Friday, January 5, 2018

Christmas visit to Atlanta



We went to Atlanta the day after Christmas!

The above manger scene is one of my favorite Christmas decorations of Bev's

Below, Ryan is just a little excited about Granny Joan and Grandaddy's gift of lemon blossom muffins!  They are amazing!

Bev got boys awesome music shirts-Ryan is Lord of the Strings and Scott's has storm troopers playing instruments with Darth Vader conducting.
Ashley got a new rug for her bathroom


 Opening stockings with the Gross girls
 more Christmas music

 playing Ticket to Ride

 Outing to the boardwalk and park


 Cyclops or Mike Wasowski-Scott with one eye
 Uncle Greg tried to steal Blythe's cute little koala bear hat


 Piggyback parade
 We played lasertag, went bowling, and had dinner with Aunt Katherine!



 We saw Aunt Ann at the Killingsworth's house-SO glad that she got to come from Colorado this year!
 more Christmas music and a bass lesson for Uncle Jake-he did a great job playing Mary had a little lamb

 What kids and Greg do to Bev's nativity

 Music for Grandaddy and Granny Joan-we got the most mileage we could since we had taken up the space to bring both huge instruments to Atlanta!


 On Saturday night we met Steven, Karen, and Kim at Cheesecake Factory for dinner-good time to catch up with friends!  We drove home on Sunday afternoon, stopped to buy some fireworks, and then had ice cream sundaes on New Year's Eve-Happy 2018!

Christmas Morning at home!

 Waiting to go downstairs

Ryan was super happy that Santa left him cotton candy in his stocking!

 Each child got an ornament of their instrument

 Max even got a new bone
 This year we had birthday cookie for Jesus and our sweet neighbors across the street gave us this elf treats plate this year-we left cookies-one of the kids suggested we should leave big pieces of fudge for Santa and little pieces for the elves.

 Reading her baking magazine that she got in her stocking
 holding on to new toys

 Aunt Ann sent us rules for Max-basically everything he wants is his to eat.


 Aunt Ann also sent the boys these REALLY cool light up flying balls
 and Ashley got a beading kit

 she sent fun things to Greg and I also

 Ashley also got bumblebee earrings!

 Ashley wanted a new comforter for her bed

 a Simon memory game

 a funny tshirt from Ryan and Ashley

 Greg has one of these shirts and Ryan wanted one too-O Chemis tree
 Ryan got Ashley weaving loom refills
 and 2 of her favorite things in the world-NOTEBOOKS!
 a sweet thank you hug
 still enjoying his new toys!

 It isn't really Christmas without books!










 he is a dog and a pillow
 Ryan LOVES goldfish but the box is stuffed with legos!


 coloring things and earrings from friends
 Ashley was SO confused about what was in this package.  It was a folding floor balance beam-that we had wrapped in two separate boxes with a gap in between!

 great fun for cartwheel practice


 his light up flying ball


 ashley's spy bag



 it looks like make up but are pretend spy things-like a lipstick message shooter and inside the compact is a magnifying glass
 Ryan was excited to eat Christmas candy

 all the instrument ornaments

 building with legos

 his cool new helicopter
 Ashley's bed before



 and after!
 She also got new hand towels and washcloths-aqua and purple and a new box to put her toothbrush and hairbrush in on the counter was her gift from Scott.
 Greg was reading Scott's Star Wars book
 trying to get Max to figure out which toy was his favorite-we had a fun day at home!  Merry Christmas!