Play Time with the McAfees

The McAfee family came over for dinner and play time tonight. The kids had fun. When the play date was over, Gabriel and Grace were exhausted and ready for bed.

The kiddos made silly faces at dinner.

Nice try, Grace, but if this was a contest, you would not win.Dan made funnel cakes in his new deep fryer for dessert. Yum-O! Gabriel and Sam played with the kitchen first.Then Sam moved on to the animal adventure toy.Daniel got some giggles out of a ticklish Grace.Gabriel wanted to check Daniel's blood pressure. . . evidently Daniel had had a rough day.
These boys are such a mess!
My favorite picture of the night . . . a thumb-sucking, adorable Jake! I could just eat him, he looks so sweet!

Safe to Blog

For a Christmas gift for Dan's dad, we had new family pictures taken of Dan, Rob, and families. My friend, Liz, from work did them. We are really pleased with how they turned out. After this picture was taken, Gabriel gave Grace a good shove. She went flying, head first, off of the ampitheater. Luckily, she landed safely in a pile of pine needles and leaves.

The Ellnor cousins: Bobby, Grace, Ben, Gabriel

The family: Bobby, Rob, Denise, Grace, Dan, Gabriel, Ben

Play Time

We spent our evening in the basement playing with new toys that the kids received for Christmas gifts. Here is Grace in the tent that Uncle Robbie gave her. She loves it!

Gabriel got a doctor kit from Santa. He and Grace both like it.

Grace hasn't quite gotten the hang of the popper that Santa left her.

Gabriel enjoys playing doctor too. He likes to give shots the best.

While the kids and I played, Dan put one of his gifts to use. He used his new deep fryer to make us a yummy dinner of fried okra and fried fish. It was SO good. Next, we have to make funnel cakes!

Underwear

Grace found a laundry basket in the kitchen yesterday evening after I had emptied the dryer. She, first, tried to put on one of my shirts. Then she decided that wearing a pair of my underwear on her head was much funnier. When I tried to get them away from her, she ran from me --- as much as she CAN run considering how she toddles along. :)

Do you see how much she cracks herself up?

Memory

Santa gave Gabriel a Memory game for Christmas. This is his first time playing a "board game." We used a third of the deck of cards, and played two games. He did really well the first game, but lost interest about halfway through the second. He beat me 14 matches (with a little help) to 10 matches on both games.

Christmas Evening at Grandma and Papa's House

After the kids napped at home this afternoon, we headed to Grandma and Papa's house for dinner and more family time. Stacey got a fun game called Switch for Christmas, so after a wonderful Christmas dinner, she taught us how to play. Gabriel and Grace helped us too! Stacey and Erin

Gabriel helped Papa play.

Uncle Ed and Aunt Stacey took it easy after such a big meal.

Gabriel played Pac Man on the TV.

Here's Miss Grinning Grace!

Daddy took a nap in the floor. Why would he be tired?

Christmas Morning

First, the kids checked out the contents of their stockings.Grace had some sippy cups, an Elmo phone, an Elmo giggle stick, animal crackers, and socks. Gabriel got a Cars DVD, Cars slippers, animal crackers, Play-Doh, and a Curious George book.

Next, we went downstairs to see what all Santa had brought. A kitchen and a grocery cart were the first things the kids saw!Grace checked out all the presents. I think that she was trying to find some with her name on them.

Merry Christmas, Brian and Erin!

Ben, Grampy, Great Gramma, and Pawpaw came for Christmas morning breakfast.

Gabriel loves Aunt Stacey.
My holiday cuties pose by the tree amidst all of the presents and wrapping. Such cute matching jammies.
Bobby and Grace with her Elmo phone
Ben and Gabriel --- Santa brought Ben and Bobby laptop computers.

When it was all over, some of us were a little tuckered out! Hehee!

Christmas Eve with Family

We had two fun Christmas Eve parties to attend. Our evening started at Uncle Mark's house. He and Aunt Kathie served a wonderful roasted veggie lasagne. Yum-O!

Great Gramma and Ben

Grace and cousin RobinNext we went to Alice's house for a litte Christmas Eve get-together. Here is the Holdaway side of the family. Our picture has grown bigger every year for the past three years. Will it be bigger in 2009? Gabriel and Grace received Santa gifts at Alice's. Gabriel got a Don't Spill the Beans game, a Cars cup, and police SUV. Grace received a fleece hat, a Diego camera, and a xylophone for the bath tub.
What a cutie!Gabriel LOVED the camera. He posed everyone at the party, multiple times, and took their picture.

Stacey is an official member of the family now. That whole "wedding thing" in July was just a formality --- NOW it's official. She received THE HAT for Christmas. We love you, Stacey!

Christmas Couture

This is the one evening that Gabriel has decided that he has an opinion about what he wears. I bought this sweater for him last night. And I thought the cords looked really cute with the sweater. Gabriel cried when I showed him his new "party outfit."

Then he picked out clothes to wear to our Christmas Eve parties. AAAAARRRGG!

And Mommy Thought . . .

that it would be neater to feed Grace ravioli for dinner instead of the soup that the rest of us ate. HA! She went directly to the bath tub after dinner.