Christmas at Poppy/Dee Dee House!
Our plans for Christmas started with a very important question from my dad "If you quit working a week early would you want me to fly you and the boys here for the week?" What?? YES!! Double Yes! Hurry book the tickets before you change your mind! Ha!
So the adventure of my first day as a stay at home mom included me flying by myself with twin toddler boys at the holidays! Merry Christmas to me :-) One of my saving graces was that Justin got me an ipad for Christmas (the story of the ipad Christmas will be in a later post.. too funny!) Anywho, we downloaded Cars and lots of fun apps for them to color and play trains. The single most challenging part was for sure security. Double stroller, ipad, camera, lap top, jackets for all 3, shoes for all 3, purse, diaper bag, sippy cups, and medicines. It was literally over 12 bins while trying to make sure they didn't get stolen while I got everything on and off the belt. Truly Houston Hobby staff and security are the best and nicest anywhere. They gave the boys "Woody badges" gold stars that look like badges and they were happy and content while I got it all together. Minus a small delay which tested the patience of my little ones we did pretty good. I was insanely stressed of course but we made it! Hallelujah!
Poppy and Dee Dee picked us up at the airport and we were so excited to see them! The fun was ready to start. Here were some of the boys favorite things to do with Poppy and Dee Dee. One of the best was feed the animals. Although after the first day Eli comes up to me and says "Eli no like chickens mom" Ha! They were scared of the chickens and the big crowing rooster. But I don't really blame them. They loved to feed the horses and the goats. And to feed the bunny. Dee Dee would let them put the food in the cage for the bunny and that was lots of fun.
And basketball!
They also loved their teepee! Dee Dee got them a tee pee when she was in town for Nutcracker Market. It is race cars and she had Beckett & Eli's pit stop monogrammed on the front.
We played endless games in the tee pee. They had a "bug catcher" full of rubber snakes, grasshoppers, and as Eli said "creepy caterpillars!" We threw those things in and out and hid and played for hours with Poppy Dee Dee.
We got out and about and did some fun family and friend visiting too. No Christmas is complete without a children's play right? We were blessed to be home to go see Aunt Gigi in her school Christmas play. She was a dancer and did a great job. The boys entertained themselves with happy meals on the back row.
We had the Clark Christmas and they came down from Birmingham. Ma made her famous Christmas Eve spaghetti and we played in the yard forever. The boys loved opening their gifts too!
We visited Poppy's office, saw the big trucks, and helped him work.
We all went to Sylacauga for a Roberts Family Christmas which was a first for us all to be together in years. We saw my E-Earl and MeMaw which was a blessing and an emotional visit. And we met baby Charlie for the first time.
No good family Christmas dinner is complete without karaoke and Elvis! Jb finally got up and sang Christmas in Dixie and the lady at a table over said "thank goodness! Finally somebody that can really sing!"
We also got to attend the annual Airtek Christmas party and my parents house. Great band, awesome play area for the kids, low country boil complete with fresh shucked raw oysters, and a great night of family and dancing in the barn.
And finally a "Christmas Morning!" Saturday morning before we left we were able to get all the family together for a delicious breakfast and gift opening. What a wonderful way to finish a very special week.
There were so many special moments throughout the week that reminded me over and over that this is truly what Christmas is all about. Gathered as a family, praising God and thanking Him for His blessings, enjoying His beautiful creation, and the joy of little ones on Christmas. To see my brother and his beautiful girlfriend spending time with my little ones, to hear the boys yelling for their "gigi" throughout the house, to watch the boys run into their Poppy and Dee Dee's arms for loving and to see their faces lit up constantly trying to tell me about all the things they were seeing and doing. Thank you Poppy Dee Dee for the memories!
