Here Comes Lucky Number 13!

Time just keeps on tickin' and I've found that with each passing year it just ticks more quickly than the one that preceded it. The Morgan crew has overall has had another year with more good happenings than bad and for that we are thankful to God! This year on New Years Eve we kept it simple and brought in 2013 with a game night and just a couple friends (and pretty many kids!). Well, when I say we "brought in 2013" I mean that we party hardied until about 9:45 when everyone packed it up and headed home and then Bobby and I laid in the bed wondering when in the world the fireworks would stop (the answer is 12:45am). Anyway, before all of that I had the kids make a couple goals for themselves for 2013. These are now pinned up in their room and we'll see if any of them even attempt to meet their written goals! I giggled at Cade's because he's sucked his father into a commitment as well....looks like his fanny is going to be working out with Sean T. a few times a week:)

If Grant sticks with his goals my life as a mother would be golden! 

I love that Rhett added the commandment "Do your goals!!" to his sheet. It's always good to have a bit more motivation on your list! I also think he should've added "Get your b's and d's right." since he asks me that all the time and clearly should have asked me once more for this project. 

 The princess cannot write yet and therefore I constructed some goals for her. I feel confident that she would agree that her goal is appropriate:) One additional one we will work on will be keeping our eyes open when a camera flashes. 

 Ahhh, there are those peepers!

As far as big happenings go I think the biggest announcement of 2012 had nothing to do with a fiscal cliff but the fact that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are having a baby together. Because really, what does a country need that's on the brink of self destruction? Another 4 years of Obama and another Kardashian. As if we haven't had enough of either of those:)  Here's to a happy, healthy New Year! 

Kiddos in a Row

I had several outtakes for my Christmas card this year but these two were my favorites. I ended up using the second one for the card. I love, love, loved seeing all my favorite faces in a row!

A Baker Christmas

This year we spent Christmas Day afternoon at my parent's house. Cade had gotten the metal detector he had been asking for so as soon as we got there he got to work. I think he found a piece of rusty wire. Not quite the Civil War artifact he was hoping for but ziploc baggie worthy in his eyes. 

After the usual ping pong and darts these boys settled in for a bit of football watching.

Other folks got some snuggle time with Lanie and humored her by feeding Baby Lola. 

The highlight of holiday gatherings at mom and dad's is always the scavenger hunt that dad makes up. This year the first clue had the boys using Cade's metal detector. 

The object was to detect 3 hidden keys that would unlock the tool box that contained the rest of the clues. What we found out is that my dad is a really good key burier and our 10 minute search for keys felt more like an hour in that freezing cold! 

With the keys found it was time for the clues and challenges. A few:

dancing...

 a pinecone toss..

tic tac toe with Grandma...

After each challenge the boys would get a clue that would lead them to one of Santa's reindeer. After all the reindeer were found...

The winners get a prize! The boys get such a kick out of this every time!

Finally! Present time! Tracie and Jared took first prize for presents this year getting the boys airsoft guns. I hope everyone still has intact eyeballs this time next year. 

 We got dad a range finder so he'd have one more excuse as to why he needs to spend the day on the golf course:)

 Lanie was super excited about her Dora videos from Tracie and Jared. 

I seriously could have just gotten her a video and a lip balm and she would have been a happy camper.

This is one of my presents:

And Jared opening his shirts and ties ( I know. It sounds like a boring gift but they were really cute ties and Tracie said that's what he needed!!)

I had a couple of the pictures I took for Tracie and Jared made into canvases. I thought they turned out really good! 

Because Bobby would want this moment to go into the blog book I must post this picture. Who in a million years would have thought that Ms. My Blood Runs Blue would EVER be caught in an orange Tennessee fleece??? Not me! Guess that's what happens when you start runnin' with a Volunteer boy:)

 Another fun year of Christmas celebration with my family. There's nothing better! Merry Christmas!

Twas the Night Before Christmas!

