Christmas in July (or January)

So, since it's January 25th, the one month anniversary of Christmas, thought it'd be a good time to post Christmas 2012 pictures. ;)  Behind, a little??  If nothing else, so when my children ask me 20 years from now what their childhood Christmas' looked like, they can refer to this post.

See... your mother cared.  She just got very, very behind.

Plus, I am technically renaming this Keatyn's first Christmas.  When you look like this on your first go around, you deserve a do-over.

Double ear infections.  Bless her heart!

If memory serves me (and it's been a whole month, so I'm a little foggy) we had a WONDERFUL Christmas.  Full of family, friends, food and good health!!

Aside from the scary, uncorrectable red eye and the apparent smoke machine in my living room, these could be some of my favorite family photos.

We had our 30-something annual Christmas breakfast with the Campbells...

Partied with the Gaston's at the Scout House and were visited again by St. Nick and Mrs. Clause...

Keatyn's still not a fan...

In an attempt to make friends, Santa took off her shoe and, if you know my little shoe diva, completely broke her heart.

Cousins...
Generation 1

Generation 2

Generation 3

On Christmas Eve, we went to my parents...

Wall Tracks! 

Christmas morning...

Around lunchtime Christmas day we left for Alabama.  It looked like a bomb went off in my living room and I prayed Santa would come clean up his mess while we were gone, but no.

We were SO glad to get to go to Alabama since we missed it the last 2 years.  Trace went with Sisty and Granddaddy last year, but Keatyn was too sick to go and the year before that it snowed and I was really pregnant, so we stayed home.  I love this tradition of Christmas.  Mimmie was so dearly missed and her absences was felt by everyone. 

We met precious baby Alex...

The kids preparing for their play...

They wanted Keatyn to play the sheep...that didn't quite pan out as planned.

Trace played Joseph and a wise man.  It was absolutely adorable!

The 3 Kings...

Ready for the Marriott...

Soooo Sassy...

It was truly a blessed Christmas! 

Sneaky Cheeky

Our newest Christmas tradition, is a very, very commercial, totally fad craze that will probably faze out in a few years.  None the less... the Cofer's have jumped on the bandwagon.  Much to my mixed emotions. 

The Elf on the Shelf.

I know all the debate right now about Santa Clause and all the commercial Christmas hype.  I agree that teaching your children that Christmas is about our Savior's birth.  I agree 100%.  But I also can't help the enjoyment of Christmas magic that lasts such a short time in a child's life.  So while we "do" Santa, we cover our home in nativity scenes, have an angel and star in lights on the outside of our house, and had Trace write "Jesus Is Born" on a chalkboard as one of our many decorations.  I want my children to get it.  Trying to find the balance...

Anyway, Cheeky arrived in grand style this year.  He rolled Trace's room and left a welcoming note taped to his light fixture.  To see the thrill and dismay in his face when he ran upstairs to change clothes after school and found this, was worth it.

Thanks to Pinterest, Mama had some craftier, more creative ideas that just hanging him from a different light fixture every night!  ha!  There is a special place in heaven for the inventor of Pinterest.

He even referenced in his letter the new additions to our family, Nemo and Dino.

Then he set about making mischief.  He zip-lined across our living room, just like Trace had done in Destin on Thanksgiving.

He rolled our toilet!

He read to his friends.

And got into the chocolate icing and marshmallows.

He even got locked outside one night and nearly froze his little elf tooshy off!

For all the nonsense and silliness this little elf is, it came at a time when Trace was not enthusiastic about going to school and was having some anxiety over it.  So, to have something to bound out of bed and look for every morning the month of December, I feel was a little blessing from above.  It does nothing to teach the true meaning of Christmas, but God works in mysterious ways (and sometimes uses Elves himself.)  :)

Christmas Card 2012

He's been told for nearly 2 years now that when taking a picture with his baby sister, to stand still, look at the camera and continue to smile regardless of what she's doing.  He finally took matters into his own hands...

Love, love, love these 2!!