We woke up yesterday to the most beautiful snow we've seen in years. It started late during the night and continued through midafternoon, leaving us about 3-6 inches of the white stuff. In keeping with Southern tradition, schools were closed, and the kids were wild with excitement. After discovering that his boots were too tight, Chad made Hunter some shoe covers out of Target bags--which served him well for his all-day snow angel adventure. Leigh was mostly interested in eating snow, while Cameron hitched a free ride through the snow on Thomas' shovel. Jackie suited up and out of her snow gear about 14 times before the day was over.
We all know from watching The Grinch that Christmas isn't about presents, or boxes, or bags, roast beast, decorations, or Christmas trees. However, there were a few gifts this year that were so special they deserve at least a quick mention.
Baby Leigh adored her Kung Fu Panda, and we got a huge kick out of watching him get a makeover at her new pint-sized vanity.
Aunt Lynn painted an amazing 10-ft, floor-to-ceiling mural of Batman, Robin, & Spiderman hanging out in Gotham City for Hunter. 
Chad got a special Christmas tree decorated with shotgun shell lights, hanging bucks, Cabela's gift cards, antlers, and fish bait. Action Figure Hunter Dan and his rifle were the tree topper.
...and our precious Aunt Lynn got a much-deserved trip to Napa in the spring.
Christmas morning was wonderful. Hunter and Leigh were thrilled with all that Santa brought them, and we were thrilled watching them discover it all. It was also quite the learning experience for Santa and Mrs. Claus, who learned that the big ticket items just might be overlooked in favor of Barbie Band-Aids and Silly String.
We spent Christmas Eve per our family traditions, starting out with a candlelight service at church and followed by the annual Christmas party with our neighbors-- where Santa is sure to show up. This year was extra special because Nanny & Grandaddy shared it with us, and because this was the first year that Hunter and Jackie participated in the church Christmas program. Jackie was an angel, while Hunter was a particularly enthused wiseman. The party was a huge hit as always, and Santa had an extremely captive audience during his brief visit.
We started off our Christmas Eve the other week by sharing breakfast and presents with our best buddies next door. While the girls were busy with jewelry boxes and candy bracelets, the boys were totally engrossed in their Robin costumes. We decided not to tell the Two Robins that this particular Superhero is actually the geek of the Dynamic Duo.
Per their usual, Hunter & Jackie hung tight together during the competition. It only took 1 or 2 classes for Bela Karoli and the team of teachers to learn that trying to separate these two was more trouble than it was worth. 
The evening ended with the kids parading across the yellow & blue mats to receive their red ribbons, all to the backdrop of the Rocky theme song.
And one more thing: Not surprisingly, Cameron was a natural. I'm betting he'll be doing aerial mounts off the the uneven bars by year's end.
