A Scoggins Christmas

Due to Luke's continued sickness (another trip to the doctor yesterday gave us the diagnosis of Asthma elevated by Brochitis + a nasty ear infection), Mom, Dad, and JohnMark came and had Christmas in Marion on Wednesday and Thursday.  It was so good to get to see them.  I love them all so much and wish I could see them every day! 

Uncle JohnMark

Nana gave Ella a pedicure

They've always ad a special bond!

Don't tell her this, but she's my best friend.

Nana, Papa, and the grands.

Christmas with the Cannon/Siaks

What a great Christmas Day evening.  We spent it celebrating with the whole Cannon/Siak clan.  The food was great. The children were rowdy.  The conversation was funny.  It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day.





A LOT of paper on the floor!









Gabe was missing!

Jesus' Birthday!!!

5:22.  That's AM, not PM.   Yep, that's when they got up.  We had a perfect Christmas morning as a family.  I am so blessed to have these kiddos.  I cherish these days with them knowing that time flies by too quickly!

Waiting for the "OK" to go in.

Ella got the most rockin dollhouse ever.

He has been patiently waiting for that 3DS all year!

Luke was only slightly as interested in what was going on.

Cookies

There is only one day a year where I make Alison Reilly's cookie recipe - Christmas Eve.  You wanna know why?  Too many ingredients/too much work.  But they are the BEST sugar cookies on the planet.  So the kids and I set to work on Christmas Eve making cookies to set out for Santa.  We had the best time!

We were skyping with Bekah in the background of this one.

Luke ate two whole cookies.  He was in heaven!

Eve-Eve

Today started off much differently than we had imagined.  At 1am we woke to Luke barking with a cough like a seal.  Matt and I looked at each other and knew exactly what had hit him - the croup.  We stayed up and headed to the early clinic at ABC Peds before 7am.  The doctor confirmed what we seasoned parents knew - the croup.  We picked up some steroids and went on to meet the family at our favorite Christmas place to eat - Cracker Barrel.  Ella and Noah had spent the night with Granny and we had already planned to meet them there.  After a meal that stuffed us full, we headed to the Grove Park Inn for a quick tour of the National Gingerbread Houses.  They were AMAZING.  It was great to see family.  Luke being contagious has changed some of our plans for Christmas, but this will allow us all to get some rest and enjoy the season as our little family.  Pray alongside us for a quick recovery for our little man!



The Barrel!



A very, very sleepy family

Joey & Benjamin

Matts sister Sarah & Bart

Granny & Grandpa Coach

Tuckered out from a sleepless night!

Daddy & Luke taking a quick rest

Just part of the Grove Park, it's beautiful!

Christmas at Grace

I felt like I was walking in my moms shoes last night.  I remember so many Christmas services where the 5 of us kids would march up the stage after it was over (in our matching sweatshirts that had ironed-on nativity scenes) and we would be forced to smile for a Christmas picture.  Out of all the ones I took this one was the best (?).  At least Noah was smiling and looking at the camera.

It felt like it was finally Christmas last night.  We all as a family went to the Christmas caroling/worship service at Grace.  The music was amazing.  The sermon pointed us to where our thoughts should be during this crazy season.  And the kids favorite part - lighting candles at the end while we sang Silent Night and O Holy Night (which also reminds me of my mama). 

I love Christmas, and can't believe it is just days away! 

Countdown to Christmas

Gingerbread houses.  You just got to make them.  They are like christmas cookies, that trip to the mall to see Santa, breakfast at Cracker Barrel, caroling service at church.  All "have to's" for this time of year. Avery and Carter came over to help us decorate houses this week.  It was a fun, messy time for everyone!

A Siak Christmas

We met last weekend in Kings Mountain to celebrate early Christmas with all the Siaks.  Nana and Papa came in from the coast, the brothers + wives + cousins all got to play.  We ate an incredible meal and opened presents.  It was a great day with family!

People let me tell you 'bout my best friend.

Today we got to hang out with Sylvie.  Mere was with us too, so it was an extreemly "girly" day at the house.  The girls had so much fun!

 Ella and Sylvie's imaginations went wild up on the field playing "drive through window" at the log cabin.

 Tea parties, dance parties, dress up parties...

 They laughed like extreemly silly little girls.

They even raced down the hill sitting on scooters.

What a weekend

Matt, