Last Day of Christmas

Today is the day after Christmas.  We are busy today doing absolutely nothing!  The boys stayed in their pajamas all day and played with their new toys and Matt and I laid around watching them.  It was a wonderful day!

Santa at Lowery Farms

Today we went to Keith's house.  He had the community come over to play on his bouncers, eat, and visit Santa.  It was a nice afternoon visiting with people who live close to you, but for some reason never see!  Keith lets us borrow these for the boys birthday parties, so when Sam walked in he said, "Look mom, he has the same bouncers that we have!"  

 Sam took his visit with Santa very serious.  He told Santa everything he wanted and was sure to repeat some of the items twice!  He wasn't much on smiling, but he loved every minute of it. 

 Ben wasn't real happy about sitting on Santa's lap, but he did it for a quick minute so I could snap his picture.  He definitely was not going to spare a smile!

 Sam on Keith's tractor.  It was funny, because he was quick to tell me it was the wrong color.  I guess he decided he liked red tractors at a very young age!

Ice Storm

For those of us who lived during the 2009 ice storm, we were dreading Thursday night and the uncertainty of the weather forecast.  The weather started around midnight with freezing rain and then it sleeted until morning.  Matt and I both had snow days, so we enjoyed our time inside watching tv and spending time in our pajamas!  

We did not get any snow, just ice.  It was a disappointment for the boys, but I was glad because I really didn't want them playing outside in the cold.     

We spent the majority of our time this weekend in our pajamas, but we did venture out to church on Sunday and then to Murray to eat and go to the movies.  We took the boys to see Frozen and they loved it.  Well, I guess I should say Sam enjoyed it because Ben fell asleep 1/2 way through!  When school was canceled for Monday, Sam was so sweet.  "Yes, that means another family day for the Dobson's!"  I sure hope he always enjoys spending time with our family because they are pretty special days to me as well!

The boys took turns watching for deer and would announce each and every one they saw.  Ben counted to 20 which was impressive to me!

Decorations

Decorating the house for Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year.  The boys were great helpers this year and I loved watching the excitement on their faces grow with every tote we brought in the house.  

The boys have always had small trees in their rooms, but they had definitely outgrown their trees and their ornaments wouldn't fit anymore!  After a trip to Lowes, the boys now have new trees in their rooms and they put each ornament on by themselves.   

After a few hours of Christmas music and having two boys following me around like shadows, our house was decorated with 4 trees.  One in each of the boys rooms, one in the living room, and Matt's White House tree in the office. 

The only thing I hate is that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is only 27 days apart.  If it were up to me, I would keep up the Christmas decorations for a couple of months!! 

Thanksgiving

I always look forward to my Thanksgiving Break where I can spend some extra special time with my family.  This year we ate our dinner at our house, which was very special.  When mom and dad arrived, she brought out the books and Sam and Ben were all ears!  

We of course ate way to much and then sat around and played cards.  It was so nice getting the chance to slow down and visit with family.  I really missed by brother, sister in-law, and two nephews, but I know they had a great time spending time together also.  My family might live out of town, but they are always close to my heart and I love them dearly!

Family Picture 2013

Partners

Sam has asked to go hunting for the past two years and every time he brought up the topic of hunting, we told him he would have to be five years old.  Needless to say, he did not forget what we promised!  

One afternoon, Matt took Sam shopping at Gander Mountain and bought all the necessary clothes and boots to keep him warm. He could not wait to go, but quickly told his daddy he would prefer to hunt in the afternoons because he was not a morning person!  

Sam went on the afternoon hunts with Matt both weekends.  His daddy described him as the perfect hunting partner and Sam said he loved every minute of his time watching for deer.  They did not shoot a deer together this year, but Sam reminded me that "If you kill a deer every time you go it would not be called deer hunting it would be called deer shooting!"

As for me, I am glad they were safe and I am glad they enjoyed their time together.  Matt has two more years before he needs to buy a bigger stand!