Throwback Thursday - Our First Christmas As a Family of Four

It is Thursday, right? I'm exhausted enough to really have no clue without checking. :) Plus, I have just managed to download pictures from Christmas. Now all that's left is to figure out what to do with them.

So, as a stalling tactic, I take you back to one of my favorite all time pictures--our first family picture with the boys. It was also the first time I got to hold the big boys together.

The Christmas season a la 2007...


Our first family picture...

Are we not the happiest looking parents on the planet?!
Because we totally were. :)

The boys together for the first time since birth...

Jason left, Shawn right
Love the "My first Christmas" hats on their heads!

All I could do was stare at them. They were so tiny and sweet.

Long and lean, these two.
Love that Shawn is actually longer than Jay here.

Newborn socks on preemie feet. These socks went up to their knees!

Merry Christmas!

From our house to yours,

Merry Christmas!

12 Days Till Christmas - Team Lopez Style (Day 12)

There's just one day till Christmas,

so you all get to see...

Twelve magic beans,

A gift from Elfie!
12 magic beans!

 

You plant them in a bit of sugar.

The finished product after planting

Voila! A candy cane garden grows!

 

Eleven homemade cookies,

Ten on a float (Santa and his 9 reindeer),

So, you can only see part of them, but trust me when
I tell you they were all there. The boys loved seeing Santa!

Nine presents under the tree,



Okay, now we're at more than nine. :)

Eight things on our to do list,

1. Wrap presents (hallelujah!)
2. Address and send Christmas Cards
3. Go see Santa (pictures to come!)
4. See the Christmas lights (This is the best day ever!)
5. Go Christmas Caroling on Sunday (He had a BLAST!)
6. Crafting, crafting, and more crafting
7. Take the boys to go shopping for their gifts to family (we made them instead!)
8. Be Merry

Seven words about Santa,

      Me: Guys, what is the best thing we've done this week?

      Jason: It was when we saw Santa.

      Shawn: Yeah!

      The big man in red was a hit this year!

Six handmade ornaments,





 

The boys did the snowmen. Jack did the reindeer.
Shawn did the tree and the two small ornaments.

 

Five in a picture,




 

Four fingerprint snowmen,





I heart them. They totally feed into my fascination with
the boys' hands. lol

 

Three gingerbread houses,

Decorated by (from left to right): Jason, Jack, and Shawn

Two kissing boys,



Showing a little love at Candy Cane Lane.

and Santa's scout named Elfie.






It was Elfie's last night with us. He pulled out the stockings
and decorated. He even gave the boys two gifts, magic seeds and bath paints!

He went all out decorating. He made cute little snowflakes
to remind of us his North Pole.

Here's his note, the seeds, and the present.

Painting it up in the tub!

Now all there is to do is wait until morning. The boys are wildly excited about Santa coming. I have to admit that I am excited, too!

 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

 

12 Days Till Christmas - Team Lopez Style (Day 11)

We've got two days till Christmas,

so you all get to see...

Eleven homemade cookies,

Sigh. Confession. We were supposed to make cookies today. I had it all planned, but as you can see, there is no picture because there was not cookie making. Things like that happen.

So, until tomorrow, when we actually do get the chance to make cookies, I want you to picture this scene in your minds: There is a calm serene mother with perfect hair (hey, she looks a lot like me!) adoringly supervising her three tidy and well behaved boys as they rollout and cut sugar cookies into holiday shapes. There is no yelling or throwing of ingredients. All are happy and smiling the entire time. Then, the boys willingly clean up the slight mess they made as the mother proudly watches.

What? It can totally happen! Fine. The perfect hair is a bit much, right? ;)

Ten on a float (Santa and his 9 reindeer),

So, you can only see part of them, but trust me when
I tell you they were all there. The boys loved seeing Santa!

Nine presents under the tree,

SO, it has been discovered that we cannot
leave presents under the tree. Jack likes presents.
Now it is bare again under our tree. Sigh.

Eight things on our to do list,

1. Wrap presents (hallelujah!)
2. Address and send Christmas Cards
3. Go see Santa (pictures to come!)
4. See the Christmas lights (Our Christmas Eve tradition)
5. Go Christmas Caroling on Sunday (He had a BLAST!)
6. Crafting, crafting, and more crafting
7. Take the boys to go shopping for their gifts to family (dollar store, here we come!)
8. Be Merry

Seven words to Santa,

      Me: Jason, do you think you'll be on the naughty list or the nice list?

      Jason: Nice. It says so on my shirt.

      You can't argue with logic like that, now can you?

Six handmade ornaments,




Fingers crossed for more crafting tomorrow.
Shawn wants to get back to the beads.

 

Five in a picture,



Not the winning pose but close. :)
I really love our photographer. I don't know how she
always manages to get some really good shots of our uncooperative subjects.

 

Four fingerprint snowmen,





I heart them. They totally feed into my fascination with
the boys' hands. lol

 

Three gingerbread houses,

Decorated by (from left to right): Jason, Jack, and Shawn

Two kissing boys,



This is an older picture (one of my favorites) because Jason
was complaining of a sore throat today and I do not want
to contaminate the entire crew with whatever he may have!

and Santa's scout named Elfie.






Hanging around on his swing.
The boys had their minds blown when he'd
occasionally start swinging. "Mom! How'd he do that?!?"
Heh heh heh.