Christmas Time Festivities

WARNING: THIS IS A LONG ONE!!

The month of December flew by as it always does, filled with parties and baking and shopping and decorating. It seemed as though Christmas kind of snuck up on me this year. I have to admit that my glass of Christmas cheer seemed to be half empty this season, but even in spite of my internal "Bah-hum-bugs" we managed to squeeze in some festive fun!

Because we live in The Less-Than-Spacious Rental on D. Street and all of our Christmas decorations are in storage, we kept the hanging of garland and tinsel to a MINIMUM!

I let the boys be in charge of putting up the (three-foot) Christmas tree and all of the decorating. And for the first time, I relinquished all of my decorating control!! A big step for me, and the joy it brought to the boys made it totally worthwhile.


They carefully hung each ornament and ribbon (and stuffed animal and Dr. Seuss book).

Once something was put into place then that is where it stayed...at lease until the next day when they would rearrange everything!

Tytus took this picture of Beau next to the tree (and vase??). He was obviously very proud of his work...he even fixed his hair for this photo session (I guess wearing a shirt was optional!).

I bought the boys this Nativity scene to which Tytus so precisely placed each person and animal admiring the baby Jesus!

And we colored Christmas pictures for our friends and family....

he can't color worth a darn yet, but he's as cute as can be...and he always wants to be a part of the activity.

T-Man takes it pretty seriously...

but not as serious as Beau...yup, you saw it...a PURPLE Christmas tree...the boy still LOVES purple!

Cash really likes to color...just not on the paper (oh, well).





Tytus had a Christmas assembly at school...

The Pre-K class led the other grades in songs and poems. Tytus line was something like, "Please join us in a moment of silence. Ready, begin."...you couldn't hear a word he said, but he's come a long way from crying hysterically like he did at the VBS program! He did a great job and sang loud and proud on "Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

Tytus with his "best friend" KC.



And we made gingerbread houses.....

Projects like this are serious business to Beau...constructing something with sugary, delicious treats...what could be more important to a three year old than that?!

Thank goodness for Tytus or I would never be in a picture with my children (not that I'm that eager to be on the other side of the camera!) And on a completely unrelated note: someday I'd like to count how many photos I am in wearing that beloved O-State hoodie that I somehow managed to steal from my sister and hang on to it all these years...I'll get back to you on this one...I know you are waiting with baited-breath!

Not sure Cash was that much help with the house construction, but once again..."How cute is this kid?!!"

The finished product! Next year......Daddy is in charge of the gingerbread house construction!!





And Beau had a preschool Christmas program...(which lasted all of seven minutes!)

He did a fantastic job! He walked around for weeks with his "I'm way too cool to practice singing this song" attitude, then surprised us as usual by knowing every word! He seemed a little confused as to why Mrs. S. felt the need to clutch onto his shoulders during the performance (as did I), but he shrugged it off and kept on singing!

We worked for hours making cookies for the "cookie exchange." Then as soon as it was his turn to choose which cookies he wanted to take home...he ran straight to the cookies we had made rather than "exchanging" them for others brought by his classmates! We were in and out of there in 25 minutes flat!!


And Tytus had a Christmas Pajama party at school...

they had a book exchange, which seemed to confuse and frustrate most of them as they really just wanted to keep the book that they had brought!

and he got to sit and Santa's lap and tell him what he wanted for Christmas...thank goodness I was there for this! I had no idea all he wanted was a "Slinky-dog" from Toy Story 3! Thankfully my sister was not finished with her shopping either and could join me on the "dog" hunt.

At this point I will refrain from sharing my Scrooge-like feeling towards Santa!

We saw Santa again...Man, that guy is EVERYWHERE! Beau and Cash wanted NOTHING to do with him, so this is the family picture with Santa this year!


And we went to The Christmas Train with the Becks...which is officially going to become an annual Holiday event for us.

IT WAS COLD!!! and it's impossible to get a good picture of five kids.

Look closely...yeah, that's Kyle on the carousel!

Look at those chubby cheeks....have I mentioned how cute I think this kid is?!?!

The Boys with their best bud, Eli. Those three have so much fun together!

Ahhh, how sweet! We love these two.

and Journey Faith came too!

The Gang loved The Christmas Train. It will definitely be a family tradition from now on, as well as the coloring pictures for friends and family and making gingerbread houses and baking cookies...I may even allow the boys to decorate the tree again. Okay, let me clarify...I will let them decorate their own three foot Christmas tree again next year and keep the big one all to my controlling self!

Flashback Friday!!

With Independence Day just around the corner, I thought I would post a couple of pictures from a past Fourth of July...7-4-07.

We lived in Jenks at the time and the Price cousins came for a little visit. Some things never change...it is still a near impossibility to get everyone (or anyone) to look at the camera! {This picture proves to me that Cash looks similar to Tytus...in fact he is pretty much the same size now that Tytus is in the picture, except a little BIGGER! The clothes T. has on are already too small for C....but anyway!}

I was just thinking earlier today about how a couple of summer's ago I had a baby on each hip, then I found this picture! I remember that weekend...Beau had just turned three months old and life was beginning to get a tiny bit easier. I knew if I could make it to the Fourth of July, then I WOULD SURVIVE having two babies just over a year apart in age. I think I had even gotten my hair colored that day...that's how I tend to celebrate a turning point in my life...a new season in life always warrants a new hair-do in my book!

Anyway...HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! This weekend we plan to celebrate our freedom with friends at the lake. What an amazing freedom we do have...Freedom to live as we please, to raise a family as we please, to wear our hair as we please (that's important!), and to worship as we please! THANK GOD FOR THE INDEPENDENCE WE HAVE IN OUR COUNTRY AND THROUGH CHRIST!

Happy Father's Day and Happy Birthday Brock

My children are blessed to not only have a great dad to learn from and look up to, they also have a wonderful grandfather and great-grandfather as well! The Eubanks men are known to be hardworking, God-fearing, put others before themselves type of men. I can confirm that Brock is a very hands-on father, and from stories that I've heard about Pawpaw Bob and Pawpaw Ty...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I am so thankful that my sons have a legacy of loving, invested fathers to model their lives after!

After Cowboy Church we met with the Eubanks at Memaw and Pawpaw Ty's house for lunch. My father-in-law, in his true character, thought it would be a special gift to plant new tomato plants for Pawpaw Ty in his garden. The early "June Monsoon" (as he called it) flooded Pawpaw's garden, killing his beloved and always successful tomatoes. Five tomato plants...one for each great-grandchild present that day. The kids had a great time planting and getting dirty...and I think Pawpaw was very pleased with his thoughtful gift!I snapped a few (okay, more like several) pictures to capture the day!

Brock and his sons...the boys would NOT cooperate (which kind of stresses Brock out a bit), but it was like a hundred degrees outside and naptime!


***Cash gave his daddy one of the greatest birthday and father's day gifts ever...As the adults were gathered in the kitchen chatting, Josie walked in carrying Cash...he looked at Brock, gave a big smile and said "Dada"...we were all so excited! Then he reached for Brock and said it again!! It was so special!



Pawpaw Ty looking on as his son, grandsons, and great-grandchildren plant tomatoes in his garden.

Pawpaw Ty and the Eubanks grandsons

Brock and his brothers and father

THE EUBANKS BOYS!

Brock's parents and their grandchildren

I know this isn't a very good picture and it is hard to see, but that is Pawpaw Ty driving his big blue tractor. We ended our little get-together so that Bob and Stetson and Tyson could get back to work raking and baleing hay. I just love that at eighty-six years old, Pawpaw Ty still loves to work hard and help his family!

Once we got home, Brock took Tytus and Beau to see Toy Story 3 and then to get ice cream. They had so much fun giving him all of his gifts and spending the day with family.

Brock, you mean so much to us. I hope that you felt loved on your double special day!!

Mother's Day

I realize it is quite a bit after the fact, but I didn't want to neglect posting about this year's Mother's Day. I think it is safe to say, and many moms would agree with me, that Mother's Day is not always what it's 'cracked up to be'. In fact, in the past few years I have celebrated (and I use that term VERY loosely) a couple of less-than-warm-and-fuzzy-let's-all-show-appreciation-to-Mom Mother's Days.

However, this year...Brock and the boys really pulled through and made the day very special. After church we enjoyed a delicious meal at a lovely Italian restaurant, followed by rest time for EVERYONE...all three of the boys napped and so did I (not sure what Brock was doing because I was NAPPING...did I mention that I took a nap!?!?) Then that evening we went bowling, which I LOVE and the boys had a great time!

Brock bought me this basically brand new running stroller at a garage sale. I have been wanting one since having Cash and the fact that he got it for less than half the original price made me even happier!!

Brock took the boys to a local antique store and let them each pick something out for me. Beau chose the lemon press (he and his daddy both love lemonade, so they could have had themselves in mind a bit by choosing this one!). Tytus chose the wooden meat mallet. I have needed one for years and have gotten by on borrowing from my neighbors. It has been put to good use several times already! And with a little help from Daddy, Cash chose the jar opener. I have frustratingly weak hands and am constantly asking Brock for help opening jars. Such thoughtful gifts...they each made me feel so special and the boys were very proud to give them to me.

Together they chose an antique jewelry box. I have LOTS of jewelry and do not have a very good place to store any of it. So, once again they made a very purposeful choice. (No, I do not know the man and woman in the pictures, I will soon replace them with pictures of my four boys!)

{B- thank you so much for making this Mother's Day so special. I know the boys had a good time shopping for me and I truly appreciate the thought that YOU encouraged them to put into their selections. It's little things like this that prove that you really do pay attention to the details...I love that! Thanks for showing them how to make a person feel special. Love you, kde}