Dreaming of a White Christmas :)

Noah making a snow angel :)

Anthony with a snowball the size of his head!

Amaury staying warm inside :)

It started snowing around nightfall on Christmas Day and when it finally stopped around 1pm the next day, we had 8 inches of snow! It was a winter wonderland and really contributed to the Christmas spirit :) The kids loved playing in it and using their new waterproof gloves they got for Christmas. In our four Decembers here in NC we've never had snow, and never 8 inches anytime. So far this is the 3rd snow in December this year. We live in such a beautiful place to see the variety of God's creation!

Favorite Gifts

The long-awaited Uno cards :)

Billy Blazes from Rescue Heroes :)

Staying warm with his Toy Story fuzzy blanket :)

The boys got lots of things they had asked for, but these remain among the favorites. Merry Christmas!

Christmas traditions

The true CHRISTmas present . . .

Daddy reading the Christmas story from Luke 2 . . .

Our tree with gifts . . .

We were excited to be able to celebrate Christmas in our own home this year after being out of the country last year. The boys loved all the traditions we did - gingerbread house, making and sharing cookies, reading Christmas stories each night at bedtime, all the decorations around the house, decorating the tree, and remembering to celebrate Jesus' birthday. Our prayer is that the boys will always treasure the Christ of Christmas and the love of family and friends.

Gifts from Kentucky!

Living far away from family is especially difficult during Christmas time, but packages from grandparents always make it easier :) Here are the boys receiving their Christmas boxes from Mamaw and Papaw in Kentucky. To say they were beside themselves with joy is NOT an understatement! They couldn't contain their excitement. The boxes were filled with clothes, sweets, and, yes, a few toys :) Thanks to Mamaw and Papaw who are always so caring and thoughtful to us and make us feel so special!

Sharing Christmas cookies . . .

My boys love eating cookies and hopefully they're learning to love to share cookies as well :) Each Christmas we try to bake some cookies - sometimes homemade and sometimes not - and give them to our neighbors and friends. Its a tangible way to show God's love and share a sweet treat. It is our prayer that our children will understand that Christmas is a season of giving as well as getting. Merry Christmas!

Anthony's lost tooth . . .

Life is bittersweet. I'm learning this more and more as I see my children grow and change. For a few days now Anthony has had a very loose bottom tooth. He has been wiggling it constantly. So, tonight, after dinner it was barely hanging on. I asked him if he wanted me to gently pull it out and he said , "yes". So, I did. He didn't even realize it was out until I showed it to him in the palm of my hand. He was SO proud and very excited :) Me, on the other hand, held back (mostly) tears as I saw the second of my precious boys reach this milestone and I know what is to come. More lost teeth, overnight trips, fewer toys and more gadgets, etc. It is indeed bittersweet to see our babies grow up, but we are so proud of our big boy Anthony and his lost tooth :) We love you, Anthony, and we thank God for you!

The Nutcracker Ballet

Thanks to the blessing of our wonderful homeschool co-op we were able to get free tickets to the second act of The Nutcracker ballet :) It was a wonderful experience for the boys, and for Amaury and his mother, neither of which had seen a live ballet before. The enchanting music was beautiful and so were the dancers. It was an elegant performance and we were thankful to be able to go :)

The Santos Express

Our kids always have fun with their friends from church :) Here they are seen making a makeshift "train" with Nathan as the conductor, Anthony as a passenger (I think he got the easiest end of it all!) and with Noah bringing up/pushing up the rear :) I'm so thankful they have wonderful friends to share laughter and life with and also for this picture that they will someday be embarrassed about :)

Steph's Birthday :)

We recently celebrated my birthday with a surprise cake during our Adult Bible Fellowship at church. Amaury planned the whole thing and I was completely surprised as I heard all the men singing "Feliz Cumpleanos" to me. I am blessed beyond measure to have the Lord in my life, my wonderful husband and children, my extended family, and my health. Praise God! May I serve Him well this next year :)

Birthday Party for Jesus!

Beach ball toss with Anthony . . .

Nathan as a blur with the parachute . . .

An obstacle course for Noah . . .

Our church always holds a Birthday Party for Jesus each December to help everyone keep the focus on what the real meaning of CHRISTmas is :) We love it and the boys have a blast. We are so very blessed to be a part of this church!

Mamaw's birthday!

We are SO excited to recognize Mamaw on her 75th birthday December 11!!! She is so loved by our family and we are so proud of her generosity, her hard-working spirit, and her love for her family! We pray this is the best year yet for her!

Nathan turns 9 . . .

We were so excited to celebrate Nathan's 9th birthday at Adventure Landing!

The pirate crew . . .

The booty . . .

Abuela/Grandma Gina who is visiting from the Dominican Republic . . .

Celebrating Nascar style!

Nathan had a blast with his friends celebrating his special day! They played arcade games, ate pizza and cake, and laughed a lot. BUT, the highlight had to be the 2 games of laser tag --- such a BOY thing! We are so blessed that God put Nathan in our family :)

EARLY December snow!

While we were putting up our Christmas tree and doing the decorating Dec. 4, it began to snow. It continued to snow and snow and pretty soon everything was covered! It was beautiful and so early in the season for snow! The Soca kids came over and they all played outside in the snow - wet snow that was perfect for snowballs! Its great to see God's creation and to enjoy it with friends.

Cub Scouts

Nathan has really enjoyed his Cub Scout friends this year and has learned a LOT. Here is the monthly Pack 588 meeting and his group was performing a skit. They made everyone laugh!