In keeping with tradition we spent Christmas Eve with Bobby's family. We headed over at lunch time to hang with our cousins and open presents! 

G and Amelia:

I must admit that Wendy and I both agree that I took the cake for present of the year this year:) When you get tears it means you've hit the jackpot! 

Elaina got a baby from her cousins and she couldn't have been more happy about it. 

What also makes her happy is looking at her picture after you've taken it. "lemme seeeee!! Lemmme see it!"

It made me happy to watch Cade try to diaper the baby she brought with her (at her request). It was about a 10 minute ordeal but he finally got it! Look at that determination on his face:)

 Elaina also got a pair of gloves and a little head wrap from Nana. I had to include this picture because she just looks so cute to me. Who am I kidding though? She looks cute pretty much all the time. 

Rhett enjoyed hanging with the cuz. At least I think he did. His facial expression in this pic would make one think otherwise:)

Hugs from Nana.

We are very blessed to have gotten to spend another Christmas with Nannie. She painted us all cards this year (last year we got some painted ornaments). It's always a treasure because she's such a great artist!

I would love one day to be in a picture with my children's children's children! Wow! 

We finished out the evening with the candlelight service at Zion and I'm pleased to announce that not one hymnal went up in flames and no one caught their hair on fire. That is always the main goal of the candlelight service when you are in a small wooden pew with 7 kids. We had a great time celebrating with family! Merry Christmas Eve!

Yearly Tradition!

I love when this time rolls around. I know that this December in particular has been super busy for Bobby and me. I think we've needed a babysitter literally every Friday and Saturday night of the month for various things. For that reason, I was SO looking forward to a quiet night with my chillins for our yearly Christmas tradition: 

A little popcorn and hot chocolate....

 A little time to be sweet with siblings.....(notice I said "a little" because 'sweet' is rare with these boys)....

 and a little Polar Express. 

This movie has yet to get old to me. I love the magic and the family time. And I better love it while I can. It won't be too far into the future that these kids will roll their beady eyes at me and sigh when I tell them it's Polar Express night :/ 

You Want What?

For a solid at least 6 weeks my little, pink bow wearing, doll playing prissy pants girl has answered the SAME thing every time she's asked, "What do you want for Christmas?" And here's her answer:

I finally taped it so that no one would think I'm lying. A skeleton. A SKELETON! What little girl asks for a skeleton for Christmas?? We're pretty sure it stems back to a Halloween costume her buddy wore that she was apparently enamored with. Who knows. The funny thing is, we went to see Ol' Saint Nick at the mall: (here's a picture of the picture....side note: forget trying to get your big kids to dress up for this event. I saw all of these other parents with boys in little bow ties and khaki pants and whatnot. I'd be a happy gal if I could just get Cade to NOT wear wind pants every day of his life...sigh.) Anyhoo, the picture:

So, after months of "skeleton" Princess Petunia climbed up in this strange man's lap and when he asked her in his deep Santa voice, "Well, what would yoooou like for Christmas, Little Girl?" She stares up at him and in the most sugar pie voice says, "A baaaby dollll". WHAT!!!!???? Where did that come from? Crazy kid. She's gettin' nothing but skeletons from me. 

On a funny side note, this Santa was fantastic. He called Bobby and me over while the kids were still sitting there and let us know that he can't bring everyone electronics but the children would be very happy with the things that he did bring. And he added, "I let them know that the most important thing is not gifts but our health and that we have moms and dads that love us very much" which I thought was so nice of him to say. The funny part is that as we were walking away Grant pipes in and says with such a confused face, "I just don't get why Santa said Christmas wasn't about presents but it was about his elves....what's up with that?" To which I cracked up and said, "Your health, son, your hhhhealllth. Not elves!" I'm so glad I got that cleared up!! Kids never cease to make me laugh:)

Twinkies for Thanksgiving

Dressing like your bestie is ALWAYS fun:)