Christmas Eve

James's parents came over on Christmas Eve to bring Hunter his own personal toy store celebrate.  They are always so generous to us, and we are so thankful for their loving, giving hearts. 

Since I only have 2 arms and I need about 8 for helping Hunter open presents and opening Charlotte's presents for her and comforting my poor teething little girl and taking pictures, something had to fall to the wayside this year.  In rare form, I opted for slacking on my picture-taking duties.  With James's help, we got at least 1 picture of most of Hunter and Charlotte's gifts (obviously the clothes aren't included as part of the most - I'll give  you a mental image of opening them though...picture Hunter throwing the box to the side as soon as he rips the wrapping paper off.  He's no dummy.  That kid already knows how to spot a clothing box.)

Here's the gift rundown...

Rescue Force Play Set...

Mag-neats...

Those things are pretty awesome.  That's the toy I'm most excited about playing with;)

Char's Baby Einstein Press N Play Duck...

I think she approves.

City Garage Heliport...

I didn't get a great picture of it, but this toy is pretty fun too. 

She's not feeling the baby doll too much yet, but I know she'll grow to love her.  Every girl's gotta have a baby doll...

Remote Control Fire Truck and School Bus...

A picture's worth a thousand words, right?  Obviously the whole fam loved those two.

Doesn't that make you pooch your bottom lip out from sadness?  Seriously.  I'm pooching right now.  Poor, sweet baby girl.  Teething breaks my heart.

And now, for the greatest gift of the night *drumroll*...

Gasp!!  A play kitchen!  Hunter was in heaven.  The microwave Char brought to him when she was born is already worn out from over-use, so this came just in time.  The boy was giddy. 

And after he'd adequately checked out all of his new toys, this is the one he settled on for the night...

Of course he did.  Why play with one of his own 300 choices, when he can play with one of sister's 3?

For those of you who don't live here, the night ended perfectly...

It was very important that we (again, by we, I mean James) get a picture of the front and the back yard on our white Texas Christmas.  We had to have proof...especially since it was 75 degrees the day before.

Christmas day pictures coming soon! 

Winter Fun

I realized about a quarter of the way through the month that I wished I had started an Advent calendar this year, so I've been trying to come up with fun activities to do at night to put in next year's calendar.  Believe me, it's not easy to come up with 24 fun and toddler-friendly ideas, but I'm getting closer every day...the activities might be getting a little lamer by the day too.

Last night and tonight we did two of the un-lame activities I have for next year's calendar, and we had so much fun!  Last night we had Hunter's cousins, Aunts, friends Ronnie and Ethan, and their mommy over to eat smores and go ride the train in our neighborhood...

Toasting our marshmallows...

Hunter and Ronnie were a little cautious of the fire...we taught them well!

Char didn't get smores, but she's prepped for next year...

Then our fam and Ronnie's fam went over to ride this fun little train in the neighborhood.  This sweet man starts building it in his backyard every year on September 15 and opens Thanksgiving night.  He's open every night and gives free rides!

I was really surprised how many people were there.  Here's the entrance...

Waiting in line...

Ronnie and Hunter were mesmerized by the train.  They didn't take their eyes off of it for a second!

Char just looked cute as usual:)

We got there at a perfect time and didn't have to wait that long at all.  Here's our first ride...

James and Charlotte and Carrie and Ethan rode in front of us.

I tried a self-portrait, but cut most of Ronnie out of it.  Y'all know I don't have good picture-taking skills anyway, and that train was pretty wobbly and fast, so Carrie took one of all of us...

I promise my child isn't drugged...just in a train trance:)

After we finished, Ronnie and Hunter begged to go again, and even though it was bedtime, we waited for the next train and let them.  I know.  We're so fun.

Waiting for the train...

James didn't ride the second time, so of course I put him on picture duty...

Here's the sweet man who runs it (in front)...