Love,
The Riley's
So the adventure of my first day as a stay at home mom included me flying by myself with twin toddler boys at the holidays! Merry Christmas to me :-) One of my saving graces was that Justin got me an ipad for Christmas (the story of the ipad Christmas will be in a later post.. too funny!) Anywho, we downloaded Cars and lots of fun apps for them to color and play trains. The single most challenging part was for sure security. Double stroller, ipad, camera, lap top, jackets for all 3, shoes for all 3, purse, diaper bag, sippy cups, and medicines. It was literally over 12 bins while trying to make sure they didn't get stolen while I got everything on and off the belt. Truly Houston Hobby staff and security are the best and nicest anywhere. They gave the boys "Woody badges" gold stars that look like badges and they were happy and content while I got it all together. Minus a small delay which tested the patience of my little ones we did pretty good. I was insanely stressed of course but we made it! Hallelujah!
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| Enjoying some airport pizza with mom |
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| Eli trying his ear bud for the first time |
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| The boys listening to cars |
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| Beckett and his ear buds |
One of their favorite Christmas presents was a truck! My parents are actually bringing it next week on a trailer to them so they can cruise the neighborhood and talk to their friends. My guess is they will end up at Addie/Chloe's house! Their legs were a little short for it so Poppy added some wood blocks to the peddle to make it easier. It has a real radio too so they can listen to tunes while they drive around. They already had the tractor and loved driving it too.
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| Uncle Bubba (JB) and his buddy |
And basketball!
They also loved their teepee! Dee Dee got them a tee pee when she was in town for Nutcracker Market. It is race cars and she had Beckett & Eli's pit stop monogrammed on the front.
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| Cutie Dee Dee getting the tee pee to the car |
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| Eli called the carpet grass and he loved to lay in it |
And they loved karaoke. In case you don't speak 2 year old toddler they are saying "to infinity and beyond!" Buzz lightyear style.
We got out and about and did some fun family and friend visiting too. No Christmas is complete without a children's play right? We were blessed to be home to go see Aunt Gigi in her school Christmas play. She was a dancer and did a great job. The boys entertained themselves with happy meals on the back row.
We had the Clark Christmas and they came down from Birmingham. Ma made her famous Christmas Eve spaghetti and we played in the yard forever. The boys loved opening their gifts too!
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| Ma and the kids table |
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| The adults proving they are crazier than the kids table! |
We visited Poppy's office, saw the big trucks, and helped him work.
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| Love this pic! |
We all went to Sylacauga for a Roberts Family Christmas which was a first for us all to be together in years. We saw my E-Earl and MeMaw which was a blessing and an emotional visit. And we met baby Charlie for the first time.
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| With baby Charlie and my brother |
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| My cousin Lori and her baby Charlie |
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| Four Generations! |
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| Beckett taking a walk with Madison |
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| Talking to Aunt Brenda |
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| Uncle Bubba and little Charlie |
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| Roberts Family Christmas |
No good family Christmas dinner is complete without karaoke and Elvis! Jb finally got up and sang Christmas in Dixie and the lady at a table over said "thank goodness! Finally somebody that can really sing!"
We also got to attend the annual Airtek Christmas party and my parents house. Great band, awesome play area for the kids, low country boil complete with fresh shucked raw oysters, and a great night of family and dancing in the barn.
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| Getting dressed for the party |
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| The tent |
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| Love these centerpieces my mom did |
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| walkway from the house |
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| the barn |
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| Gracie geting her picture drawn by the artist |
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| the perfect Christmas barn |
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| Oysters! |
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| air hockey twin toddler style |
And finally a "Christmas Morning!" Saturday morning before we left we were able to get all the family together for a delicious breakfast and gift opening. What a wonderful way to finish a very special week.
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| My Ma and our famous Christmas mimosas |
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| The portrait of ma and all her grandkids that we gave her. Tears for sure! |
There were so many special moments throughout the week that reminded me over and over that this is truly what Christmas is all about. Gathered as a family, praising God and thanking Him for His blessings, enjoying His beautiful creation, and the joy of little ones on Christmas. To see my brother and his beautiful girlfriend spending time with my little ones, to hear the boys yelling for their "gigi" throughout the house, to watch the boys run into their Poppy and Dee Dee's arms for loving and to see their faces lit up constantly trying to tell me about all the things they were seeing and doing. Thank you Poppy Dee Dee for the memories!
Love,
The Riley's