a white christmas....

Christmas through a child's eyes is always the best way to see Christmas. Watching Ethan's excitement opening new toys this year was priceless. At times, he would stomp and laugh when he got so excited because he hasn't mastered the "jumping" skill. So sweet! We started our Christmas celebration a week early with my mom and my extended family. My mom and dad came over after Santa had come to open more gifts and cook our traditional Christmas Breakfast complete with Chocolate gravy my Maw-Maw always made. We then headed to Atlanta to celebrate with the Anderson clan. David's mom made her traditional mini quiches that we munched on while we tackled the mounds of gifts.

On Christmas Day I had just put Ethan down for his nap and came downstairs to find it snowing on Christmas! I later told David the snow was my favorite "gift" this year for Christmas. I just can't believe it snowed on Christmas Day. The last time I remember snow on Christmas Day was when I received a trampoline from Santa and jumped all day in the snow.

All and all there is too much to be said about Christmas traditions, gifts, family, trees, stockings..... The one thing that must be said is how much we are blessed and loved.

Ethan and Nana dancing

at Nana's house

Ethan spiked a fever a week before Christmas:(

At Nana's for Christmas....and the fever rises

alex is always into the spirit of Christmas

Moli helps with the wrapping

Cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer

Ethan's first four wheeler!

"Let me just dig a little deeper, there must be more tonka trucks!"

Christmas in Atlanta, just a few gifts to be opened

Ethan's new helmet!

snow!

Grandma's Frosty Friend's. She collects Hallmarks Frosty Friends and places the in the bath tub with "snow" and lights. Ethan loved it!

Whitney, David, Grandpa, and Stephen

Ethan in the snow!

christmas card...

Did you check out the back of our Christmas card this year? There is a link on the back of it with a snapshot of our year and more photos attached. I have used Tiny Prints for the last few years for our Christmas Cards and this year they added the "snapshot" as a nice little bonus. It was fun to sit and pick 40 or so photos of our little family from 2010. Hopefully, you can click on the link below:

http://www.tinyprints.com/2010/ethanwyatt

let it snow let it snow let it snow

sugar cookies....

Last Saturday night Ethan and I made our very first cut-out Christmas cookies. It was a perfect, rainy/freezing night to be baking treats. His favorite part was mashing the cookie cutter into the dough. This is what Christmas is about...

just check out my kitchen, every cabinet door open!

Would you believe it? Charlie, Ethan's Elf, came back from the North Pole and ate some of the cookies. Charlie keeps an eye out to see if Ethan is good and reports to Santa every night. The next morning Charlie is in a different place. That Charlie gets into a little mischief sometimes. Ethan looks for Charlie first thing every morning!

gingerbread house....

Last Saturday we kicked our our morning with a walk in downtown Franklin in the Jingle Bell 5K. Ethan loved hearing all the jingle bells and seeing all the dogs with antlers! Afterwards, we made our very first gingerbread house. Here are a few photos....

yummy marshmellows mom!

we all three sipped on some apple cider

our mugs:)

"choking hazard" kept running through this nurse mommy's head

and Ethan Loved it!

"Oh wait, you can eat it!"

David swears next year we will use caulk to assemble the house. I think he was a little embarrassed he can build a real house, but one made of gingerbread fell apart!

18 months....

18 Months old but it feels like 18 days since his first birthday. Ethan had quite the finale for his 17Th month by getting his first x-ray with the help of Uncle Stephen. He took a fall and hit his nose, but no worries, no broken nose here. We just thought our little Rudolph was going to have a blue nose this Christmas, but it healed quickly. Let's hope his 18th month will be a little less exciting. His favorite new phrase: "Uhhhh ohhhh!" He is becoming quite the little cuddle bug and I can not get enough of the hugs and sweet kisses. Ethan is off and running getting faster every day. He has started to love talking on the phone to his grandparents and would talk longer if he could figure out not to hang up on them. Here are a few of his "chair" photos. I am trying to decide if I should stop at 18 months....what do you think?

helping mom out the chores...

Vandy vs. Tennesee