He is getting WAY to big WAY to fast!

This picture was taken last year when we went to New Orleans Zoo...

And this one was taken this month at the exact same location!

He is getting WAY to big WAY to fast!

I told Ryan it would be cool if we got his picture taken by this same elephant every year. We go to Baker, LA every year for Ryan's families crawfish boil so we usually go to the Zoo while we are there. 

On a side note...I plan to start putting things on here again so check back soon!

Happy Birthday Jesus Party

Every year Nana has a Happy Birthday Jesus party and it has become one of my favorite things about Christmas. I love hanging out with all my cousins and just goofing off!

Getting ready to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.

Isn't this a really good picture of Nana!

Nana reading the Christmas story.

Evan not listening to the Christmas story! You need to get on to him Nana!

Mrs. Pam was able to join us this time and we were so happy to have her!!

This dance is hilarious! You may remember me posting last year about Nana doing it. I guess she's making it an annual tradition.  This year she was able to get Whitney to join in also!

We also played Taboo after we ate. Nana was surprisingly good at it and Aunt Velvet was surprisingly bad at it! : )

Ok, I think that is the last of my Christmas post!

Happy Birthday Jesus Party

Nana had her annual Happy Birthday Jesus party that included her annual Santa dancing. This year she got Ryleigh to join in. It's just priceless, I should really get it on video one year!

We played Taboo and had a lot of fun. Nana was surprisingly good at this game. Velvet was surprisingly bad at it! : )

We sang Happy Birthday to Jesus!

Mrs. Pam is so sweet and got Ryleigh and Tanner presents. This is what she got Ry and let me tell you what those pink feathers are all over our house!

Doesn't Nana look so good in this picture!

Evan and Tanner...obviously Evan was not listening to the Christmas story! 

Nana reading the Christmas story. 

Ryleigh and Mrs. Pam

I love traditions  like this that we have in our family! It's so much fun and you know we look for any excuse to get together!!

Our son the metal digesting machine

Tanner our little handy man…
Before I get started I need to lay a little background for this story.

Monday night Ryan decides that he is going to redo the lights in the youth building. No big deal except that it leaves me at home with Ryleigh and Tanner by myself. After a long Monday at work I can tell you that was not something I was looking forward to.

Anyway so I get home and much to my surprise we have a great night. No arguing, no fighting just sweet babies who took baths, said their prayers and went to sleep. I don’t care what people say miracles do happen.

So the next night my friend Lindsay and I decide we want to go to the movies and since Ryan and I seem to keep a running tally in our heads of who has Ry and Tanner the most and who was gone last; I figured I could get away with this on a Tuesday night since he was just gone the night before. Of course I know he was doing things for church as he pointed out and not something fun just for the heck of it. But always quick on my feet I pointed out that I would be building lasting relationships with people from church, which is also very important. Grant it, it was just Lindsay so we decided to invite some other people and actually had 5. On a side note we went and saw Twlight, very disappointing!

Ok back to the story. Ryan decided one day last week he wanted a treadmill. I guess he was running out of room between his closet and his bowflex to hang his clothes.

Those of you who know Ryan know that he wants a lot and it takes a special person to be married to the man who wants everything. As a result I have learned to pick my battles. For example saying no to the new F250 truck he test drove on Christmas Eve (seriously) or to the many boats he has shown me. So to a simple treadmill I said yes. I might even use it! Yeah right!

So on Ryan’s night of having them to himself he decides to put the treadmill together.

Bad idea.

When I got home that night they were all asleep so I didn’t get to talk to him. This morning Ryleigh comes in our room at 5:30 and Ryan has already left for work. I still had another hour of sleep so I told her to get in the bed with me. She then starts talking my head off. After talking about Gus’s new house and praying once again for aunt Velvet to get better so she can go spend the night she turns to me and says:

We put that together last night. (the treadmill)

Oh did ya’ll

Yep

Was it fun?

No Daddy got really mad.

What did he get mad about?

Because Tanner ate a screw.

What?????

I leave my kids in the hands on the person who is suppose to be the 2nd best at keeping them and he ate a screw! I asked Ryleigh if he was ok and she just shrugged her shoulders and went back to sleep.
I called Ryan and he said that Tanner certainly did eat a screw. The funny thing is Ryan was mad because they only gave him 4 of this particular screw and no extra and he needed all four!

