Christmas Eve 2012

We had a very simple Christmas this year.  With Buddy's new job he got back in the summer, he had a very minimal amount of time off. On top of that, his current project is due to be finished shortly after the first of the year, requiring him to work the day after Christmas.  Makes it hard to do our normal holiday traveling when the majority of it takes place after Christmas.  So we stayed home this year, although I will admit it didn't feel very much like Christmas without seeing the normal family.

I did manage to get a couple of cute pictures of the boys.

A Thanksgiving Night Visitor

Tonight we had a late visitor for Thanksgiving. We heard a knock at the door, and when we opened it, this is what we saw.

This little guy was holding a note that said:

After reading the book, Quinn decided to name his little friend Jingle.  Our book taught us that Jingle has been sent by Santa to watch out to see if Quinn and Jacob are being good boys. Each night he will return to the North Pole to give a report, but will return by the next morning. He might be in a different spot, so we will have to find him each day.  On Christmas Eve, he will return home to the North Pole and we will see him next year.

Here is Quinn and Jingle.  And the most special rule of all....NEVER TOUCH or his Elf Magic goes away.

Halloween 2012

Halloween 2012 was a lot of fun.  We were able to attend a Trunk or Treat event at our church and visited a few of our neighbors.  I had hoped Jacob would be able to wear a costume that Quinn did not get to wear. Quinn's first Halloween he was supposed to be a dragon, but outgrew this costume before he could wear it. I had to settle for him being a spider instead.  I tried the dragon costume on Jacob and it fit.....except somehow the zipper broke and we couldn't zip it up. 

So guess what Jacob ended up being.....

Quinn was a Clemson Football player.

Jacob was asleep before we were done trick or treating in the neighborhood, so he totally missed out on his first Halloween.  Maybe he didn't want to be a spider anymore than I did!

Happy July 4th!

We spent July 4th celebrating at Dawn's house. We are so grateful to have family close by, even if they are 45 minutes away.  Dawn and her family are members at a pool so we spent the afternoon there, enjoying some time in the water and 25 cent hot dogs! I didn't get any pictures at the pool, but cousin Tre won a pie eating contest, and cousin Ethan won for his age-group in a belly-flop contest! That was fun to watch. Afterwards, we went to their house for a hamburger cookout.

This was Jacob's first 4th, so he wore a special outfit and a special bib. ( Just for fun, I'm including the picture of Quinn on his first 4th, too!)

Halloween 2011

Here's Quinn, dressed up as the "high ridin-est, rootin' tootin'-est cowboy hero of all time.....Sheriff Woody!

Some highlights (and low-lights) of our Trick or Treating adventure.

1. Quinn insisted on climbing the stairs of each house and ringing the door bell "by myself Mommy". Although he would alternate which of us got to go halfway with him!

2. He rang the bell or knocked at each house and said Trick or Treat BEFORE they opened the door....every....single....time....

3. He always said "Thank you for da Trick or Treat" as he left each house!

4. One lady said "Bye cowboy" and Quinn tipped his hat at her!  Literally lifted it up off his head and sat it back down! Don't know where he learned that!

5. He was so shocked and surprised that everybody that passed said "Hey Woody" to him. He could not believe that people knew what he was supposed to be!

6. At one of the last houses we went to, the kid in front of him got the last piece of candy. Quinn was so upset and didn't understand why he didn't get any, that the other kid's older sister offered Quinn a piece of her candy!  Such a sweet girl!

7. The one bad moment of the night was when a teenager at one house deliberately scared Quinn on purpose. He was laying on the grass and would pop up and growl as the kids walked by. His sister said "Don't do it, that's a little kid coming" (meaning Quinn), but he did it anyway.  Meanie!

8. Quinn was so cold by the time we got home we put him in a tub of warm water, gave him a bath and put him to bed!

9. First thing he said on Tuesday morning was "Mommy I ready for da Trick or Treat again!"