Christmas Day

Our plan Christmas morning was to open stockings before church, then save the presents under the tree for when we got home.  Here are Luke & Jonathan opening stockings.

However, Jonathan was hit pretty hard with a head cold that morning and was in no condition to go to church.  The set up for keeping sick kids with you during the service isn't that great, so we opted to just stay home.  Here's Jonathan snuggling with his new doggy.  Check out this video of Jonathan playing with a baby car ramp I think he actually received at the Hughes Christmas the day before.

Luke opening a couple gifts.  He got some regular legos, too - not the chunky baby kind anymore!  Nathan was especially excited to introduce Luke to the world of legos.  :)  Check out this video of Luke playing with his new Hot Wheels ramp.

Our best attempt at a family picture in nice Christmas clothes.  Poor Jonathan was a miserable buddy all morning - kind of made for a sad day for the two of us, but at least we can celebrate God's gift of Jesus every day of the year!

We did a webcam visit with the folks in Oregon - here's Jonathan with his maracas he got from Grandpa & Grandma Maloney.

Christmas Eve

This year, we did the major Hughes Christmas on Christmas Eve, since Christmas was on a Sunday and we would all be at church in the morning (or so we thought).  Here's me with my boys during stocking opening.

Luke with his new bike!  Check out this video of him riding it up to the front door after he found it in the garage.

Daddy reading Jonathan his new book.

Luke got his turn to ride in the "cockpit" of the new airplane teeter-totter toy in the backyard - it was a group gift that will stay at Grandpa & Grandma's house.  Here's a video of almost all the cousins riding it.

Walking along the wall with Daddy.

Jonathan getting his turn to ride the airplane!  Lauren loves babies and is always ready to help with Jonathan.  :)

Christmas Program & Army Men

Luke in his first Christmas program!  It was fun to see him participate up front with his class.  We had a few treats afterwards, too.  Here's a video of some of his songs.

Playing outside - always a cutie!

ALL my boys playing army men in the living room.  I was cross-stitching - gotta keep some femininity going on!

Christmas Prep & Friends

Decorating gingerbread cookies!  This is the first time doing something like this with Luke and it went much better than I even anticipated.  I'll definitely try to do this again - but probably with sugar cookies next time since Nathan likes those better.

Here's a video of Jonathan being entertained with his stuffed duck - a capture of his laugh!

Starting to decorate the tree!

Jonathan with his friend, Andrew.  It's fun to see Jonathan start to interact with other little kids his age.

Celebrating Tirzah's birthday!

You look beautiful, Jo!  Too bad Jonathan had recently bonked himself and has a bump on his eye, or this would be a perfect picture.  :)

One of Luke's Christmas crafts from school - I'm actually keeping this one in the Christmas decorations box because it's so cute.  It's a little paper snowglobe that has a snowman inside with Luke's school picture on the head.  :)  Since it's laminated, the glitter won't get all over the place, either.

Helping make cookies at Grandpa & Grandma's house.

Super fun riding the horse at the cousin's house!

Loved and Lost

On December 8th, we announced to immediate family and a couple close friends that we were expecting baby #3, so I took this picture of the boys - including Jonathan wearing a "Big Brother" t-shirt.  However, exactly 1 week later, I miscarried at just 6 weeks.  Our last miscarriage was at 9 weeks, so this one was "easier" both physically and emotionally, but still sad and disappointing.  It's a joy to share life with all three of my boys (Nathan included!) while we wait on God's best for our family.

Meanwhile, check out these cute pictures of the boys playing in their shirts.  I was feeling particularly maternal that day - and it warmed my heart to see them playing together so nicely.  :)

Life With My Boys

This file cabinet is the perfect pulling up spot - Jonathan has discovered it (it's more hidden in this house than in our other house).  I included a picture of Luke at the same file cabinet.  He was only 10 months in this picture.

Playing in a pile of leaves - never mind that they're still on the hard sidewalk.  :P

Enjoying the toys.

Getting our Christmas tree!

I had to take this because it reminded me of how my sister, Jennifer, likes to sit (or at least used to!).  He's taking after you, Jen!

Starting December

The first day of December, Luke and I started the cross-stitch advent calendar again!  I still really love it.  Luke had fun picking out the character every day.

It was sunny, but cold outside, so I put this cute Winnie the Pooh jacket on Jonathan - those little ears are just so cute!

Jonathan enjoying the singing snowmen at Grandma Hughes' house for the first time really.  He thought they were great!  Check out this video of him enjoying one.

End of November

Playing with cousins!  Evelyn and Luke have always got along very well.

Happy Birthday, Sophia!

We went to the park as a family.  Happy boys!

Nathan remembers a tradition of each person hanging up their own stocking when you decorate the house for Christmas.  So, we did that this year with Luke AND Jonathan (even though Jonathan really didn't know what was going on).  :)

Playing with the wooden nativity set my grandma got Luke a few Christmases ago.

Cutie!

Jonathan though it was great fun to get to play with the nativity all by himself while Luke was at school.

The final picture we used for our Christmas card - I love using our own backyard for the setting while the trees are in their fall loveliness.

Here are two other pictures taken the day before the final one that almost made the cut.  (And lest you think I have perfectly photogenic children, I believe all of these were photoshopped so there were two smiling faces in the same picture).  :)

Thanksgiving Break

My silly boys - love these guys!  On the days Luke is home from preschool, we often play in the mornings in one of the boy's rooms.  The gate is so that I can stitch in the room with them without worrying about Jonathan crawling towards the stairs.  :)

Luke's Thanksgiving feast at preschool.  We all contributed to bring Thanksgiving type foods for their last lunch time before Thanksgiving break (which was the whole week of Thanksgiving).  They all made placemats, and Luke's said that he's thankful for "cartoons and sending Jesus to us".  Quite the variety there!  :)

Making raspberry pie with Daddy for Turkeys, Tarts & Testimonies at church.  Nathan actually won a prize this year!  I think it was 3rd place for fruit pies.

Luke got to go shopping with me the Monday of Thanksgiving break when he's normally in school, so I let him spend a few minutes in the toy fire truck outside Rite Aid.  Of course, Jonathan was happy to get in on the action, too!  I didn't actually start it for them, but they still enjoyed themselves.

My silly boy looking even sillier with a Cheerio on his chin!

We had a play date with Luke's friend Carson (and his mommy and little sister!) at the library and McDonald's.  Definitely a fun outing for this special week off of school.

Jonathan playing the piano at Aunt Jessica's house - he couldn't get enough!  Check out this video I got of him playing.

I'm not exactly sure what prompted this picture on Thanksgiving, but isn't it a nice one of Luke?!  I don't have any pictures of our festivities (I seem to have a habit of doing that!), but I uploaded our contribution to the 3rd Annual Hughes Family Film Festival on my video blog - a fun superhero caper featuring both boys in their Halloween costumes.  I had forgotten to upload the 2 previous years, so if you never saw them (or if you just want to have a few moments of cuteness), check out the video montage of Luke in 2009, along with the cute & funny deleted scenes from that same year, and count down with Luke in 2010.