Kindergarten Polar Express Day 2011

Brody's Kindergarten class took a trip to the North Pole today aboard the Polar Express. They all wore their pajamas and slippers, and Ms. Jennifer read the story as the conductor. Colby and I also got to board the train! Two other moms and myself had the privilege of serving nougat candies and hot chocolate to all of the kids. It was a memorable day for all!

After the story and hot chocolate, the kids played a game of "The Conductor Says." None of them were too sure how to play, but they all improved as the game went on and had a ton of fun!!!

The conductor says, "everyone get under the table." They loved it!

Before leaving the North Pole, each child received their own Polar Express Bell.

Brunch with Santa at Bluegrass

We went to Brunch with Santa at Bluegrass again this year. This has definitely become a favorite Christmas tradition of ours. The boys were so excited to tell Santa about what they want for Christmas. Brody said he wants nerf guns, and Colby said Ice Age toys.

Hendersonville Christmas Parade 2011

The Hendersonville Christmas Parade was on Sunday, December 4, and the weather could not have been better! Last year it was snowing and freezing cold, but this year it was in the 60's. We were able to watch and enjoy with no coats or hats!!

The boys had so much fun watching the floats and getting candy!! I love that this parade is part of our annual Christmas traditions.


Waiting for the parade to start...

We saw some friends from Brody's class on one of the floats...

Colby waved and yelled "Merry Christmas" to almost every float! It was precious!

Candy, candy, and more candy...

As always, Santa and Mrs. Claus were at the end of the parade...

Breakfast with Santa at Church

Our church hosts a Breakfast with Santa each year. This is the first year we have been able to take the boys, and we had so much fun! It was set up like the Polar Express, and the decorations were awesome! There were crafts, food, and Santa Claus! I'm so glad we were able to go!




One craft room was set up to write out your Christmas List for Santa and then put it in a big mailbox. The boys took this task very seriously!!

Colby's finished list (with a little help from me) included a personal DVD player and movies...

Brody's finished list included a personal DVD player, nerf guns, and Star Wars...

Brody's first Basketball Game

On Saturday, December 3rd, Brody started his first basketball season, which he has been so excited about! He is playing in a small league that plays at a church just right up the street from our house. Mason, a friend and neighbor is on the team, and his dad, Bram, is the coach. Jason and I are very excited about this! Mr. Bram is a great guy and a great coach! I can't wait to see how much Brody has learned at the end of this season.

Six month post Fontan Appointment

Colby went for his 6 month post op appointment with Dr. Doyle on November 22nd. The appointment was very quick and easy, and Colby looks great! His sats were 92!!!

Dr. Doyle didn't make any adjustments to his medicines, but he did give us prescriptions for chewable forms instead of liquid. This has been so much easier!! Now, Colby just has 3 chewable tablets to take in the morning (Aspirin, Enalapril, and Axid) and 3 at night (Enalapril, Axid, and 1/2 Lasix).

We aren't scheduled to see cardiology again until June!! Truly amazing!!

Streets of Indian Lake Christmas Tree Lighting

The Streets of Indian Lake has a Christmas Tree Lighting on the Friday night after Thanksgiving. This is our second year to go. It is a very small and quick event, but the boys really enjoy it! Everyone counts down from 10, and then the big tree of lights comes on. Watching their faces is priceless! I absolutely love seeing the magic of Christmas through their eyes. I am pretty sure this is going to be a very fun holiday season!!

Thanksgiving Day

A few years ago, Tammy and Jeremy started hosting a Thanksgiving Day Lunch for the family, so Jason and I agreed to start a Thanksgiving Day Rotation this year...one year with my family and the next year with his family. I have to admit that as Thanksgiving Day approached this year, I started getting a little sad. I am 31 years old, and I don't think I have ever missed a Thanksgiving lunch with Granny Shug. As Jason and I always do, though, we worked out a compromise. We met Shug, my mom and dad, and Jeanine and her girls at Shug's house for breakfast, and then we went to Jeremy and Tammy's for lunch. We did really miss seeing my aunts, uncles, and cousins, but we will get to visit with them in just a couple of weeks when we get together for Christmas. Thanksgiving ended up being a great day with lots of family and fun and of course great food!!

I LOVE this picture! I can't remember the last time the 4 of us took a family picture.

At Jeremy and Tammy's House...

After a full day of playing with Harper, Darbye, Emilee, and Kylee and no nap, Brody and Colby were exhausted! They ended up laying around watching a movie. Poor Colby fell asleep in the car when we left, and our boys NEVER sleep in the car! I guess holidays are tiring for all of us!