Christmas celebrations started for us on December 20th...in Raleigh...
we welcomed our children home and enjoyed being in Raleigh and eating Grandma (and Uncle Jeff)'s good food, playing with cousins galore, and ended the day with a powerful and precious testimony meeting at Jean's house...thanks for that precious gift!!!
ellen loves children...but who wouldn't love Kalib and Nolan????
we ALWAYS play games...so fun!
gifts are great, too...
Gramps and Pete in a deep discussion...
I love my Mama!!!!
gorgeous grins!!!!
Noah's beautiful tree and our gift to him (thanks for the tip Beth!) was a plaque that reads...Because someone we love is in heaven, we feel heaven in our home
even though it was his birthday, Uncle Jeff still served us...Thank you Jeff...it was delicious!!
Pete claimed the cheesecake Grandma bought for him...from Cheesecake factory!
love Aunt JeJe's comfy couches!!!
did I mention we ate????
and just enjoyed being together?????
CHRISTMAS at home was special too...our cousins Fran, Ginger and Bubba came to visit
Bubba is in the army and heads to Afganistan next month...he looks so fit!
Santa was extravagant this year and everyone was so excited and thankful!!!
LaNelle had such fun with her cricut machine...
and the twins love their very own mini-laptops...they will skype you often!
Aunt Laurel helped in the kitchen...THANKS!!!!!
Santa left so much...
Connor loves his robe...
and Andrew loves his boxing gloves...watch out world...
steven was shocked and super happy about getting cable TV till May!!!!
and I LOVE how excited my kids get for each other...LOVE IT!!
gotta love the bow on Patti's head...
Peter played Christmas carols on his laptop while we opened presents...we loved it!
ellen loves children...but who wouldn't love Kalib and Nolan????
we ALWAYS play games...so fun!
gifts are great, too...
Gramps and Pete in a deep discussion...
I love my Mama!!!!
gorgeous grins!!!!
Noah's beautiful tree and our gift to him (thanks for the tip Beth!) was a plaque that reads...Because someone we love is in heaven, we feel heaven in our home
even though it was his birthday, Uncle Jeff still served us...Thank you Jeff...it was delicious!!
Pete claimed the cheesecake Grandma bought for him...from Cheesecake factory!
love Aunt JeJe's comfy couches!!!
did I mention we ate????
and just enjoyed being together?????
CHRISTMAS at home was special too...our cousins Fran, Ginger and Bubba came to visit
Bubba is in the army and heads to Afganistan next month...he looks so fit!
Santa was extravagant this year and everyone was so excited and thankful!!!
LaNelle had such fun with her cricut machine...
and the twins love their very own mini-laptops...they will skype you often!
Aunt Laurel helped in the kitchen...THANKS!!!!!
Santa left so much...
Connor loves his robe...
and Andrew loves his boxing gloves...watch out world...
steven was shocked and super happy about getting cable TV till May!!!!
and I LOVE how excited my kids get for each other...LOVE IT!!
gotta love the bow on Patti's head...
Peter played Christmas carols on his laptop while we opened presents...we loved it!
and of course Peter also had to mock SB...what else do brother's do???
LaNelle is an EXPERT at making banana pudding...and she made several batches...yum!
we ate 10 pounds of butter in two weeks...sorta gross when you think of it, huh?
more computer time...(there were 12 laptops in our house at one point...seriously?)
but we played tons of other games, too....
Peter spent almost ALL of his vacation designing, shopping for and building a massive treehouse...he got some help from Ellen and his brothers...even Grandma enjoyed an afternoon out watching the construction...and it's 90% complete now...FUN!!!!
I love my new wall art (requested by me and made by LaNelle)
more card games with Grandma....
LaNelle is an EXPERT at making banana pudding...and she made several batches...yum!
we ate 10 pounds of butter in two weeks...sorta gross when you think of it, huh?
more computer time...(there were 12 laptops in our house at one point...seriously?)
but we played tons of other games, too....
Peter spent almost ALL of his vacation designing, shopping for and building a massive treehouse...he got some help from Ellen and his brothers...even Grandma enjoyed an afternoon out watching the construction...and it's 90% complete now...FUN!!!!
I love my new wall art (requested by me and made by LaNelle)
more card games with Grandma....
scaling the slide "American Gladiator" style...the slide made by Peter because SB was afraid to climb down the ladder...spoiled????
Grandma's visit was so much fun!!
Peter took this treehouse very SERIOUSLY!!!
Chloe (Peter and Ellen's lab) enjoyed everyone being outside with her...
Connor is so excited about this special present!!! It now has a roof, two screen windows, a custom built door and siding... and when Peter finishes, it will have a porch/deck and sheetrock walls...did I mention extreme???
poor SB had terrible chapped lips...
