My Tender Tennessee Christmas

I won't make you listen to the whole Amy Grant, Tender Tennessee Christmas but I love it so I officially deem the 2nd half of my holiday this year my tender Tennessee Christmas just because I love the song!  I am writing this while my sweet husband is singing to our friend's baby while soothing him to sleep.  I look forward to hearing that one day to our own kids.  Anyway, back to Christmas!  We headed to Ripley, Tennessee, home of the Tomato Festival Christmas Eve night.  We had to move our family celebration from my parent's house to my sister's as she just had her first baby.  I bet you didn't know that...Just kidding I've written about 10 post with sweet Coleman bear on them already. 

 The sweet little family!

 Sweet Mommy and Bear cub!  Candace looks beautiful doesn't she?  Can you believe she had a baby?  I know, no way!

Awe. Sweet.  He's still a little jaundice here but adorable!

 Christmas morning isn't my best look but I'd been up since 5 waiting on baby Coleman to let me hold him so his momma could go back to sleep.

 Coleman in his Christmas outfit...naturally as a newborn you can't see of the design because he's basically in a ball but trust me it was cute!

 Sweet baby's first Christmas picture.

 Coleman likes to support his Uncle B's Kentucky Wildcats...

And his Daddy's Memphis Tigers.

Doesn't he look like a Hoo person from Hooville in this picture!

Sweet family Sunday afternoon.

Finally, Aunt Milly's photographic expertise...

Look at those cheeks and sweet lips!

I got a Flip from B for Christmas so I had to show at least one video.  Its no oscar quality videography but Coleman-bear got some face time!

So as you can tell most of our holiday was spent drooling over the baby.  I'm excited to be close by him these next few weeks.  

Happy New Years Eve!

My Kentucky Christmas!

I know for most of you your like...Who cares about some girls Christmas...Its not like she's got a cute new baby or something, but I love my Christmas and I actually now have 3 adorable nephews.  So ha!  Here is my Kentucky Christmas!

 The giant bazooka gun that Caden got for Christmas! Yes it does have an 18-bullet clip and face shield. He is very proud of it.  And so is his dad because it was quite the contraption to put together.  So is the life of a father on Christmas.

He came with its own ammo vest with extra bullet clips.  Don't let the adorable sweet smile fool you...You don't want to mess with this sharp shooter.

Ahh!  Here comes the bullets!

This went on back and forth for about an hour!

 Copelan was also very excited about Christmas!

BuzzandWoody, Uncle B and CopeCope!

(Copelan calls Buzz Lightyear... BuzzandWoody ...and if your wondering Woody also goes by the same name.  Isn't he cute!)

Enjoying the fire with his new best friend.

 Copelan wanted to stack his gifts.  Shrug...I don't know.  I just did what he wanted.

 One of Uncle B's proudest moments!  Caden wearing a John Wall jersey doing the John Wall dance.

Brothers...fighting it out in the ring.

We had a wonderful Kentucky Christmas!  Hope you did too!  I'll be back later this week or maybe even tomorrow with pictures from my tender Tennessee Christmas with my ColemanBear!

Christmas was awesome BUT...

I have to post these first for your visual enjoyment.

My beautiful nephew, Coleman.

Is he not the cutest thing you've seen all Christmas?  I think so obviously.  

The pictures were done by our wedding photographer, Starla Steward Holl.  She's amazing and I hear through the grapevine that she put up with a lot during the photo shoot.  (Coleman pooped on her new sheep skin she used in the first photo...Oops!)  You should check out her website.

NumNum.....COOKIES!

One of my favorite Christmas traditions...Making cookies with my adorable nephews.  Although we made an ENORMOUS mess and got flour all over my face and Caden's jeans, we had a ball.  

Now for you gourmet perfect cookie makers out there go ahead and holster your critiques, we are not beautiful cookie makers.  However, we make original artistic works that are yummy and that we love.  The only rules are  1) They must be edible by more than just you (sometimes a cup of icing and the entire bottle of sprinkles isn't appreciated if you aren't under the age of 5...this rule went much better this year), 2) If you pick your nose, you must wash your hands before touching the cookies (....Yes this rule had to be enforced this year).

**Disclaimer:  Some of what you are about to see if dangerous and I do not recommend it for everyone.**

Making the dough.

 1st two dangerous aspects...  1:  Yes they are sitting on a counter 4 feet off the ground.  2)  I am allowing a 2 year old to use the electric blender (with assistance most of the time).  Its hard to say no when he looks at you with those chocolate brown eyes and says "I help," or "I do it myself."  Luckily, brother Caden is actually very proficient with the mixer at age 5.

I had lots of help mixing the dough.

 Hands were washed prior to performing the above task and no one contracted any serious illnesses from eating our cookies.

What can I say, Boys love getting messy.

ICING time!

Cope Cope was very excited.  But he had to take a break in the midst of the 4 hour process and my big helper, Caden, stepped up to take the lead on cookie cutting.

 Don't ask me why he isn't wearing a shirt and his pants are unbuttoned...He's a boy and that's all I've got.

 Hard at work.

 You have to watch this one...Before I turned my head back from checking something, he was drinking the icing from the dispenser.  And what one monkey does, the other does...

Luckily there wasn't much left in either container.

Our beauties!

Keep your eyes peeled for more Christmas posts.  I have a very special Cay-Cay and CoCo performance that I will post whenever I can get to internet that will let me do it.  You will love it!  

Merry Christmas folks!

Merry Monday!

Hope Coleman can make your Monday merry and bright!

Like I Could Just Have 1 Post About Coleman...

Waiting on Coleman's arrival we passed the time like this...

Yawning, reading and texting.

Eating naturally!

And yes...Sleeping.  Like anyone else could do that with all the excitement!

He is so adorable!  Still awaiting the results of his official weight.  8lb 13oz might have been a machine error.  He might be more like 8lb 4oz.  Well see what he weights tonight.  He has been a great baby!  He is so sweet!

He loves laying in his boppy which is hard when everyone wants to hold you!

Look at those sweet lips.

Sweet baby cheeks!

Today was this sweet man's birthday and he loved Coleman!  He just kept talking to him and loving on him!

I'm sure you can't get enough of his yumminess too!