Of course Ryan don’t worry about the metal our son has swallowed, worry about the treadmill, which will only be used to hang clothes, falling apart.

Our first words this Christmas were, "We aren't going to go overboard." Yeah right! I made the mistake of starting Christmas shopping in October. Of course that doesn't sound like a mistake but then you ended up getting way more that you thought because you forgot that you had gotten other things. 

You know your kids got to much when you have to re-arrange your furniture just so everything will fit in the living room. 

Here is the things they got up and were from "Santa" although they know Santa isn't real. So if your kids believes in Santa don't let them around mine because Ryleigh will be quick to tell you that Santa is fake like Cinderella. 

Every year Ryan gets one present that's just from him. Last year it was the trampoline, this year it was a power wheel. 

Tanner's tool bench that was regular $119 and I got it for $50 at Tuesday Mornings!

The famous dollhouse! All Ryleigh Claire wanted for Christmas was a pink dollhouse. This really is the cutest dollhouse ever! It has so many details. I should of taken a after shot when she had gotten all the rooms for the thing. That's how toy companies get you...The doll house itself was only like $55 but it comes with no furniture! So by the time you buy 8 rooms you have $200 tied up in a dollhouse!!! She better play with that thing!

The biggest ht of the morning! Tanner got a train set. (They liked it more that the power wheel! Ha Ha!!)

Their wrapped presents. Notice the ugly wrapping paper. I let them pick out whatever kind they wanted, that way I could tell the presents apart easily.  

Ryleigh came in our room at like 6 saying she needed to go potty. She walked right through the living room without even noticing the toys. Once she used the potty we went ahead and woke Tanner up. 

Even though they are smiling big I promise they liked my presents better!

I had to get Tanner some dress up clothes

I love this buzz light year costume!! He looks like an alien!

Fixing Ryleigh's dollhouse with his new power tools!

See that baby in her hand...it came with her new dollhouse and she loves it. It came with twins, a boy and a girl. Of course she gave the boy to Tanner and kept the girl for herself. She named her Baby Emily.

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Christmas. I know we did. And I promise next year we won't be going overboard! Our new Years Resolution is to cut back our spending. Lets see how long Ryan last!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a busy day for us with lots of pictures....

We went to Ryan's grandpas house first and then went to Aunt Tena's house.

This would of been a cute picture if Tanner was looking! 

Ryleigh took this picture of Whitney with my camera. She got her own camera for Christmas and loved it! I'll post some of the pictures she took. 

Mom looks very surprised in this picture!

It looks like Whitney grew! She hates that she is so short compared to the rest of us.

Nana and Paw Paw

Much better picture of mom and Tanner

Ryleigh and La La. Larry's son Patrick came down for Christmas and as I was uploading pictures I noticed I didn't have any of him! 

I love this picture except that my eyes are closed and I look really fat! Diet for the New Year here I come!

Another shot for our CD that's coming out in the net few months! : )

Isn't he so cute!

Grandaddy, Lincoln and Lindell

Ry and Tanner with Grandaddy 

He is so cute!

Miss Priss opening presents

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Happy Birthday Jesus, I'm so glad its Christmas

All the tinsel and lights and the presents are nice

But the real gift is you.

Happy Birthday Jesus, I'm so glad its Christmas

All the carols and bells make the holiday swell

And its all about you.

Happy Birthday Jesus, Jesus I love you!

Nana had her Happy Birthday Christmas party the other night and let me say Ryleigh was so excited! She used to have these every year when we were little but had stopped them once we got older. She decided to have it again this year and to her surprise we all came! It was a lot of fun. I love hanging out with everyone. Whitney and I provided all of the entertainment, everyone especially enjoyed that!

Here is Ryleigh and Gabe. He probably thinks our family is cray since he doesn't see us that often.

This was hilarious!! There is this Santa thing on the floor that dances and Nana and Ryleigh were dancing. Aunt Velvet videotaped it and I'm telling you it was so cute!

Nana and Tanner

The cake...I don't know why we chose 4 candles??

The dancing Santa!

Nana reading the Christmas story. 

Ryleigh listing to the Christmas story. Its amazing that I caught a picture of this considering the fact that she listened for like 10 seconds. 

I just had to put this in there for fun. We have a million pictures of us like this. We can use them when we hit the big time! Sony Records will probably be contacting us anytime!