What a good man!  That's a huge sacrifice to spend every night running trains for kids for free.  We're so thankful for his sweet heart:)

Then tonight we went to Santa's Village at the Civic Center in Richardson.  When we drove by we were surprised at how few people were there, and then we felt so lucky to score the most awesome parking spot ever...but when we walked to Santa's house, he wasn't there.  And then the reindeer weren't in their house either.  Soon we realized all of the shops were closed, but Hunter loved looking at all of the lights and characters anyway.  And, of course he loved the fountain...

Here's our stroll through in pictures...

Have a Merry Christmas, y'all!

All Smiles

How cute is my baby girl?! 

She's so happy:)

Advice

Over the last 6 - 12 months Hunter has really been a mirror to James and I. In some ways this is really heartwarming...like when he gently loves on his sister or asks to read his Bible and pray at night or says, "I miss you at work" before I leave in the morning.  But lately, he's been doing some things that reveal the not so sweet side of my reflection. 

The biggest one I can think of is his incessant use of the phrase, "Oh my gosh!"  I've tried to be aware of my use of this since having him, but apparently I haven't been aware enough.  I haven't counted, but I wouldn't be surprised if he said it 50 times a day.

"Oh my gosh, mommy, look at that bug!"

"Oh my gosh, where bear go?"

"Oh my gosh, baby Charlotte crying!"

"Oh my gosh, I wearing my diaper."

"Oh my gosh, I wearing big boy underwear!"

"Oh my gosh, mommy, look at all my stickers!"

"Oh my gosh, look how high I climb!"

How do I stop him!?  HELP!!

Busiest. Day. Ever.

So we officially had the busiest day possible last Saturday.  I could get really wrapped up in going over every detail of the day for y'all, but I might be typing for, oh I don't know, hours.  So I'll just hit the highlights...and by highlights, I mean pictures.

We started off the morning with H and C's friend, Ethan's first birthday party.  It was fun...and bear themed...and I only had to remove my child from the room one time for tantrum-throwing.  (If you're guessing that Hunter was that child, you are guessing right.)  There were several bear activities, which Hunter thoroughly enjoyed...

Dancing with the teddy bears...

Listening to Mrs. Carrie read a bear story...

Thanks for throwing such a fun birthday party Satterfields!

Then we were off to the much anticipated Night in Bethlehem at our church...

I think someone actually complimented us on our acting, which is surprising considering the number of times we looked down at the script, but the compliments were probably due to the fact that most people weren't watching us anyway.  They were looking at this sweet girl in her acting debut as baby Jesus...

You know that's the sweetest thing you've ever seen.  Go ahead.  You can cry.  I won't judge you.

The precious little girls who played the animals and angels were so sweet with Charlotte.  They loved looking at her and laid their hands on her so gently.

After we put in our time as Mary and Joseph, we headed out to all of the booths.  First, Hunter got his head covered...

I was shocked at how well he sat there so still until Mrs. Marilyn was finished. 

Then we went to the jewelry shop where Hunter made his own necklace, but James demanded that he do something masculine before making a necklace, so we let him beat some of the pieces with a hammer first;)...

...which as you can see, he loved.

...almost as much as he loved the necklace:)

Then we went outside to see the animals.  I know he looks frightened here, but he's just concentrating really hard on smiling big...

Yes, ladies and gentleman, my son is touching the sheep.  We've come a long way.

After a couple of hours in Bethlehem, we came back to the 21st century and raced over to Hunter's friend, Jackson's Santa party.  Hunter had a lot of fun until Santa arrived in his fire engine, at which point he hid in the hallway...

We did eventually coax him into entering the same room as Santa, and Santa was so sweet with him that Hunter said he wanted to sit in his lap!

And after a while he even smiled for a picture...

Well, sort of.

My friend, Crystal, just sent me these pictures from the party.  Again with the painful grimace...

This is a little cheesy...but it gets better at the end.

