Christmas morning...

this is what sheer excitement looks like...

(sorry these cut off)

griffin always played football with the

checkers from the connect four game,

but now he has an actual field and players :)

anderson was sooo excited about his remote control excavator!

collier got a little necklace kit that daddy helped her put together...

i have been quite thankful for these helmets...

we even got to see some snowflakes on Christmas Day!!

griffin got some "real" football shoulder pads,

and for the first few days he even wore them

during dinner and all regular activities...

collier got an art kit that she loves!

we celebrated with my mom on christmas day,

but unfortunately poppy was sick and not able to join us...

other than that it was such a wonderful day!

when we got to celebrate with michael's family,

collier loved helping with sweet emma,

and tyler was soooo sweet to let her :)

 and of course all the cousins had a blast!!

 collier loves having a buddy her size now...

 so blessed to have these sweet cousins...

i promise that was the end of 2010!!

i fell in love with charleston...

do you know what makes me really happy?

escaping for a few days to go on vacation

with the man God blessed me to marry TEN years ago!!!

michael totally surprised me and planned

a getaway for us celebrate our anniversary...

guess where?

he didn't tell me until we were on the road--

when we hit I20 i finally guessed...

CHARLESTON!!!!!

it was our first visit, but i SO hope it won't be our last!

 we stayed in an adorable little bed and breakfast

with our innkeeper, judy, whom i loved!

every day she brought us delicious baked goodies,

and i love me some baked goodies.

 (sidenote--my apologies to charleston...

we didn't bring our good camera,

 and these photos don't do you justice!)

she had cute christmas decorations out that were so fun...

the food.

i'm still dreaming about it.

i have never, ever had food as good as what we had in charleston.

this was in front of poogan's porch, one of our favorites.

 inside poogan's porch...

what you can't see is that

i'm sitting right next to a roaring fire place.

roaring fire place + incredible food + my husband = perfection

 our favorite thing to do was ride bikes

(that precious judy had for us)

all over that beautiful city.

 we literally spent hours riding around,

if it didn't say "no trespassing,"

we assumed we were welcome to explore!

 i decided that there must be a green thumb test the residents

have to pass to live there, which would totally rule me out.

but, oh how much i enjoyed the greenery that covers that town!

 

 this was inside "tellis pharmacy"

that adorable lady behind me, alice tellis, and

her sister have owned it since the 40s.

 i'm not a history buff, but i loved the history of charleston.

this monument was in battery park, and i just love what it says:

"to the glory of God and in abiding memory of

146 valiant young men of the united states navy

who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of our country."

this was another one...

it said "count them happy who for their faith

and their courage endured a great fight"

love that.

our few days in charleston went by waaayyy too fast,

but it was enough time for me to

absolutely fall in love with that town.

beautiful homes, the best restaurants ever,

history, the water, shopping...

what more could you want?

so, so thankful for my sweet husband and the last 10 years!!

i go back to december all the time...

growing up my mom got me an ornament each year,

and i've continued that tradition with my sweet kiddos...

it's become a big deal to them every year now...

so fun to see the ornaments they've received over the years...

they love hanging them on the tree!

i save their new ornaments for the year for last...

i found the perfect one for collier this year...

a little blonde headed girl sitting in a pink chair

holding a baby doll--it's like it was made for her!

anderson fell in love with this one at the mall one day,

so i surprised him and went back to get it.

(still lovin' his haircut?)

griffin got an alabama football ornament last year,

but since that's still his obsession i continued that theme again...

anderson's little k4 class sang christmas songs at a nursing home...

i got to go with griffin's class to desoto caverns on a field trip...

his friend, brooks, from another class...

his class...

we had a blast at zoolight safari!

 the boys were ecstatic to see santa there!

for the first time, collier was happy to see him too!

though she preferred to stand in front instead of sit on his lap :) 

there was face paint...

 the boys had alabama on one cheek and auburn on the other...

 collier rode the carousel...

 i love, love, love christmas time!!!!