Is it still Christmas?

If I haven't posted about it on the blog...

Well, I have finally decided to take the time and update the blog with Christmas pictures. This past Christmas, it was a little more quiet with Daddy being gone. We did end up having a small tree. Tate helped me decorate it.

As you can see he is a natural when it comes to decorating a tree. I guess that it's organized if everything is in a clump on the tree?

Here are the boys posing in front of the tree the next day after we finished decorating it. I must say that the tree and most of the ornaments did survive. The boys (especially Tate) loved taking the ornaments down to look at them. I, of course, would have to put the decoration back on the tree after they were done "looking" at the ornaments.

A couple days before we went to my parents' house for Christmas. I let the boys open their gifts from friends of the family, The Wheatley's. The gifts were huge hits, especially the Thomas the Train book (Tate likes to take it to bed often), the giraffe puzzle, and the toy cement truck.

Colt especially like the balls that came with the toy cement truck.

Then...we were off to my parents' house for a couple of days to celebrate Christmas. Every year Santa Claus comes in person to distribute Christmas gifts. It's tons of fun for the kids.

Here are Tate and Joey (Tate's cousin, my sister's youngest) seeing Santa. They were a bit stunned.

The boys were surprisingly calm when Santa held them.

Even Colt was okay with everything. He didn't even cry like most children.

Here are the boys with Santa.

Here are my sister's kids with Santa.

Tate receiving his first gift. He even said "Thank you" to Santa!

No, Tate isn't helping in this picture. He thought that every gift was for him.

Here is Colt receiving his first gift.

In the end, Tate gave Santa a nice hug.

Here is Colt unwrapping his first gift.

Here's Tate unwrapping his gift.

More gifts!

My parents' always give the "fun" gifts, while Ed and I always give the "learning" gifts.

Here's Joey unwrapping a gift from Ed and I.

And yes, that is a gift from Ed and I. My niece, Alexia, loves to clean. So...we purchased her a vacuum cleaner. It was a hit with all of the kids that night.

Here's Ambria with a gift from Ed and I.

Here's Cailin with a gift from Ed and I.

And last, but not least, a picture of Cela with a gift from Ed and I.

Oh, and I thought that I would include one of me with a gift from my parents.