordons for Chrismukkah! Because they celebrate Hanukkah and we celebrate Christmas, Shari and I decided to partake in our own event where the boys (and our families) can come together to celebrate, play, and exchange gifts. We are so thankful for their friendship and hopefully this is a tradition we can continue for many years to come!

Bella and OB

This past weekend Carter’s grands came to visit! They were just in town for the day and stopped by to celebrate Linc’s brother’s birthday. After a yummy lunch and some cake, Bella brought out an early Christmas present for our boy! It was the most precious book titled “The Very First Christmas” with their voices recorded throughout the story reading aloud to baby C! He also got a beautiful ornament that we hung on the tree (after taunting him with it to get him to look at the camera). Thanks Bella and OB! We can’t wait to celebrate with you again in a few weeks and ring in the New Year! xoxo

BB Secret Santa

Last Thursday Carter and I hosted the First Annual Baby Brigade Secret Santa Exchange Party! It had been months since all ten mommies and babies had been together and I am thrilled everyone was able to attend. Julie and Beth even took a day off of work in order to make it and hopefully they had as much fun as I did! We had some delicious food, helped the babies open their presents, and watched them roll around in the wrapping paper. It was a great day to celebrate and I’m looking forward to making this a yearly tradition with all of our new friends!

Cruisin’

This month Carter has really started to move! He loves to pull up on anything and everything and cruise around. So far he is pretty cautious, but he has been watching his other friends pull up and let go!! Hopefully he will continue to hang on to the furniture and not be too brave. Not sure how many bumps and bruises mommy can handle! Here are two little clips we took of him the other night. I love that while he’s walking he says “momma, momma” the entire time! Melts my heart!

Baby C learns to cruise on the furniture. December 2010

12 Days (until) Christmas

We started the countdown to Christmas by allowing Carter to open some of his presents early! I didn’t want him to be totally overwhelmed on Christmas morning so every few days I have given him something he would have gotten from Santa. We started on December 13^th with a new TV clicker. It lights up and makes crazy noises and will hopefully distract Carter from his obsession with our electronics. The second night he got a monogrammed tool box just like his daddy! It came with a saw, drill, hammer, screws, and a ruler. I forgot to take pictures on the first night of presents so we posed for a few after dinner!