Day After Christmas Snow!

It really snowed; really, we were THIS close to having a White Christmas.  We're going to go ahead and call it that because we celebrated Christmas with Nanoo, Pop and Cacoo.  When they arrived, it was still snowing!

I was the first to wake up and discover the snow.  I ran out to take a picture of our house at about 6:45 and then headed back in to have a cup of coffee and enjoy the peace and quiet inside while watching the snow continue to fall outside.

Once the kids woke up, they were jumping for joy, but it took them a while to get dressed for the cold.  Tex didn't need any convincing!

McIver tried to fool Tex by throwing snowballs.  It didn't take him long to figure it out.

See all that snow on my car!?

Sweet Tex couldn't get enough.

They had a blast, but still had another whole Christmas to look forward to with Nanoo, Pop and Cacoo who were on the way.

Christmas Day 2010

Will was on call the whole week leading up to Christmas so he didn't have the luxury of hanging out in his PJs all day (like Olivia did!).  He was in the shower when the kids finally woke up on Christmas morning.  So, the children had to wait (not-so-patiently) on the steps for him to come down.  

As they rounded the corner, the first thing they saw was the giant air hockey table box.  They were SO excited!

Olivia was equally excited about the can of boiled peanuts that Santa left for her.

Tex got a giant rope chewy and a new cow squeaky toy.  The chewy didn't last very long, but he's still madly in love with the cow.

It took a little while, but Olivia finally went over to the air hockey table and realized that it wasn't in the box.  Santa had already put it together in the play room.  BIG hit!  And, it even glows in the dark.

Later in the afternoon, GranGran, GranDaddy and Mamoo came over to have lunch with us.  GranGran and Olivia played air hockey.

Mamoo loved the picture we gave her.

McIver put together all of the glow-in-the-dark bracelets from his stocking and jump roped around the house.

Everyone had a really great Christmas, but the fun wasn't over yet.  We went to bed and were anxious for Nanoo, Pop and Cacoo's arrival on Sunday ... and the possibility of snow!

Christmas Eve 2010

I caught Olivia and McIver sitting together on the sofa.  They were quietly, peacefully going through the stack of our Christmas books and it MELTED my heart.  I just had to snap a picture to remind me how sweet they can be to each other.

Olivia felt bad that she is the only one of our family to have a name on her stocking.  So, she grabbed her little art box and some paper and got to work. Will's name tag has a stethoscope, a syringe and a thermometer.  Mine has 'teacher stuff' - a chalkboard and the ABCs.  McIver's has a soccer, football and baseball.

Will and McIver left a few minutes before we did to pick up Mamoo for the Christmas Eve service at her church.  Olivia and I planned to walk and had time to stop for a quick picture.  Mamoo really enjoyed having us at her church.  She just beamed every time she introduced Will or Olivia and McIver to her friends.

After church, we went to a Christmas Eve drop-in at our neighbor's mother's house.  Olivia and McIver had a ball running around with all the other children.  Afterwards, we came home to start a fire, read Twas the Night Before Christmas and get everyone nestled all snug in their beds.  But first, a few pictures, of course.

We decided to try the timer so I could be in a picture.

We almost forgot to leave out cookies and milk for Santa and cheese for Santa Mouse.

Olivia sprinkled the reindeer food in the front yard.

Looks like it didn't take long for Santa to get into his treats.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

I decided this year that I wanted to make The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls to give to the sweet ladies who work with Will as well as a few friends, neighbors and teachers.  I don't think I've ever used yeast before so it was quite an adventure ... and quite a mess.  I made the recipe twice and think that the second batch was better than the first.  They don't look exactly like the pictures on The Pioneer Woman's blog, but they're pretty close.

Olivia got in on the action right at the end.

Christmas Card photo shoot

Last year I was Johnny-on-the-Spot with our Christmas cards because I wanted to be sure that everyone had our new address is Columbia.  This year, though, was a different story.  I just couldn't decide what I wanted to do this year.  Then, one morning, Olivia was dressed for a chorus concert at the Junior League's Holiday Market so I thought it would be fun to have a little photo shoot before school.

This one was okay, but then we thought we might want to have Tex in the picture.

We got this one, but Tex's ears are blocking Olivia and McIver's faces.

This definitely won't do.

Okay, we'll try a few in a different spot, without Tex, but then the kids started getting silly...

... and sillier,

... and sillier, 

until Olivia couldn't focus and had tears in her eyes.

And just wanted her brother to GET OFF.

So, we settled on this one.  Want to know how to get Tex's attention so he'll perk up his ears and tilt his head in such a cute way?  

"Tex, where's your ball?"

Gamecock Basketball

Will's Uncle Bobby sent us tickets to a USC basketball game.  Now that McIver is a Gamecock fan, he was even more excited to go to the game.  Will was on call, and having a long day, so he had to meet us there.  But, he didn't get there until almost the end of the second quarter, so poor Olivia was has asking me questions about basketball that I could not answer.  She has joined the Trinity 3rd grade basketball team and is loving it.

McIver scaled two rows of seats trying to scramble and get a t-shirt that a cheerleader threw into the crowd.  He almost came to blows with a college kid over the shirt.  Too bad it's an XL and he won't be able to wear it until he's actually in college!

Even though Olivia professes to be a diehard Clemson fan, she still wanted her picture taken with the Carolina shirt.

We're looking forward to two more games during the Christmas holidays, thanks to Uncle Bobby. I think he keeps sending the tickets because he's trying to be sure McIver doesn't slip back to the 'other side' (being a Clemson fan, that is).

Cookie Decorating & Beach

I took off Saturday morning to do a little shopping.  I found a lamp for our new living room and made a few other stops before heading back just in time to help clean up after the cookie decorating.  Will has got the whole process down to a science.  He made the cookies ahead of time so that Amelia, JuliAnna and Jenna could get straight to decorating.  From what I heard, they all enjoyed themselves.  

My camera battery was losing power so I took a few pictures with my cell phone.  

Olivia with Eliza.

Olivia with just some of the cookies.

Saturday was pretty cold and wet, but we managed to get to the beach for just a few short minutes.  Tex didn't mind the cold weather one bit.

Olivia was quite bundled up.

McIver was cold, but still managed to hunt for some shells.

Brookgreen Gardens

We spent last weekend at the beach to celebrate Christmas with Will's family.  Friday night we met Robert and Kelli and their girls at Brookgreen Gardens for the Night of a Thousand Candles.  

We started out in the Pavillion for a private party being hosted by some friends of Ginny and Jimmy.  The children enjoyed some hot chocolate with LOTS of marshmallows.

Olivia, Amelia and GranDaddy

Hugh, who hosted the party, told us we should go straight to the Children's Garden since our time might be limited by hungry children and/or cold weather.  Thankfully, it wasn't too terribly cold - winter weather, for sure, but we were prepared with scarves, gloves, etc.

Amelia and Olivia stuck together most of the evening.  I bet Olivia will be a world-class babysitter in a few years - she was like a Pied Piper to Amelia.

McIver's such a ham in front of the camera these days.

McIver stopped to check out the rice fields and wondered if there were any alligators.

A quick picture with mom.

After getting our fill of Christmas lights at Brookgreen, we headed to Nance's for oysters.  McIver too his turn holding little Eliza.

Olivia entertained Amelia and even taught her how to play Spot It, one of our new favorite games.