FINALLY... the CHRISTMAS & NEW YEARS pictures!

Noah's first Christmas parade... it was SOOOOO cold that day!

It turns out - Noah was more interested in our friends Paul & Carlton than he was in the parade!

Ahhh! Dad, your nose is cold!


This was taken one Saturday after Christmas shopping... all shopped out!

Our first annual gingerbread house! We're thinking this will be a family tradition... it was good Saturday night entertainment, after our day of Christmas shopping.

Noah got his new Christmas pajamas from his great Nonnie and great Aunt Cathy.

We had dinner Christmas eve with some friends (Derek & Angela) that live 5 minutes from our house. (We love that they are so close!) they took this picture right before we left to go to the Christmas Eve service at our church... and then Adam had to work the night shift. (boo!)

CHRISTMAS MORNING... Adam had just gotten in from working all night; we made breakfast together and then opened gifts.

(Sadie is getting bored with all of Noah's gifts)

(Well! What's that?! I think that smells like a new toy for ME!!)

Both of the kids and their "chew toys" -- Noah's favorite gift was the wrapping paper... he loved it and cried when we took it away after this picture was taken!

NEW YEARS
We had several college friends (and a Sri Lanka friend) come into town to celebrate New Years... it was a great weekend!

It was really cold -- but the sun was out -- so we headed to the park to get out of the house! (Taryn, Mindy, Emelyn)

Chris & Josiah (Chris was a very good sport!)

The visit would have been incomplete without a wrestling match: Mark and Chris gang up on Carlton; Josiah tries to save his dad; and Sadie (as always) wants to be in on the action as well.

The visit also would have been incomplete without kitchen time!

Josiah "being sweet" to Noah

Another cold day! Another trip to the park! (Noah & Josiah)

brrrr... The trip to the park was cut short due to freezing temps... we walked straight over to the pizza place!

Taryn & Josiah, Carlton, Ryan, Mark

Chris, Emelyn, Mindy & Noah

"... and, I'm done."

Work, work, work! Fun, fun, fun!

Everybody contributed to the big Italian dinner... and it was fine, fine, fine!

Ommm, who put a princess crown on my son?

Adam (a little tired after the night shift!) working on THE risotto.

Mark and Sadie almost didn't make it until midnight... whew! so tired!

Happy New Year!

Ryan, Chris, Dave, Mark, Adam & Noah, Mindy at the Brick Store

A FEW OF NOAH's FIRSTS...

With the start of the new year, Noah started eating cereal (with Emelyn)

Noah got a haircut

and of course...

Noah found Sadie's dog bone...

and chewed on it!

APD Swearing In. Adam was sworn-in as a police officer in December. Since then, he has been completing his field training, and is due to graduate in March. In a lot of ways, we have seen the Lord's hand at work while Adam completed academy... it seems like Adam was MADE for this... the Lord has really gifted him for the tasks required in law enforcement... and we are excited and his wife is really proud! (In some other ways, his wife is also terrified.)

Mindy's cousin (Kasey) was able to come to the swearing in, and since she is an officer in Tennessee, she was able to "pin" Adam's badge on.

Hmmm... look at this cool shiney thing; I wonder if I can get it in my mouth...

THANKSGIVING 08 Mindy's parents, brother, sister-in-law and nieces came to Atlanta for Thanksgiving... Noah... up-close and personal for his first meeting of the cousins!

Noah also had a one-on-one chat with Pop

Nana with her girls: Claire & Kate

Noah hanging out in the exer-saucer, while dinner preparations were underway... after Thanksgiving dinner, we all went to Stone Mountain Park, for their Christmas festivities.

Nana (with Noah) and Pop (with Kate)

Brrrr!! It was COLD!

Mindy & Jess sporting our snazzy 3-D glasses

Kate & Brant

Claire

Noah -- not so thrilled about the glasses, really.

Kate & Claire got to chat with Santa.

The next day, the girls (Jess, Mindy, Nana) had a kid-free day out antiquing (how do you spell that?), drinking much coffee, and eating a fun girly lunch... as our belated girly birthday celebration for Nana's 60th birthday.

Meanwhile, the boys (Pop, Brant & Adam) took the little ones to the Aquarium.

For a solid hour, Noah pumped his arms and kicked his legs with sheer excitement at all the sea creatures... then he slumped over the front of the Baby Bjorn carrier, passed out. Adam turned him around, so he could take a good nap and gear up for their next task: finding a Christmas tree!

That evening the men & kids put up & decorated the tree, and the next day, we pretended it was Christmas. We took about 84 photos of the cousins on "Christmas day." Of course, there was not a single one where all 3 were smiling in the general direction of the camera. The group shot above, however, is definitely my personal favorite. And anyone who has tried to photograph 3 children will appreciate it.

Nana found this dress while we were out shopping, and Kate LOVED it. She really jumped right into the role of Santa Clause.

Uncle Brant & Noah in their argyle sweaters

This is Noah's CRAZY happy squealing face

Brant, Jess, Claire, & Kate

Pop & Noah

"Christmas" night, some precious friends came over and watched the kids while we went out for dinner to celebrate Mom's birthday. (A good time was had by all!) This picture was taken right before we left. Again, we probably took 30 shots, and this one would be great, if Mindy wasn't about to fall over laughing at someone's smart remark about the excessiveness of all the photos.