I love our church.  James and I have been going there since before we even got engaged, and some of the people we've had the blessing of sharing life with over the past 5 1/2 years have become closer to my heart than I ever dreamed.  They really are our family.  I'm not saying everyone at our church is perfect or that we never disappoint each other or have conflict.  People are people.  We're sinful and we can't help but disappoint each other sometimes, but for the most part, I know the people that have invested in us at our church really love us and pray for us...and I feel so blessed to be a part of that. 

Our church has been without a pastor for about a year and a half now, and this past Sunday was our new pastor's first Sunday.  We had a luncheon in the gym to celebrate after the service, and during it I was so intrigued watching Hunter interact with his friends.  His friend, Ronnie, was sitting next to him, and as they were playfully sword fighting with their forks and laughing their heads off with each other, I felt giddy as I thought about all of the little boys in Hunter's class that he'll grow and mature with...and of course as soon as I dried the tears from my eyes, and put the weapons away, I pulled out the camera so I'd never forget the moment...

I eventually took Hunter out into the hall because he was growing increasingly resltess and loud by the minute.  Once we got out there, he saw another friend with his siblings in the hall.  They were all so inviting of him and once again my son was running around laughing his head off.  (Believe me, I so wanted to document those moments too, but since having children, high heels and running don't mix so I was having a hard time keeping up...)  Those kids treated him like he was part of their family, because the truth is, he is.  It made my heart so happy. 

This Saturday night we'll be in that same gym for our church's annual Night In Bethlehem.  We set up lots of "shops" in the gym so you feel like you are in the middle of the Jewish culture in Bethlehem at the time of Christ's birth. 

Last year, Hunter loved the Abraham's Kickin' Chicken booth, and he obviously enjoyed the bread too...

He did not love the head wrapping or dressing or whatever you call it, but I'm thinking this year he'll see how "so cool" it really is and just go with it...

We also have live animals out front...

Maybe this year we'll splurge for a two-hump camel.  Come on.  You know you can't resist a two-hump camel.

We also have a live nativity in the amphitheater where some very talented members will do a little 10ish minute dialogue as Mary and Joseph...unless you come from 4-5, and then your actors will not be very talented...I tried to get them to let me sing the lines, but they weren't going for that.  Now if you come the second hour, then you'll be in for a real treat because those two are a really convincing Mary and Joseph.  I think her lapse in blogging is actually because she's been preparing for this very night.

Hope to see you there! 

Oh!  I almost forgot.  My friend, Velma (who used to go to church with us but left us to go to church in the Valley...we won't blame her since her husband is the pastor there now), shared these verses on her blog and I completely copied them because I loved the idea so much, so I thought I'd share with y'all...

God made it possible for Mary to be pregnant. Matthew 1:18

An angel talked to Joseph about the birth. Matthew 1:20
The angel said that Mary’s special son will save us from our sins. Matthew 1:21
God had already said that his Son would come in this way. Matthew 1:22–23
Joseph would care for Mary while she was pregnant. Matthew 1:24–25
It was time to register for the population census. Luke 2:1–2
God had promised that Bethlehem would be Jesus’ birthplace. Micah 5:2
Mary and Joseph went to Bethlehem to be registered. Luke 2:3–5
Mary gave birth to baby Jesus in a stable. Luke 2:6–7
An angel surprised some shepherds. Luke 2:8–9
“Good news” was announced about a baby who would be a Savior. Luke 2:10–12
Lots of angels joined in praising God! Luke 2:13–14
The shepherds got excited about finding the baby. Luke 2:15
The shepherds visited the special baby. Luke 2:16–17
Everyone was amazed at the baby boy! Luke 2:18–20
The baby was named Jesus. Luke 2:21
The wise men followed a star, looking for Jesus. Matthew 2:1–2
King Herod got concerned when he heard about Jesus. Matthew 2:3–4
The Old Testament had already told about the town of Jesus’ birth. Matthew 2:5–6
King Herod came up with a plan to find Jesus. Matthew 2:7–8
The wise men again found the guiding star. Matthew 2:9–10
The wise men met Mary and Jesus. Matthew 2:11
God warned the wise men to avoid King Herod. Matthew 2:12
Jesus came so we can become children of God! Galatians 4:4–5
Jesus grew up to die on the cross so we can have never-ending life with God! John 3:16–17

