Christmas Crafts from Chunk-A-Monk

Santa Door Hanger $8

Dear Santa Door Hanger - $8

Santa 5x7 Picture Frame - $18

Pink Santa Burp Cloth - $8

Red Santa Burp Cloth - $8

Belated Christmas

What a fantastic Christmas! We decided to do Christmas simple this year, it was all about the boys! This was the easiest holiday season in a LONG time, it gave us time and perspective on what this season is really about.

Christmas Eve it snowed and was beautiful but people in Texas just don't know how to handle inclimate weather...but we ventured out to my FIL's house in spite of it.

The boys looked so handsome and were bundled in their Christmas blankets ready for the drive.

Daddy looked pretty good himself! ; )

...we had to get the toys out immediately and play before dinner... MeMa and PePa's toys are "so cool"...
My FIL and his wife prepared an amazing meal! They are such great hosts and the boys LOVE to spend time at MeMa and PePa's house!

The boys adore their Uncle Nick!

Now to clean up the "old" toys so we can open up the new ones...

....but Corbin just wanted to play in the toy bin...




They had a blast opening their gifts!

That night was an experience driving home...lots of ice...it is usually a 45 minute drive and it took us over 2 hours. BUT WE MADE IT!


Christmas morning the boys woke up and sat on the couch watching the
parade while I put together breakfast quiche and waited for my sister and her husband and my parent's to get here. Last year is the first year EVER that I didn't spend Christmas morning with my parents and it made me sad, so this year my family came to us.

We all sat around in our PJs and watched the boys open their gifts. They were SO excited about their stockings!

Corbin mostly wanted to just sit on everything...



Devin carefully examined every present
Now for the BIG gifts!
Corbin got a tricycle


Devin got a Big Wheel and rode it ALL over the house!

After eating breakfast everyone went home to get ready for Christmas day festivities at my parent's home.

As SOON as we gt to my parent's the boys went straight for great grandpa's lap! This just melts my heart! Our boys have no problem making themselves right at home when at GG and PaPi's...

This is my youngest brother and grandmother
The boys snoopin in the stockings..

I bet you haven't ever seen Santa pick his nose! ; )

...and why wouldn't the boys need more toys...

On Saturday my MIL and her husband came over to celebrate Christmas and my batteries were dead so I have no pictures. : ( The boys got to open presents for the FOURTH time in three days...I really don't think our boys "need" for anything!!!

We truly are blessed by our families!

Merry Christmas!

Silly Fun & A TRAIN!

This afternoon before Devin and I went Christmas shopping, while Corbin was spending time with daddy, he wanted to take "Silly Pictures"....

I love how he is turning into such a little man! He is such a joy to be with!

Devin is OBSESSED with trains!!!!! I actually think the word obsessed might be an understatement... I have seen the unfinished wood train pieces at Michael's and thought it would be a neat thing for me to paint and give him for Christmas. He is gonna go nuts for this!

Hostess Gifts - Ornaments

I love making gifts almost as much as I love receiving them!

I made this one for a friend and I wish I would have made one for myself.

I made these for a goodie exchange at my grandmother's house and this time I DID make some for myself!

I made this one for a girlfriend's cookie exchange, I really wish I could find more of these glitter stickers!

DIY Christmas Ornaments

I can't get enough of holiday tassels but hate their prices....so I made one for myself! I purchased a brown santa ornament at Hob Lob and added fringe and ribbon. Now I'm no Nester when it comes to tassel making but I really like how it turned out!

I wanted to make an ornament for the boys to go on the "family tree" so I got the mod podge, a small piece of unfinished wood, some paint, ribbon, printed out a picture of the boys on regular printer paper and here is what I cam up with...

Christmas Card Picture

This should be titled "How I Almost Went Crazy While Trying To Get A Good Picture Of The Kids For Our Christmas Card"!!!!

I remember Devin's first Christmas and how much fun it was posing him in front of the tree...oh the days of only having one child... Trying to pose a toddler and a stubborn baby was not so fun. So last week I got the boys all "did up" and started the posing process. I swear it felt like every time I got a good picture of one of them the other one was looking away, had his eyes closed, was crying, looked bored, had a paci in his mouth, looking at the ceiling, was playing with the tree, rubbing his eyes, looking at his brother, telling me he was hungry...you get the idea... OR the picture was fuzzy!!! Darn camera! I even had Joe stand behind me dancing around like a fool to get a smile from them at the same time. Finally after 120 pictures I gave up and decided just to choose from what we took. I won't share the winning picture yet but I will show some examples of the trauma I put my kids thru.

They sure are some good lookin boys! ; )