Christmas 2011



We had a great Christmas celebrating with my family in TX.  It has been incredible to introduce Nico to his extended family and marvel with everyone at what a great kid Eli is!

Today (Dec 27) was Nico's birthday and we had his first all out birthday party! It was SO MUCH FUN!

Eli's 3rd bday

 It is so neat to see how God brings our lives around full circle.  We had Eli's very first Holt Birthday party to celebrate his 3rd year of life and the creation of our family when we adopted him at my brother's gymnastics gym. 

(Shameless plug: Alpha Omega Gymnastics www.alphaomegagym.net)

Nico's 3rd bday

Today, we celebrated Nico's 3rd year of life and introduced him to my family - at my brother's gym. 

   

Holt Family Christmas

Real life is going to bite Nico hard tomorrow when he doesn't get to open any presents! (We opened gifts w/ Dave's family last Sat., my immediate family on Sunday, w/ extended family on Monday and his bday presents today!) He was so stinkin cute as he is finally old enough to really enjoy the gifts. At the first round he would receive each gift with a smile and look at it while saying, "Oh my GOODNESS!!" and then hold his cheeks and shake his head in wonder after opening it while repeating, "Oh my Goodness!!"

Christmas Day

Sunday, he'd take the gift with a grin, look at me and when I asked him, "what is it?" he'd giggle and say, "Let's see."

McCarter Family Christmas

By Monday's extended get together, he'd respond to the same question from me with "MINE!!!" (even before opening it!)


 

Nico's 3rd Birthday party

And, today after opening each gift he'd say, "More!?!"

We're staying here in TX an extra day because we UNDER-estimated grandparental gift giving...and we have to rent a UHaul trailer to get it back to GA! Dad's truck doesn't have a hitch so he and Dave will be taking care of that tomorrow while I try to bring some semblance of order to the chaos! We plan to leave Thursday, and depending on how the traveling goes....we MAY try to make the trip all in one day (that's 16 hours in the car w/ 2 small boys and 2 GIANT dogs....)  We'll see how that goes!