Christmas Celebration #3 ~ Our House

Our third and final Christmas celebration took place last Sunday at our house when we gathered with Uncle Paul's family to watch and cheer our beloved Panthers to another victory against the Atlanta Falcons to score a spot in the NFL Playoffs!  Go Panthers!  We are so proud of the season our team has played this year and are hoping for our first Super Bowl victory for the team and our bright new quarterback, Cam Newton.  Cam is already pretty notorious coming out of his collegiate football career with the cherished Heisman Trophy after winning a national championship and becoming the #1 NFL draft pick in 2011.  He also shattered Peyton Manning's record of first rookie quarterback to throw for 400 yards in his first game and 4,000 yards in his first season and first rookie quarterback to rush for 700 yards. So all this star needs now is a Super Bowl victory!  Let's give it to him, Panthers!  ;-)

While the rest of the family watched the game, Emma and I (the girly girls) watched a movie that I DVRed over Christmas for us.  Emma and I both share a love of the Mandie book series that I read as a young girl and passed on to Emma, and we have since discovered that several movies have been made based on the books.  When I saw that "Mandie and the Forgotten Christmas" was showing on TV, I knew I had to record it for her.  We enjoyed watching the adaptation and dishing about how much was changed from the books.

After the game and movie were over, we gathered around the Christmas tree.  Since Papa and Nana could not be with us due to illnesses, Uncle Paul read the Christmas story to the kids from the Brick Bible and then we exchanged gifts.

The bright colored pictures in these Bible stories are a big hit with the kids...and I love them too!

The big kids listening sweetly to the story. 

Reade was having a little trouble being patient and listening to the story.

Brody wanted Daddy to read his own book to him.

Reade was happy to have a cool new nerf gun to use when the zombie apocalypse starts. 

Lanny and Reade will protect us from the zombies!

Emma opens her presents carefully to avoid tearing her pretty paper and ribbons.

Evan got a cool new Lego dragon castle to work on. 

And Brody has been loving his new shopping cart and kitchen all-in-one set.

I will have to share pictures soon of how cute this little boy looks cooking his meals for us and feeding Daddy plastic food.  There is just nothing cuter!

Emma got some pretty special gifts.

I found this book this summer at the North Carolina History Museum and just had to get it for Emma.  

And I also have to share a picture of this gift for Emma and Cate.  I got Emma the skirt and necklace set with a matching skirt for Cate from this sweet Charlotte friend and Mom.  If you have little girls, you have to check out her Etsy shop, Little Red Poppies.  

Daddy putting Brody's shopping cart kitchen together.

Now, Christmas is over, the decorations have been put away until next year, and a new year has begun!  What will it hold for us all this year?  I just pray for God's blessings on all of us for the coming year, and I know that no matter what, God will be with us!