Christmas with the Fowlers

After naps we headed to Aunt Lisa and Uncle Val's house to celebrate with the Fowler side of the family. Caleb and Luke had fun with their cousins and there were an insane number of presents opened that evening- I think we could have opened our own family toy store!

Reagan was very interested in Luke. She is just so cute and turns 3 next week!The big kids- Caleb, Reagan, Eli, and Ava. (Eli turned 4 last summer and Ava will turn 4 this spring.) They all played together so well- such a blessing!
Oh, these brothers!
Luke also got some snuggle time with Grandma Kathy!

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I have to share about Luke's precious outfit...Caleb got it for his first Christmas and it had his monogram on it. My friend Nikki knows a lady that does monogramming, and I had her look at it to see if she could change it. Luckily she could, and I am SO pleased with how it turned out!

More Christmas Morning

Caleb was sooooo excited for PeePaw, Grandma Beth, Matt, and Drew to get to town late Christmas Eve! All evening he would ask people, "Do you know who is coming to my house tonight?" They always responded with "Santa," but Caleb was quick to tell them, "Um, yes, but PEEPAW IS COMING TOO!" Christmas morning Caleb woke up and we all watched as he found his gifts from Santa. I took video, so I don't have a lot of pictures, but you can still see the excitement in his eyes. After Caleb discovered his presents, we decided to wake Luke up so he could join in the fun.

Creed and I had a wrapped present under the tree from Caleb. A Christmas hand print plate!
Santa put "Nurds" in Caleb's stocking
The big boys
Sweet, sweet Luke

He got a Dance & Wiggle puppy and LOVES it!

A Proud Momma

It's A Jeep Thing

After checking out Santa's gifts, and opening the presents from Mommy & Daddy, Caleb and Luke got bundled up and headed outside to see their present from PeePaw & Grandma Beth. They (Caleb mostly!) was SO excited to find a new Power Wheels Jeep! It has a radio with music and sound effects, and a microphone for him to talk into- the perfect gift for our talkative boy. That morning Caleb took it on a few test drives to get the hang of it and then took his brother on a few rides, slow gear only, of course! Luke loved riding in it and had his little foot just kicking (a sign of happiness) the whole time. I'm sure both boys will put lots of miles on it very soon!

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve we always celebrate with Grandmom's side of the family and then later Grandpa's side of the family. It's a night of family, fun, and lots of food! This year we had dinner at Aunt Joyce and Uncle Jim's house. Caleb had a blast playing with Caroline, Baylee, and Ellie, and I know they all ate way more dessert than their actual dinner. Baby Luke did great, but when 7:30 rolled around, he made it obvious that he was ready for bed, so he and Creed went home while Caleb and I went to Grandpa's side.

With Granny Sue, Luke's great-great grandmother

Baylee, Ellie, Caleb, & Caroline (all under 4)

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With MeeMaw, Grandpa's mom

Caleb, Morgan, Gwen, Reese, Hayley, & Braedon

More Christmas Eve Morning

After Luke's morning nap, Grandmom, Grandpa, Aunt Paige, and Uncle Luke came over to have our Christmas. I've realized that I need to be more conscious of the pictures that I take because looking back I don't have many at all. :(

Christmas Eve Breakfast

Saturday morning we all went to Grandma and Grandaddy's house for a Christmas Eve breakfast. Caleb had the right idea showing up in his pjs and Santa hat. He seriously thought that everyone might get confused and think he was the real Santa! I was so thankful that my wonderful family played along and showed a genuine confusion. ;)

That morning Grandma made yummy breakfast casseroles, the coffee was hot, and the kids were happy with a giant platter of Sugar & Spice donuts. We also exchanged gifts, and it was great watching Caleb, Luke, and Caroline get so excited with their new toys.

Ten Months

Luke Michael, you are TEN MONTHS old today! Merry Christmas, sweet boy! You've have a very busy few weeks. Over the past week you have learned to crawl and you've even pulled up to standing one time. You're still our sweet, laid back boy, but are quick to show your temper if something makes you mad. You have really started babbling this past month. "Dada" is as clear as day and you love to mimic a cough or sneeze.

Your routine hasn't changed much since you turned 9 months, except for nap time. You are only taking about a 1 hour morning nap (10:30-11:30) and your afternoon nap is now longer. Lately you've been napping from 2:30-5, or sometimes even later. You still need to be in your bed by 8pm though. I have a feeling you'll be down to one long nap soon.

Bless your heart, but you've been sick this past month. A yucky stomach bug, two ear infections, pink eye, and a cold. I think you've got allergies because your eyes have been watering a little lately.

You love your Mommy & Daddy, your brother, and Rhett. You love your passie and holding your softie while you sleep. You love sleeping on your tummy. You love crackers, Puffs, and Mum Mums. You also love pasta and cheese quesidillas. You love being on the go and are a great shopper.

Happy 10 Months! We LOVE you so much!

Early Christmas Fun

We have had so much fun these last few weeks celebrating Christmas! Both boys love it- especially Caleb! Our first celebration was with our friends, the Dursts and Whitworths. Because baby Luke was still getting over his pink eye, we decided it would be best for him to sit this one out.
The "big" kids- Madalyn, Caleb, Hayden, & Jackson

(We were missing Luke, Kathryn, & Harper in the picture.)

Caleb's teacher planned such a cute party for the kids- nothing fancy, but just what a group of three year olds would want. First the kids lined up and sang their Christmas songs to the parents. Then it was time for lunch- pizza!

All the kids got a sugar cookie, a spoonful of icing, and sprinkles to decorate.

How cute are they?!!
The following weekend we celebrated Christmas with Grandma Kathy, Aunt Erika, and Ava. Caleb and Ava played upstairs for a long time and did great! We tried hard to get a picture of all 3 kiddos without much success. Luke is just all over the place!

The blur of gifts being opened!
This past week we headed over to Madalyn, Hayden, and Kathryn's house for their annual Christmas pajama party. Caleb had so much fun, but we had to cut it a little short because it was Luke's nap time.

The following day I took the boys over to Nana's house (their great-great grandmother!) to celebrate with her.

Nana got Caleb the board game "Don't Wake Daddy" and he L-O-V-E-S it. We've played it everyday since. (Modified rules!)
Luke got some loving from Nana too and helped her open her gift.

Whew! December is an exhausting time, but by far the best month of the year! We are so thankful for our family, our friends, and that Jesus was sent to Earth for us! Yes, we have an Elf sitting on a shelf somewhere, and Santa will make an appearance sometime late tomorrow night, but we also know the real meaning for this celebration. And, we will be singing Happy Birthday to Jesus Sunday morning! Merry (early) Christmas!