Grandma brought Boar's Head cold cuts and bought supplies for a massive ice cream sundae bar...(I did say we ate a lot...right???)
Steven ate CONSTANTLY and we loved seeing him enjoy himself so much...I think he gained something like 12 pounds...
yay!!!! Katie came too...I love my sweet beautiful neice!!!!
LaNelle posing while sweeping...everyone pitched in to keep things sorta clean...an almost impossible task with so many people but worth every ounce of clutter to have my house full of family!!!
AND THEN...we had a huge NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY....
Grandma's visit was so much fun!!
Peter took this treehouse very SERIOUSLY!!!
Chloe (Peter and Ellen's lab) enjoyed everyone being outside with her...
Connor is so excited about this special present!!! It now has a roof, two screen windows, a custom built door and siding... and when Peter finishes, it will have a porch/deck and sheetrock walls...did I mention extreme???
poor SB had terrible chapped lips...
Grandma brought Boar's Head cold cuts and bought supplies for a massive ice cream sundae bar...(I did say we ate a lot...right???)
Steven ate CONSTANTLY and we loved seeing him enjoy himself so much...I think he gained something like 12 pounds...
yay!!!! Katie came too...I love my sweet beautiful neice!!!!
LaNelle posing while sweeping...everyone pitched in to keep things sorta clean...an almost impossible task with so many people but worth every ounce of clutter to have my house full of family!!!
AND THEN...we had a huge NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY....so good to see old and new friends and more family...
Tye looks woozy but I promise there was no alcohol involved in our celebration!!! His cup was straight ice water...but it was WAY past his bedtime...
and silly Andrew was guzzling sparkling cider...nut!!!
my cousin Keli introduced us to her precious 3 year old...a true princess!!
watching a daredevil while waiting on the ball to drop in Times Square...
Patti's friends came too...such sweet girls!!!
LaNelle found a quiet moment to get acquainted with baby Alee...my newest neice!
Brenda and Mike made the finals in APPLES TO APPLES...I'm thinking that's a baby alive in his lap behind Brenda...
Beth's twins are 2 and they played together so sweetly all night!!!!!
it was a rocking party...with 48 guests...
Carolyn (Beth's daughter) is ready to be a "girlfriend"!!!!
and ALL children ADORE Steven..and he loves them, too
so many friends came!!!!
we welcomed in 2010 with lots of noise!!!! (and a few "bombs")
We'll do it again next year...y'all mark your calendars now...
Peter had Robosapien dancing the night away!!!!!
but others chose to sit and visit...
we enjoyed spending time with Cindy's new husband, Phillip
It's going to be a FaNtAbUloUs decade!!!!
and in case you are wondering why my Daddy Tom and DeeDee are missing from our celebrations...it's because DT had colon cancer surgery the week before Christmas in Charleston...he scared us to death and we missed them over the holidays but all is well (thanks for PRAYERS!!!!) and we will have him for many Christmases to come...and many more New Years!!!! We are TRULY BLESSED!!!!!!
Peter and I at MUSC for the surgery...
his recovery is the best gift his children received!!!
Hope your celebrations were wonderful and your New Year blessed!!!!
Tye looks woozy but I promise there was no alcohol involved in our celebration!!! His cup was straight ice water...but it was WAY past his bedtime...
and silly Andrew was guzzling sparkling cider...nut!!!
my cousin Keli introduced us to her precious 3 year old...a true princess!!
watching a daredevil while waiting on the ball to drop in Times Square...
Patti's friends came too...such sweet girls!!!
LaNelle found a quiet moment to get acquainted with baby Alee...my newest neice!
Brenda and Mike made the finals in APPLES TO APPLES...I'm thinking that's a baby alive in his lap behind Brenda...
Beth's twins are 2 and they played together so sweetly all night!!!!!
it was a rocking party...with 48 guests...
Carolyn (Beth's daughter) is ready to be a "girlfriend"!!!!
and ALL children ADORE Steven..and he loves them, too
so many friends came!!!!
we welcomed in 2010 with lots of noise!!!! (and a few "bombs")
We'll do it again next year...y'all mark your calendars now...
Peter had Robosapien dancing the night away!!!!!
but others chose to sit and visit...
we enjoyed spending time with Cindy's new husband, Phillip
It's going to be a FaNtAbUloUs decade!!!!
and in case you are wondering why my Daddy Tom and DeeDee are missing from our celebrations...it's because DT had colon cancer surgery the week before Christmas in Charleston...he scared us to death and we missed them over the holidays but all is well (thanks for PRAYERS!!!!) and we will have him for many Christmases to come...and many more New Years!!!! We are TRULY BLESSED!!!!!!
Peter and I at MUSC for the surgery...his recovery is the best gift his children received!!!
Hope your celebrations were wonderful and your New Year blessed!!!! 