There are 25 so you can read one per night with your kids from December 1st until Christmas.  And if you're thinking it's too late to start, don't!  We just started tonight and read days one through eight in one night.  Then we prayed for all of the families who've sent Christmas cards to us.  I'm not gonna lie.  Stole that idea from Velma too:)  Wonder who'll we'll pray for tomorrow night?  You know you want it to be you, so go ahead and send us that Christmas card...it's the highlight of our day:)

Oh, was that a surprise?

During college, I worked as a hostess at this high end steak house.  They had fine dining on one side and the hugest bar/AV area/cigar and cognac lounge, etc. on the other side.  Waits for a table would be like 2 hours...on a Wednesday night.  So we often got really good tips to bump people up the list.  We also had lots of famous Dallasites who frequented (mostly Stars, Mavs and Cowboys)...I'll save my Emmit Smith story for another time.  I'll just say, it's definitely one of James's favorites.  Anyway, one night I was running the board, and we had a big surprise party scheduled for one of our private rooms, so throughout the beginning part of the night, I sent several guests back with my table runners for the night. 

Then it happened. 

I became clueless hostess of the year.  A woman came in with her daughter and told me the name the reservation was under, and I said to one of the runners, "Take them back to the Ben's for the surprise party."  The girl had the most excited, jaw-dropping smile on her face, and the mother...did not.  I'd categorize her expression more as furious or glaring, rather than excited.

So I guess you could say I had it coming.

James's 35th birthday was Monday night, and I had planned a surprise party with some of our close friends.  Here's what happened when we got to Picasso's...

Me:  I have a reservation for Carole Brooks.

Clueless Hostess:  Blank stare, then head nod back and forth.

(This should've been my first clue).

Me:  Yes.  I have a reservation at 7.

CH:  What's the name again?

Me:  Carole Brooks

CH:  Second head nod of the night followed by "no"

Me:  Yes I do.

CH:  Oh.  Are you here for the party?

James:  looks at me while trying to hide the biggest smile you've ever seen

Me:  No!  Just Carole Brooks for 2.

CH:  Oh!  There's just 2.  Okay.

So she grabs 2 menus and walks us to a booth close by.

I stand there and stare at her, hoping she'll clue in soon.  She doesn't.  Enough time goes by that now the silence is becoming awkward. 

So, what else could I do?  I threw my hands up and said, "Yes.  We are here for the party.  It's his surprise party."  and walk away to the private room.  As I'm walking away, I hear CH happily say, "Oh! okay!" 

We get to the room, I pull the curtain back and exclaim a defeated, "He knows!" and James hugs me.

Although it started a little disappointing, we had a great time. 

Here's some pictures from the night...

My family (unfortunately I only got half the table)...

James's parents and some of his old friends...

The friend James is standing by is his dearest friend (I would call him his best friend, but according to James it's gay for guys to have best friends, so we'll go with dearest, which ironically seems more gay to me, but whatev) who drove from TYLER to come have dinner with us.  Ashlee, if you're reading this we love y'all and are so thankful for you!  Can't wait to see you again soon!

Some church buddies...

Some of the church dudes' wives and our awesome G-town friends...

Me and Amy and baby girl Weems (who'll hopefully have a name this week!)...

Laura and Marcy, y'all don't know what Amy and I went through to get that picture for you.  I'll just say there was lots of posing involved.

Happy Birthday James!  I love you so, so much, and I hope you had a great, even though not surprising:(, birthday party!