AN ENCHANTED FOREST MORNING

Saturday morning we woke up and Kenny and I were feeling completely awful.  But on the agenda for the morning was going to one of our favorite Christmas spots and seeing Santa.  So as parents you do what you have to do! You push on!

So we had a relaxing morning and waited for my  sister to get home from Nashville.  She went for the night to see Amy Shumer.  Totally jealous! She said it was awesome! Then we headed out for the Pink Palace.

We have been going to the Enchanted Forest for years.  It is not some amazing thing but Elle has always really enjoyed it.  We like looking at all the decorated trees and then the mechanical animals are cute and play to the children's sense of Christmas magic.  And we love the Santa and the photographer there.  The Santa this year was actually a different Santa but was still great and the photographer always has the best tricks to get the kids attention and you pay 10 bucks for a 5x7 framed pic.  You can't beat that!

This was the first year that Walker came with us.  He was too small last Christmas and Kenny and Elle came just the two of them.  He loved it so much! HIs favorite thing by far was the electric trains. We watched them go around and around for a long time.  It made being there and feeling bad all worth it!  

Now for a few pictures of course!

Walker and Elle have to eat breakfast next to each other.  Being at Nannees house is no exception!  Please look at the way Walker is looking at her.  He adores her!

We had to take Elle's picture with this snowman.  I have three to four years worth of pictures with this very snowman! It is just as big of a tradition. 

We tried to get Walker in on the tradition but he just wanted to crawl away.  So then he got mad because we wouldn't let him crawl and this is the best we could get.  He will be gung ho next year!

Checking in on the little beavers in their igloo with Nanee.

This is my favorite picture.  Love them looking at that sweet fox together!

The trains.  Watching the trains go around and around.

Elle chose this as her favorite Christmas tree out of all of them and so I told her I wanted her picture with it. This is how she posed.  In.trouble.

Once you have walked through all the trees and animals you get to Santa. Elle started to chicken out. She said she didn't want to sit on Santa's lap or take a picture with him. We told her that was completely fine but that we wanted Walker to meet and take his picture with him.  I was really hoping for a screaming Santa picture.  We have many for Elle.  Upon getting closer Elle saw that Santa had candy canes and decided that was worth getting in on the picture.  So we did a quick snap with Walker and Santa and then did the two of them together.  Walker was his normal happy go lucky self when you hand him to someone else.  He didn't mind at all!  I was okay with that because the picture we got was adorable!

Santa 2015

After we left Enchanted Forrest we hit up Babalu for lunch and to celebrate my sister.  My children were actually pleasant in a restaurant for a change and my mom got into town in time to meet us.  The rest of the afternoon was spent resting and Elle ran a few errands with CeCe and Nannee. 

STARRY NIGHTS TRADITION CONTINUES

I realize it is Wednesday and I am just now working on this past weekend's posts but it is the holidays and Elle has half days of school all week so been a little busy.  Why they decided to have half days the week before Christmas break is beyond me.  I'm running around trying to get everything done and they go and let school out early and mess up Walker's naps to boot. Ay yi yi!

Anyway this past weekend we went to Memphis for a weekend of family fun! And we did have some fun but Kenny and I had a stomach bug all weekend while we were there so that threw a small kink in our plans. We still managed to do all the things we planned to do but there ended up being a lot of resting because we felt so weak.

The first night we were there Kenny took Elle to Starry Nights for a magical carriage ride.  Last Christmas he started this tradition.  It is an ultimate Daddy daughter date! They go to dinner together and then Kenny arranges for a personal carriage through the beautiful light display.  She thinks it is the most fun! They lucked out this year because we are having an extremely warm winter so far. Walker and I stayed home.  I gave him a bath and got into bed the second he went to bed.  No exaggeration I was in bed at 6.  I read a few pages of a book and was out!

Walker getting a good scrub down!

Relaxing in bed at 6 PM.  I didn't even eat dinner.

Now for some  carriage ride pictures!

After the carriage ride was over they stopped off for a night cap at our favorite bakery in Memphis.  Christmas cookies were in order!

SANTA WAS STUCK AT THE NORTH POLE

A few weeks ago.  After a very busy football weekend. Our house guests left and Elle immediately fell apart because she was tired and was complaining of an ear ache.  Walker was also tired and possibly ready for a nap but we had already planned on getting dressed in our Christmas finest and going to see Santa.  In a small town there aren't a whole lot of opportunities to see Santa and this is a cute little event that includes a good picture taken by a photographer.  So we soldiered on.  We were committed.  So I got the kids dressed.  Then forced them to pose for some pictures.  I have a picture framed of the two of them from Cookies with Santa from last year where Walker was only a few weeks old and Elle was holding him and I love it.  So I wanted to recreate the moment.

Like I said they weren't to thrilled about this excursion at first.  

Especially the mandatory photo obligation with my iPhone!

Okay.  Getting better.  We aren't screaming.

There we go! There are the twinkly eyes and smiles.

