Christmas Catch-Up :)

1.  We had a sweet time celebrating Christmas in South Carolina with Matt's family, and we packed in a lot of activities!  On Sunday we went to church in the morning  followed by a delicious brunch at Matt's sister's house, and then Matt and his dad went hunting all afternoon.  On Monday we packed back into the van and headed over the border to the Charlotte Ikea.  We replaced all of Asa's missing train tracks (and then some!)!!!  He was/is soooooooo excited.  Then we had the Christmas Eve service and a Christmas Eve party Monday night.  Tuesday was Christmas Day, of course, with Matt's sister's family coming over and then his parents' friend came over for the afternoon and dinner.  She is a delightful international student named Jue attending the local university.  We have heard a lot of about her and it was wonderful to finally meet her.  She was so sweet to the kids and especially to Asa.

Anna Reaghan is thrilled about her swing from Poppy & Nana (Matt's parents).
She climbed in and out over and over and over again.

Eating some banana and trying out her new flower bow from Nana & Poppy.

Cousin Izzy playing with the My Little Pony castle set we got her while Asa drives the accompanying carriage.

Doctoring Izzy

Cousins!! (Izzy 4, Asa 3.5, Anna Reaghan 1.5)

with Jue

2.  On Wednesday we met up with Matt's friend Tyson and his wife Anne for breakfast before we left town. Then we had a few slow downs--topping off the gas tank, adding some air to the tires.  I have one with a very slow leak (it started right before we left OH), but we wanted to use fix-a-flat to tide us over.  Matt used the fix-a-flat, but when he went to top off the tire, the air machine didn't work.  So we had to ask for our money back and find a different station on our way out of town.  Meanwhile I ran into Walmart to grab things AR would eat for lunch later and try to find dramamine for Asa--but couldn't find it.  Thankfully he did not get carsick.  We were home around 2 or 2:30 and had the kids in bed for naps right away!  After some dinner and getting them down in bed, I met up with my friend, Jamey.  She was a reader at our wedding, and I'm not sure I had seen her since then!!  I forgot to get a picture together :(, but I am SO glad it worked out to see her before she headed home to NC the next day!

3.  As I mentioned, Anna Reaghan is picking up words all the time.  From the last week we can now add:
Goh = God
Men = Amen
ipe = diaper/wipe
me = Mimi (my grandmother who lives here)
up = up
ap = apple
she has settled on Suh for Asa and addresses him by name or tells other people his name all the time! :)
she said "please" as clear as a bell while we were in SC, too!
There are probably 1 or 2 more she's picked up in the last week! EX-PLO-SION!! And SOOO fun!
She often tells me when she needs a fresh diaper as well.  Maybe there really is something to the whole "girls train earlier than boys" thing?!?  We're not pursuing it yet, but it's kind of exciting. :)

4.  Matt worked Thursday and  Friday.  On Friday night we had Christmas (#2) with my parents.  Asa was soooo excited to opening another stocking! :)  We had a pizza dinner then stockings and gifts.  Anna Reaghan's favorites were a doll with different kinds of fasteners incorporated into her outfit (to practice zippers, buttons, snaps, velcro, etc.) and some dogs that look dirty but become "clean" when they are in warm bath water. :)  Asa was most excited about a random truck with a trailer holding a construction light.  Mom said she picked it up on a whim, but Asa was THRILLED and kept saying it was just what he always wanted and thinks, at least, that he saw it at a store one day and had been secretly pining away for it ever since!  What a hit!  He could not get enough of that truck! :)

5.  On Saturday morning we woke up and had "Christmas morning" (#3) all over again just the four of us.  Asa was thrilled to have yet another stocking.  He loved that he got a tube of toothpaste (both our kids are toothpaste-lovers) and some "finger flashlights."  Anna Reaghan got some toothpaste also, and she stopped mid-stocking opening to brush her teeth as result :).  She also liked a sparkley baton that was in her stocking.  Asa's ornament this year is a Curious George ornament because he loves George!!  Anna Reaghan's ornament is a little shoe because she loooooves shoes. :)  Under the tree, Asa's favorite gift was probably a tie between a Thomas train set and a plastic snail (he found one the other day in the yard, and it was love at first sight).  Neither of those were what I predicted he would be most excited about--of course.  The adorable, stuffed Curious George I was sure he would love he barely bats an eye at!  Anna Reaghan has most enjoyed some toddler necklaces we got her--she wore them the rest of the morning--and a singing paintbrush!

Our stockings

The animals are all excited Jesus is finally here!

That toothbrush break I mentioned ;)

Singing, "Happy Birthday" to Jesus

Asa's finger flashlights

6.  Then on Saturday evening we had dinner with my parents, grandmother, and oldest brother's family and exchanged gifts with them!  Both of the kids got a sweet book--Asa's is about, what else, a truck :) and Anna Reaghan's is a copy of a Christmas book I LOVED as a child, The Sweet Smell of Christmas.  OH how it took me back to look through it. :)  Then Auntie Joy sewed an amazing car pillow for Asa (which got the place of honor in his bed that night) and even my niece lent a hand to add some stitches to a beautiful, hand-embroidered purse for Anna Reaghan.  She would not take it off her arm the rest of the night!

Now it's back to "normal" around here.  Trying to get situated and finish unpacking the "car trip toys" and new Christmas gifts.  Telling myself, "Okay, you've had 2 months to adjust, it's time to finish making this house feel homey!"  So I am hoping to hang more pictures, fill in shelves the way I like, etc. instead of having stuff just "around."  And the new year begins tomorrow!  I wonder what all is in store. :)