Key Family Christmas 2014

Since my sister and her family went out of town for Christmas, we chose today to celebrate Christmas with my family. We started having a relaxing morning with the boys hanging out with their grandparents.

Casen enjoyed hanging out with grandpa

Camden learned how to make things with beads

We decided during Thanksgiving that we would forgo cooking, and instead eat at our favorite local Mexican restaurant. Also, a request was put in by Shawn for us to have home made ice cream as well. (I am thinking this could be the beginning to a new Christmas tradition.) The boys played some X-box, we enjoyed ice cream, opened gifts and then went and ate our Mexican food.

Everyone enjoying their homemade ice cream

Camden

Mason

Shane excited to receive warm up pants
(like he doesn't already have multiple pairs)

Casen with his football guys

Braden

Four handsome boys!

Christmas 2014

In preparation for Santa, we left him two of our best decorated cookies. If he is anything like me, he absolutely loved them! Since there were only crumbs left on the plate, I am thinking he must of thought there were pretty good!

Well I guess the boys have been good since Santa Claus visited our house this year. I will tell you, there have been times we weren't so sure that Cooper was going to give a good report to Santa, but luckily Santa saw all the good in the boys and brought them some exciting presents.

Camden's gifts on the left and Casen's on the right
with a joint gift in the middle

Since I still have not bought stocking
holders, we improvised.

Ready to open presents

Casey Jones - he was so excited

Excited about his Ninja Turtle guy

Every year the boys make us gifts at school. I absolutely love and cherish these gifts since they generally have their fingerprints on them. This year was no different. 

Casen made us a plate

Camden made an ornament

We have spent a better part of the day playing the new XBox with Kinect. I love how both Camden and Casen can play the games. They especially love the soccer and bowling. 

Later this morning, Shane's parents came by to see what the boys received for Christmas. They enjoyed showing their grandparents their new toys and made sure they watched them play their X-Box.

A great day was had by all! 

Merry Christmas from The Hoods!

Hood Family Christmas 2014

Saturday evening we celebrate the Hood Family Christmas in Lumberton and Shane's parent's house. Shane sister, Shanelle, and her family were there as well as Shane's parents. We started out by taking a family picture and then we opened presents. I believe we each got what we asked for, plus some!!!

Camden loved all of this GI Joe guys.

Casen was thrilled to get GI Joe guys too!

Malachi

Gavin playing with his new BumbleBee Transformer

Earlier in the week Casen was having some wheezing with a cough however after a day of breathing treatments, we got his wheezing under control. When I picked him up from school on Friday, he was running a low grade fever, and by Saturday evening it was running close to 102. Sunday morning when he woke up with fever and complaints of his mouth hurting, I decided I would take him to the minute clinic in Beaumont to make sure he did not have strep throat or anything else exciting. The nurse practitioner said his ears looked good, however his throat was a little red and she went ahead and prescribed him an antibiotic that would cover strep if he did have it. He wasn't his perky self, however so long as I kept his fever under control he was able to have a good time with his brother and cousins. After getting home tonight and looking in his mouth - we believe the mouth pain was due to his molars coming in - thank goodness. We did not want to be spreading anything to his cousins.

Our selfie while we were waiting to
see the Nurse Practitioner

I have been sooooo ready to continue the tradition of decorating Christmas cookies with the boys as my mom used to do with my sister and me. I felt like this was a good year to start the tradition and was excited that Camden and Casen were able to enjoy it with their cousins. We had all sorts of sprinkles everywhere in Nana's kitchen - on the cookies, the table and the floor. But, it was a fun time.

Gavin decorating his cookies.

Camden specifically placing his decorations on the cookie.

Kai enjoyed decorating too!

Casen enjoyed eating them as he decorated.

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These are the cookies we decided we would leave for Santa.

The tree and angel are Camden's.

The Santa with no eyes and the poinsetta with the
LARGE amount of red sprinkles are Casen's .

After we decorated cookies, Nana and Poppa Ron had fun things outside they wanted to do with the boys. Poppa took the boys for their own hayride (minus the hay). They had so much fun and were all smiles.

Nothing but smiles.

Next, Nana wanted to ride in the back of the Jeep with all her boys, so they all stacked in the back and let Poppa drive them around the neighborhood.

Kelsey and Shanelle got there a day before us, so they left a day prior to us. That left Nana and Poppa Ron an extra day to do things with Camden and Casen. 

Nana looking at her calendar with the boys

Nana went on a hayride with the boys

Casen is his daddy - standing with his
hands in his pockets

Shane rode the boys to a playground nearby to run off some energy.

 

We had a great time celebrating Christmas in Lumberton, despite Casen being under the weather. New traditions starting, as well as spending time with family are the things I absolutely love about this time of year.

Fun Stuff from the Week

Today was the boys annual pajama day at school in celebration of the upcoming Christmas Holiday. I generally try to find pajamas that have an actual Christmas theme, however I struggled finding pjs for Camden that we both agreed on. So, Spiderman was the winning choice. Casen on the other hand was easy to please with Mickey Mouse Christmas pajamas.

This evening Melissa came by and dropped off some cute hats for the boys - Camden chose the reindeer and Casen chose the snowman.

Earlier this week, the boys made some cute Snowmen plates with their feet. Gotta love Pinterest ideas! I am not overly crafty, however I thought the plates turned out reasonably well. I love hand print and foot print art - it is always a reminder of just how fast they are growing.