Just a little more Christmas

After Christmas it was time to take Grandma and Grandpa back to the airport, with a little stop for pecans along the way.  This giant squirrel was just asking for us to pose for a picture with it!

 We continued our gingerbread house making tradition with Ellie and Margaret.

Ezra takes any opportunity to get a friend to read a book to him by grabbing his book and backing into their lap - inviting them to read to him!

And Christmas cookie making technically happened after Christmas this year... but hey, anytime is a good time to eat cookies, right?

More From Christmas Day

 After church, Naomi read the Christmas story to us this year, using her new reading skills.

 We opened gifts...

 ... and later enjoyed a delicious Christmas dinner. 

What a blessing it was to have Christmas together with Grandma and Grandpa Boaz!

Merry Christmas!

Ezra's Dedication

 It has been such a joy to dedicate each of our kids to the Lord, and Grandpa Boaz has been the pastor who helped us with each one.  So while Grandpa was visiting for Christmas, it was Ezra's turn!

Christmas Morning

 Everyone's still waking up... Even Daddy's new Angry Birds pants weren't enough to rouse these sleepy heads.

 Waiting for the big moment - opening the stockings!

 JJ opened his first.

Ezra got a little help with his.

Naomi wanted to wait to open hers last.

We love our Christmas stockings!

Christmas Eve Musical

Naomi and Johnathan did a fantastic job in the Christmas Eve musical, Meet Me at the Manger, along with all the other kids! 

 Johnathan was a super choir member, and really sang along this year.

And Naomi delivered her line and sang so sweetly!

Constructing Memories

We love our gingerbread houses at Christmastime!  This year we saved them for Grandma and Grandpa Boaz's visit.

Naomi oversaw the construction of one.

Daddy and Johanthan worked on the other one, with the assistance of Ezra as official candy taster.

Ezra gave his brother a spontaneous hug.  "Thank you, JJ, for sharing your wonderful candy!"

Yummy fun!

Trimming the Tree

Ringing the Bell

Naomi and Daddy rang the bell outside Sams for an hour!

Cute Quotes

From Naomi, when she spotted the Texas A&M shot glasses in Walmart's gift aisle:  "Look, Mom!  They even have Texas A&M communion cups!"


From Johnathan, as he looked through a book of Christmas carols:  "Momma, where is the one about he wise men from glory and tar?"  (Try saying it out loud if you can't figure out which song he was looking for.)

From Ezra, who is parroting a new phrase every day lately:  "Dat's cool!"

Playing at The Woodlands

Pictures from our day trip to play at The Woodlands Mall...

Baby Picture

After two weeks of "limited activity" for Mommy, we were so very thankful to hear Baby Boaz #4's strong heartbeat, see his or her little arms and legs, and know that he or she is growing.  Here is Baby's picture at 10 weeks and two days.

 

Visit from Grandpa

Everyone was very excited because Grandpa Stata was flying in for the weekend to visit us and watch Johnathan play flag football for the Cougars.  As it turned out, Grandpa's visit came at a rather tumultuous time, as I experienced a sudden and frightening pregnancy complication, and began what would become two weeks of partial bedrest.  So Grandpa was put right to work, herding the kids and more.  Here's a picture of a quick game of Headbands they played.  They also saw Johnathan play, went to the children's museum, rode bikes outside, and went to church.  It was a short but sweet visit.

And One More Little Punkin

Every Boaz kids gets his or her own pumpkin, so we'd added one more to the line...

The little one carved with a heart is for a new Baby Boaz in the works, due next June!

You're the size of a blueberry right now, but we love you already.

Three Little Punkins

Time to carve up those pumpkins!

 Johnathan commissioned Daddy to creat this cool cougar.  He's nuts about predators these days.

 Mom made Naomi this dolphin.  She wanted a trainer, too, but her artist didn't feel like she could pull that one off.

Here's Ezra's name/running baby design.