CR opening his dig dig digger from Mema and Granda. 
CR in his "deer stand" shooting his gun that Uncle J and Aunt Melissa bought at Uncle J (the deer)
CR opening his gifts at Aunt Melissa's and Uncle J's.
Santa requested his wish for a Polar Express train. Thank goodness Santa could find one that was a smaller version of his. CR is carrying the conductor and little boy to the North Pole.
Yes...can you believe it was hot enough Christmas Day to wear flip flops?...in fact I wore short sleeves and capri's until the evening. Crazy...but CR enjoyed the nice weather to play with his new toy that Nana and Pop got him...a remote control John Deere.
Thanks Santa...although these drums are much more heavy duty than CR's old ones, they are much louder too! I guess I shouldn't complain as much as he enjoys them. It could be worse!
In addition to eating his milk and cookies and the reindeer eating their "chow", Santa also left tracks in our house and front porch...he must not know we don't wear shoes in our house. CR also found some sleigh "dust" on the sidewalk later on Christmas Day.
CR slept until 8 AM Christmas Morning...we had to wake him up. What a nice surprise that was to sleep in...I was expecting to be up at the wee hours as excited as he was. His train was the first thing he saw and went to. In the background you can see that Santa was careless and knocked a Christmas ball off the tree too...thank goodness they are plastic.
CR peering into a gift from Nana and Pop...his John Deere remote controlled tractor. In 2 days, he wore the battery down twice.
Making a gingerbread house was something that I started CR's second Christmas (since he was too little his first Christmas to help) and it was something I had all intentions of making a yearly tradition. However, for some reason time got away from me last year and I didn't get to it, so I thought that this year, I would try it again. I thought CR would really get into it...I was wrong...or at least under the circumstances (we did it at my parents where he would much rather be outside). So...this is the creation of my mom and I. We had fun making it together on Christmas Eve. She did a much better job at it than I did, as she has taken a cake decorating class and has made cakes and such FOREVER. Thanks mom for your creativeness and help! I guess this project will become a girl tradition now...maybe Carragan will enjoy taking part.
This is what CR wanted to do instead of making the gingerbread house. Why am I surprised...he is outside and riding something! My dad comes up with the best "simple" things to entertain CR. CR has enjoyed this "hayride" more than any toy he got for Christmas. He has found a way to take the dogs for a ride now...hooked a trailer to the tractor and hauls the dogs around in it.
He did help all of about 10 minutes or so while my dad ate lunch.
Our finished house...the back.
A look from the front. Seeing the icing snow covering this house makes me long for some real snow. Maybe we will get lucky this year and get some real snow. Although, my luck it will only when I go into labor and I will get to have the challenge of getting to the hospital in it.
Another tradition that I look forward to each year is our baking day. Every year my mom, grandmother, and I get together and bake Christmas goodies ALL DAY. Even though we enjoy the goodies...it is such great quality time together! We have been doing this for as long as I can remember and I hope Carragan will grow to cherish it as much as I do! This was a new goodie that I we tried this year...peppermint bark...super easy but super yummy!
Our yearly tradition of peanut and coconut balls! YUMMY!
Another fairly new addition...Rolo candies (sorry don't know the real name). These are super easy as well, yet different. I have made these treats this holiday season at least for 4 different occasions...that is how easy they are.
Another tradition...pecan tassies/tarts. These were one of my favorites this year!
And snowballs...these were just some of the "creations" we made. I bet I have gained so much from eating these Christmas goodies...this is one year I didn't care how much I enjoyed them. We also gave some away to neighbors as gifts! (Excuse the Halloween hot mats in the background). I have got to put them away out of the drawer with my others....if they are there I just grab them. CR gets so frustrated by this though. Every time I do it he says, "Mommy...Halloween is over...it is Christmas!" in this Duh sort of tone.
This Christmas was spent more on making memories than worrying about the "commercialized" parts of Christmas and I must say that it made it SO NICE. I hope to continue with this type of Christmas spirit every year and I wish I could bottle up CR's "magic of Christmas" spirit to treasure forever.
Performing for us
It is so good to get together with relatives that we don't get to see as often as we like. These 3 really enjoy playing together...it is just sad that we can't seem to get together more often.
On Saturday, we attended CR's favorite parade. Rain, sleet, snow, or ice, we had to attend. It is a local town's parade in which you have to have a tractor or a horse to be in it. CR LOVES IT! We got there early (parade didn't start until 1 but if you are not there by 11, you will not find a place to park). People really get into it. We saw everything from fancy RV's to stew pots being stirred with a broom stick. But guaranteed...everyone tailgates (as you can see from the table in the above background...the people parked beside us). We were no exception! This was K's first year going (he has always had to work), but when I mentioned tailgating, he was excited. He pulled out his totes of tailgating stuff and grill and we did just that. We had marinated grilled chicken, potato salad, baked beans, veggie tray, snacks, and all sorts of sweet goodies. We didn't even get wet from the rain (thank goodness) because my brother let us take his pop-up tent. It was so much fun! Above CR gears up for the big event by playing with his John Deere tractor while we tailgate.
Almost parade time...CR gets his place by the road with his "loot bag" ready.
he grand marshal...you always know it is coming long before it gets to you by the man on the back ringing the bell
CR stands with his "loot bag" to get some candy being thrown
To of course the end being lead by no other than Santa!
Carriage rides...we didn't get to take these...the line was FOREVER long (like hours)