Here is the picture I was trying to recreate and I just absolutely die.  Of course Walker has 

changed so much but it absolutely kills me how much older Elle looks.  

So we pull up to Cookies with Santa and walk to the ticket line to find out that Santa has not made his arrival.  That he may be running late.  But after the difficult morning and all the effort we thought it would make sense to wait a little while, plus we were standing by some friends in line so we were fine visiting.   

Walker and Kenny waiting on Santa to arrive.

Fifteen minutes later there was an announcement.  Santa would not be coming.  The event coordinators apologized and promised to reschedule. (they did but we weren't able to come on the make up day) They offered us a complimentary picture with the professional photographer in the pretty backdrop where Santa was supposed to sit.  Since we were towards the front of the line we went ahead and wait to have our picture taken.

These are the two pictures we got.  They are cute!

Surprisingly enough Elle was not too concerned that Santa was a no show.  She wasn't feeling to hot and was little preoccupied with an impending visit the urgent care.  Our friend's little girl did blurt out while we were standing in line "What if Santa died?!"  The mom's reaction was priceless.  "What?! Santa can't die! Don't say that again! The other kids might hear you!" Elle and Kenny came up with a few explanations of why Santa might not of been able to make it.  Like one of his reindeer was sick or that he was just too busy making toys.  But we haven't talked about Santa's no show since!

We did however go to the Urgent Care and confirm that Elle had an ear infection.  I'm still glad we went and tried to see Santa and got some sweet pictures.

KICKING OFF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON

Last night, despite the rain we head out for some Mexican food and then one of our favorite events.  The Starkville Christmas Parade. This year's theme was a Star Spangled Christmas. So cute! It was raining pretty hard when we first arrived but thankfully right as the parade kicked off the rain pretty much stopped.  The start of the parade is all the motorcycle cops. They come down Main Street with their lights flashing and their sirens going.  Walker was completely mesmerized.  He was in the Bob Stroller at the time but sat straight up and was paying close attention!  We got him out so he could see them better when they came back by again.  I bet he enjoys the mardi gras parades this year. He was equally mesmerized by the fire trucks.  It was so cute!  

We all enjoyed the parade.  Kenny and I always joke that it makes us feel like we live in one of those towns in a Hallmark movie.  Very small and quaint.   We saw lots of people we knew that were walking in the parade and waved at all our friends as they went by.  At the end Santa wrapped up the parade! We were so excited to see him and excited for the Christmas season to be here officially!

Watching the police motorcycles come by.  Hence the blue hue.

Elle and Daddy checking out the crowd when we got there.

Walker and Mommy before the parade started.

Kenny getting some sweet cuddles from Kenny.

Some of the fun floats.

Santa! 

EGG BOWL 2015

On Saturday we were amped up for the big game! The Egg Bowl! At the beginning of the week we weren't sure how the weather was going to turn out.  The weather has been awful during some of the Egg Bowls in the past years.  Freezing cold and raining.  We had to leave the game last time it was in Starkville because Elle told us she could not longer feel her feet.  Strangely enough this Saturday was abnormally warm. So we decided to move ahead with tailgating plans.  I am so grateful that our game day babysitter came back in town to keep Walker! While we cannot wait to take him to games it just wouldn't be any fun for him or for us.

Elle was super proud of herself and picked out her own outfit for the day.  I was encouraging her to wear her smocked dress for the last game of the season but she insisted on dressing like a teenager instead.  She has been doing that lately.  I love it and hate it at the same time!

Before we headed out some maroon family pictures were in order.  

We are standing in front of our Mississippi State tree but you can't see it.  

We got to the tailgate and set it all up.  We did some catered sandwiches this time and I enjoyed not having the hassle of making and bringing a whole lot of food.  Kenny was deadset on going to the Dawg Walk for Dak's last game and my mom had never been to one so she wanted to go too.  We couldn't get Elle to leave her friends at the tailgate though.  She was having too much fun playing!

Dan's last Dawg Walk with Kenny.

Here comes the team!

Mom's first Dawg Walk ever!

Elle did come see us to fix herself a plate.  

Soon enough it was game time!  I was a ball of nerves but excited! We went in early to see all the kick off stuff plus it was senior night and we wanted to watch all of them run out.

We snapped this somewhat blurry pic with our faves the Cooks before we went in.

Elle, like always, made us so incredibly proud ringing her cowbell and cheering on the team! 

Snapped this picture of Kenny ringing his too and I love it!

Kenny had to sit in front of us for this game so we got a picture of the girls!

Well the outcome of the game just wasn't what we wanted.  We were so sloppy the first quarter and Ole Miss ran over us for a little while.  We did improve and tried to come back.  We could of used one more quarter.  The final score was close but it wasn't really a close game.  Sad for our Dawgs and sad for Dak to have not won his last game at home.  But it was still such a fun day and night.  We don't have any plans to attend the bowl game but will be cheering them on wherever we are for sure!