Birthdays!

We celebrated two awesome birthdays this week, the big 3-1 for yours truly and the really big 1 for my sweet niece Hannah Noel!  I did not face plant in my cake this year, for some reason it is inappropriate after you reach kindergarten.  I wouldn't mind bringing the tradition back, who's with me?  I have got at least 2 boys that would be down with it.

Who is that sweet little munchkin?! 

She goes for it and just incase she didn't her cousin was always close by to help in any way...

Pretty mama and baby and awesome PINK decor!

Birthday girls!

Merry Merry!

Happy Birthday Jesus!  We slept in Christmas morning and I had to convince the boys to go downstairs to see if Santa had visited our house.  They already had so many new toys upstairs, spoiled rascals.  I doubt this will ever happen again so I will enjoy it while it last.  They were of course thrilled and very thankful when they saw their Santa gifts.  He kept it very simple this year.  We played a little and then had a cinnamon roll 'birthday cake' for Jesus.  Yes, I made them sing Happy Birthday to Jesus, we all need a little reminder during the busy Christmas time of what we are celebrating.  We headed to Goldsboro that afternoon for a late lunch with all of my grandparents and extended family.  Cheers to another wonderful Christmas!

We got our 'Busy Day Books' Mom!

This is so fun!

I wan open dis. Ok mom.

Getting ready with dad in our Christmas best.

First shave.

Clean cut gentleman around here.

Round 2

Ho Ho Ho!  This was not a 'normal' Christmas around here.  Being a stickler for traditions it threw me for a loop a really awesome one that I hope to continue.  With a house full of boys I was super pumped to have our sweet nieces over on Christmas Eve!  Hannah flew in from California and Brooklyn made her first trip out (the doctors office doesn't count) to her cousins house.  We ate chili, opened a lot of presents, played games and loved on our 'baby cousins.'  The boys are obsessed with these little babes which makes he really happy and a little less nervous about #3!

Meeting Baby Brooklyn for the first time!

Picking up 'baby' Hannah from the airport!

Yeah! Welcome of NC Fowler family!!

Thank-you Tat-Tat, this is just what I needed! -Jackson, a very sweet present opener

Tat-Tat and all her grand babies.  This is the best shot we got.

Nash being 'gentle' to babies.  Look how tiny!!

Night-night baby Hannah. Lud you.  See you waiter. -Nash

Round One

Our family packed the car full of presents and headed to Grandmama and Grandaddy's house for a weekend full of Christmas celebrating.  It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Annual cookie decorating time!

Everyone behaving and sitting so nicely at church… Maybe one day?

Sweet Christmas cousins!

Someone was a little overwhelmed with all the gift giving.  Really who needs more than one present, or just your brothers presents.

This 'Jake' bandana has not come off.  

New Niece!

Check out this sweet bundle of perfection.  My niece, Brooklyn Love Winslow was born on December 20th, weighing 7lbs 4oz with some seriously kissable lips.  No one was more excited to hear that 'Brickklynn' came out of Brittni's belly and she is not going back in than Jackson!  He has gotten all his soft toys together and drawn her some pictures in his notebook to look at when she comes over.  Talk about a Christmas miracle!

1st Trimester

The first trimester for baby #3 has come and gone.  It was not too bad at all, but it was my worst one yet.  Hence why I thought he might be a she.  I was exhausted and felt constantly hungover.  I was tired but did not sleep very well.  I did not crave ice cream but instead plain chips. I wanted nothing to do with coffee and could drink water all day long.  Charlie, Jackson and Nash have appreciated the pizza deliveries and extra TV time I am sure.  They are rock stars, already giving their mama pats on the belly, foot rubs and sleeping better at night.  When one of them does get up Charlie gets them every single time.  He is coming up strong for dad of the year.  These past few weeks we have been back on track.  At 18 weeks, I already have quite the belly bump.  It came on strong after Thanksgiving weekend and is steadily keeping up with the Holidays.  When I told Jackson and Nash that the baby was a boy J replied ' I already know that.  Maybe his name is cooky.'  And Nash laughed and said 'yeah cookie.'  They are going to be great big brothers and all the best of friends.  I love it.

