We decided to spend Christmas 2011 in Springdale with the Bramell's again. It has been so very hard for us these past two years to decide what to do. We understand that The Bramell's just can't come to Wynne for Christmas anymore because it is just too hard on them. (I can't blame them!) I (we) feel bad because we haven't spent Christmas with Jonathan's side of family the last two years. ;( But it is just so much more fun spending Christmas with the little people! We had a blast this past Christmas. Becca is at the perfect age to enjoy Santa. And the twins are just too dang cute!
I took off the whole week before Christmas off work. I met Rhonda in Harrison the Wednesday before Christmas to pick up Carley and Becca. They came to stay with us for a few days to give Rhonda and Lee a break. They were SO very good! I was worried about getting all three because Jonathan still had to work. So just the girls came this time. We had so much fun. We headed to Springdale on Friday and boy oh boy, traveling with kids is VERY VERY different than traveling without! It took us 6 hours instead of the 4 it normally takes. Ha! We are getting some practice in! Grammy was already at the Bramell's and had been helping Rhonda clean house. Becca was missing the rest of her family and couldn't wait to get home to see them. She walked in the front door and the first thing she said was, "The house is clean!" HAHA!!! Bless her!
Christmas Eve was Saturday and we had a few last minute gifts to get. Jonathan's cousin Chris lives up in Bella Vista and we never get up there to see him when we are in NWA. So, we decided to head up there Saturday and visit with him and Aunt Robin for a few hours while mom and Rhonda were cooking our Christmas dinner. We got back late that afternoon and ate a wonderful dinner and then got ready for Santa to visit.
I think I was more excited than the kids Christmas morning because I was up WAY before everyone else. I guess that some things never change! Ha! I am posting a lot of pics because these kids are too cute to pick just a few!
A friend of Rhonda's gave Evan this little Santa suit! He was SO cute running around the house, hamming it up! I think he made a great little Santa!!
BTW, chalk doesn't taste good!
OMG! Oh, how I love this little girl!!!!!!!!!
And this one too!!!!
Rhonda has started a new tradition of having the kids in matching PJ's on Christmas! They were SO cute running around.
I really don't need to explain how hard it is to get all 3 of them looking at the camera at the same time......much less all smiling!
Seriously, I could just eat her up!!!!!!
Becca got a new Princess car seat! Rhonda and Lee gave it to her Christmas Eve and she loved it!
Two sleepy babies!!!!! Cuteness!!!
Binkies and sippy cups......time for bed!!!
Becca Boo must have been a good girl because Santa was super good to her this year!!! I love this picture! She is just taking it all in!!
This was her BIG gift! It is just what she wanted!!!
We did presents for a little while then took a break for breakfast, then finished.
Becca was so much fun this year. She was so excited and loved everything she got.
The kids all got various riding toys. It didn't take long for all three of them to start doing circles around the house, chasing each other!
Me and my Carley bug!
Lee and Rhonda exchange cards every year and Becca was helping Rhonda read hers.
Grammy was there for all the fun too!
Uncle T helped Carley with her stocking. The babies didn't know what to think about all this craziness!!!
When Lee was growing up, Santa always left an orange in everyone's stocking. So the tradition continues! I guess that we will adopt that tradition too!
Since The Bramell's got us AWESOME new stockings last year, we thought we would see if Santa would fill them for us and he did! And we got oranges, too!!! ;)
Carley LOVES shoes!!! We got her two pair. These little red Mary Jane's squeak when she walks. As soon as she opened them, we had to put them on. She squeaked around the house all day! We tried her other new pair on her later and when she realized that they didn't squeak, she wanted her red ones back on!
Lee is a HUGE Kansas City Royals fan and we couldn't wait to give him his gift this year!!! The 2012 All-Star Game is being held in Kansas City and Rhonda has promised Lee that they would go. Jonathan checked my email one day and noticed an email from the Royals about a "brick" program they were doing in honor of the All-Star game. You buy a brick, they personalize it, and they are going to install them all at the entrance to the stadium. They will be there forever! So we bought Lee a brick that says, "Loyal Royals Fan Lee Bramell."
I think Jonathan was more excited for Lee to open his gift than anything else. I wasn't even sure he could wait until Christmas morning!
When you buy a brick, they send you a certificate. Lee was brick 17!!!
I think he likes it!
Dad got Lee the replica brick and case so he could have one at his house too!
We got Evan this dump truck. The first thing he did when he opened it was try to ride it. I talked to Rhonda about a week after Christmas and she said he had figured out how to take the bucket off so he could reach the floor to ride it!! Stinker!
Mom got Evan and Carley these cute rocker/riders!
Aunt Nanette got Becca these cute boots and I think Rhonda got her the dress. We were so lucky to have Boo model her new outfit! I love that she will pose for pictures now! Such a pretty girl!
LOVE THIS ONE!!!! Isn't she just the cutest thing ever?!?!?
I hope everyone had a great Christmas and I can't wait for next year! As the babies get older, it is just going to get more and more fun!
