Christmas Celebrations

Last Tuesday, Claire made cookies for Santa.  First she made peanut butter cookies and pressed Hershey’s kisses into them; and then she made some chocolate chip cookies.

Claire unwrapping Hershey’s kisses

Pressing them into peanut butter cookies hot out of the oven

Leaving her freshly-baked cookies out for Santa to enjoy

The aftermath – Santa was a bit messy, but at least he used a napkin!

Claire’s presents

Cale’s presents

After opening presents and enjoying some playtime, we loaded up the van and headed to Tulsa.

Friday morning we visited GiGi.  (Here are some pictures from our visit with her.  There are more pictures on Cale’s blog.)

MiMi and PopPop with their grandbabies (Analise, Kenley, Claire, Allie and Cale)

GiGi with her great-grandbabies

Thursday afternoon was spent shopping and playing.  Grandma Robin sent Claire $2 which she used to ride the carousel at the mall.  She also got to play on the playground with Analise.  So much fun!

Friday, we went to see the Jolly Old Elf.

Cale meeting Santa

The Norton Kids and The Big Guy

Friday afternoon we had Nanny’s 90th birthday party.  It was a lot of fun.  Friday night, Santa came to MiMi and PopPop’s house. 

 

Claire telling us about Santa (He brings presents and says “Ho! Ho! Ho!”)

Claire talking to Santa

Santa brought all of the girls matching jammies, and he brought Cale some Santa jammies.

On Saturday, we celebrated Christmas.

Opening presents

Our girls

Singing “Jingle Bells” with jingle bell bracelets

Listening to PopPop read the Christmas Story from the Bible

Reading “The Night Before Christmas” with PopPop

On Sunday, we went to Adam and Shannon’s house for lunch.  Analise and Allie got a pony from Santa Claus, and Claire got to ride him!

Claire and Analise wearing their cowgirl boots – ready to ride!

Claire’s first pony ride

Claire on Cherokee with Aunt Shannon and Uncle Adam (also known as simply “Uncle”)

We had a great time in Tulsa.  We did quite a bit of shopping, eating, partying and celebrating.  Hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas!

Playing “Snowman”

Claire and her daddy had a pillow fight and destroyed a pillow.  Claire had so much fun with the stuffing!  She says she’s playing “snowman.”  What a doll!!!

Family

We took these pictures at the Mercer Botanic Gardens last week.  Claire is 2 1/2 years old.  Cale was just three days old when these pictures were taken.

We are so very blessed!!!

Thank you, PopPop, for being our photographer.  And thank you, MiMi, for helping us tote our stuff and for helping to keep Claire’s attention.  You guys are the best!!  We love you!

Cale

Cale has arrived!!  There are pictures on his blog.

Claire

Claire is 2 1/2  today!  She is so much fun!!

Happy Half, Baby!!  We love you!!!

An Afternoon at the Botanical Garden

We had a great day today!  We started off with an amazing church service, followed by lunch at Rudy’s (Yummy!!!), then a stroll through the Botanical Garden, naps, tacos, a trip to the park, a partial viewing of The Lion King (a gift from Claire and Cale’s Grandma and Grandpa Martin), chats with MiMi and PopPop and now a Christmas movie with brownies and ice cream.

Pics from the garden:

Claire standing on tippy toe to look at the koi

Posing for pictures

My sweet girl

MiMi and PopPop

Claire loves having MiMi and PopPop here!

Sweet girl

Me and my love

My belly is getting HUGE!  I’m getting really excited to meet my baby boy!

I will be going to my weekly midwife appointment tomorrow morning.  Cale is due this coming Friday, but we all know that babies come when babies are ready.  Here’s hoping he’ll be here sooner rather than later.

Fabulous Fall Festival

Since moving back to Houston, we have been attending Grace Church.  We love it!  They have amazing praise and worship and incredible and anointed preaching.  It’s not too big and not too small.  Claire loves it too.  She asks almost daily if we are going to church.  It’s the perfect church home for us!  Last night was no exception.  Grace hosted a Fall Festival for the children of the community.  It was fabulous!

Claire had a wonderful time and woke up this morning telling me all about it.  She’s been talking almost non-stop for the last hour about how much fun she had last night.

Claire dressed up as Minnie Mouse.  She loved her “pickle dot Minnie princess costume” with the “headband” and “hands.”

Checking out her “hands”

Buckled up and ready to go!

Playing in a bouncy house

Playing games for candy

At all but one game, Claire got to pick out her candy.  She always chose Dum Dum Pops.  I’m going to have to teach her to pick out chocolate before we go again next year!

Claire saw a girl dressed up as Strawberry Shortcake, and she believed that she was meeting the REAL Strawberry.  Here they are posing together for a picture.  What a sweet girl!  She was so patient and kind with my baby girl!

Claire also got to hug the Chick-Fil-A cow.

Claire had a great time!  So did her mommy and daddy!