Cheese-a-roni-heads

It's a...

BOY!  Did we ever have any doubt.  My guess was, 'I think it is a girl, but I know it is a boy.'  And that ultrasound was clear as day.  I have seen that before.  Charlie and I both laughed.  We were meant for boys and dirty hand me down clothes and chips on the couch in our coats while watching football.  Does this mean I have to get a van?

Santa!

The boys had a sleepover at their grandparents with their heroes (older wiser super cool cousins) on Friday night.  They ate pizza, made cookies, played tackle and I am sure they slept soundly through the night…  The next morning they rounded it off by going to Breakfast with Santa, so fancy.  Jackson has it figured out, you talk to Santa and he usually has some kind of candy for you right then and there.  Nash has it figured out, he is not sitting in the lap of the weird creepy guy and knows his brother will always bring him something anyways.  Jackson has asked for the same thing to each Santa Clause,  'Jake and the Never Land Pirates Busy Day Book.'    He saw it at Barnes and Noble one day and has stuck with it.  This makes Santa very very happy.  

Was up Santa, what you got in your basket?

How many times do I have to say it, no I am not going near him!

Best of all, their parents went to dinner AND a movie at the movie theatre, holllleerrr!  And went out to lunch the next day and to the UNC basketball game.  We all rounded it off on Sunday by going to see Disney on Ice, the boys all loved it…

#1 Dad!

heavenly

I am huge wimp when it come to cold weather.  I have been on a 'let's do something special' (inside) kick this week.  This usually consist of making something related to Christmas which usually consist of cookie decorating.  Today we made Christmas trees; put some green icing on sugar cones and then pour as many sprinkles as possible on it and then lick it all off!  Tis' the season!

Can we lick it now mom? -Jackson

Ice cream! -Nash

I am so excited, I am just gonna lick mine right now. -Jackson

Ice cream! -Nash

weekend wrap-up

We had a nice cold weekend full of some Christmas cheer.  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here!

We picked out a tree and did some tackling, obvi.

Got up some Christmas decor!

These guys led the neighborhood caroling at our Winter Wonderland Festival.

Drummer Boy.

Jingle Bells!

My sweet Shepherd at his pre-school Christmas program.  He did an awesome job.  He was actually so relaxed / tired that he yawned most of the performance.

Reindeer studs at church.  

buddies

Jackson - We just reading Bible stories mom.

Nash - Bible story mama.

Jackson - Really Nash is just copying everything I say.

Nash - Ebbryfing I say mama.

Jackson - See mom.

Me - Are you a copycat Nash?

Nash - Meoowww.

Getting in the Spirit!

December has arrived.  Christmas time is here. The most wonderful time of the year.  I need a tree! I need to decorate! I need to take last years lights off the trees outside that do not work!  I need to take a Christmas card picture!  I need to buy presents! Did I mention it is the most wonderful time of the year?  But to these boys 3 weeks away is like an eternity.  So I am not going to freak out about our pumpkins still being out until at least Friday.  We did get in the spirit by visiting a Tarheel Santa and watching a UNC basketball practice this week.

Santa!  Nash was no where to be seen...

This is so cool mom.

Ahh, ya'll know they got snack up there right?!

SUBS!

A little over four years ago Charlie and Clint (UNC) took over Jersey Mike's Subs in Chapel Hill.  Since that very day the sub shop has flourished.  I never had a single doubt that it would not be a success.  They are two of the hardest working perfectionist fools that I have ever known.  Lucky for me I get to call them my husband and brother.  Sunday evening we had a gathering at Maggiano's to celebrate with both of our families and an awesome family that has worked with them since day one.  Cheers to many more years of a mini #9 Mike's Way, my personal fave!  

And the crowd gathers for appetizers...

oh and drinks!

The ever thankful and gracious daddy.

We are so proud!