a few Christmas pics...

almost packed and ready to go to AL on Christmas Eve day

yeah! my own camera!

ski coats, long underwear, gloves, etc for our big trip in March

all smiles about his new golf clubs

showing off his new dolphin webkin

a very American Girl Christmas

asleep in her new chair after a long day

all snuggled up in his new Clemson sheets

stomach bug

A stomach bug in Greenville has briefly de-railed our holiday plans. Since last Sunday it has worked it's way thru the Rexfords and most of the Batcheldors. (6 out of 7 have been bitten by this bug!) So instead of heading straight from Anniston to Greenville, we headed back home. Spent Saturday day spending gift cards and hanging out at the zoo in Columbia and Saturday night playing new Wii games - Carnival Mini Golf and Wii Ski. And we have decided that it is in our best interest to postpone our trip to Greenville until next weekend - we don't want to miss the Gator Bowl because of that nasty stomach bug!

holiday travels...

Have car, will travel has always been our way of life (especially now that we don't live near any of our relatives). So we have loaded up the mini van and we are headed out today for our first of many stops. We will be in Anniston for Christmas and then go to "the farm" to see all of Jeff's extended family. Friday we will pack up again and head off to Greenville to celebrate with my family. And back home (finally) on Sunday to unload, oraganize and find a place for all of our new stuff!

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And next week, we are headed down to Jacksonville to stay with my cousin (Suzanne) and cheer on our Tigers in the Gator Bowl.

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We LOVE the holidays and celebrating with all of our family!

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And we want to wish you and your a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

this is how we sled in the south

What will they think of next?

It's December 19th and Christmas is less than

a week way and it is 75 degrees out!

Polar Express Day at school

Polar Express Day at school means all pajamas - all day! Each grade gets to go to the decorate stage area for hot chocolate and a snack and to hear the story of the Polar Express. The kids were so excited about wearing their pajamas to school that they were up bright and early and hustled thru their morning routine. (Mom loves that!).

ANNIE!

Annie was always one of my favorites growing up. My mom always said I would have been perfect for the role of Annie if only I could sing! It was so much fun to take Molly and see her singing along to some of MY favorite songs from the play - "Tomorrow" and "It's a Hard Knock Life".

molly and her friend laura on the way to the play
waiting on the play to start
having fun - just us girls!

Dad's many HATS

Jeff recently took us on a tour of where he works. We got to see all the progress that has been made on the many new roads & bridges, the concrete plant built on site, lot's of dump trucks hauling concrete and the big machines that do the concrete paving.

The kids also found a couple of hats (along with a couple of jackets and some gloves) rolling around in the back seat. Molly is sporting dad's new orange hard hat while Carson is modeling a black fleece ski hat. Aren't they cute!

cookies with Santa at NAES

Molly and Carson's school hosts a "cookies with Santa" drop-in each year. You get to eat milk & cookies, make magic reindeer food and have your picture taken with Santa.

getting ready for Santa...

we have written him letters (and emailed him, too)

we've decorated the tree , there is not much left to do

and we've been to the mall to see you-know-who!

Now, we just have to be GOOD for 2 more weeks so he will bring us lots of toys and goodies!

Love, Molly & Carson

North Augusta Christmas Parade

waiting on the parade to start...

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carson & molly waiting on Santa to arrive...

here comes Santa atop North Augusta's

newest (biggest) fire truck

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Thanksgiving in Greenville...

We went to Greenville for Thanksgiving and stayed thru the Clemson - Carolina game. We drove up Thursday morning with our green beans and bourbon chocolate chip pecan pie for the big feast. We ate at mom & dad's with all of the Batcheldors and the Blameys. After a wonderful meal - the girls went to see Four Christmases and the dads took the kids to see Madagascar 2 ( Pops and Jasper savored all that quiet alone at the house).

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the girls and their favorite Aunt (Boo aka Beth)

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Friday, we (Jennifer & I) tried to take a good

picture of the four kids.

And here is a sample of what we got...

Sydney (8) - Cole (5) - Carson (5) - Molly (6)

my cuties

silly boys

sweet girls (and a few of their American Girls)
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After pictures, Jeff and I took the boys to play golf at the par-3 course by the interstate. They had a great time and we all enjoyed the absolutely beautiful weather. It's always a little weird to take the two boys out - everyone thinks they are twins! Luckily for us, they are just cousins (but they are exactly 2 weeks apart in age - with Carson being older). And Jennifer took the girls out to get their nails done. Friday night, we took the kids to downtown Greenville for some of our favorite pizza and to see the holiday lights and the St. Francis Festival of Trees at the Hyatt.
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Saturday was the big game - Clemson vs Carolina. And a big change in the weather. Rain, cold, and more rain! We layered on all the warm, waterproof clothes we could find and headed to the game. (Molly & Carson stayed in Greenville with Muv & Pops.) We had a great time hanging out with friends and watching some great football. It's always great football when the Tigers win!

getting ready for Thanksgiving...

Molly helped bake the chocolate bourbon pecan pie

and Carson snapped (m0st) of the green beans (even though he doesn't eat them).

school fun with Carson

Another field trip...to the National Wild Turkey Federation in Edgefield, SC.

they made turkey calls,

learned how and why controlled burns are performed,

and learned all they ever need to know (and more) about wild turkeys!

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Thanksgiving Feast

Carson and his classmates where pilgrims for their Thanksgiving Feast. They sang us a couple of songs, told us what they are thankful for and served us pumpkin pie.

Surveyor Carson

Jeff gave Carson his old hard hat from work (because he got a new one). Carson was all smiles and practically slept with it on. Who knows? Maybe he really will be a surveyor when he grows up...

trip to Anniston...

We went to Anniston to celebrate Charlie's birthday and

enjoy an early Thanksgiving.

Anne & Charlie's Christmas card pic

Molly (6) - Madeleine Ann (2) - Carson (5)

lots of hugs and kisses for cousin Madeleine Ann

the boys with their girls

Granna bought Molly this hat and I think she wore it the whole weekend!

Carson & Jasper

Who would have ever thought that one of my kids would be kissing a dog like that???

Clemson Homecoming

We left for Greenville Friday afternoon in the rain and fog with a sick kid in tow. (Carson - another random fever caused by ALWAYS putting his hands in his mouth) After a quick stop at mom & dad's house, we headed to my brother-in-law Cory's 40th birthday party. It was a lot of fun but we had to cut the evening short because we wanted to get up early to leave for the game. Saturday, Jeff went to the grocery store to get our tailgating supplies while Molly & I got ready for the game. (Carson did not go with us because he had not been very well behaved at school that week) I was a little worried about the weather but "Weatherman Jeff" assured me that things would be just fine - and he was right. We got to Clemson in time for Jeff and Molly to go watch the Tiger Walk and then tailgated with friends until game time.

During half time, we met up with some friends from North Augusta to go see the Homecoming floats. They looked a lot better than I expected after all that rain. And I think the girls had

their picture taken with every float there!

mother/daughter art project

Molly & I painted these to hang on the wall in her room...

1 fish, 2 fish...

Red Fish (Molly)
Blue Fish - Dory (Carson)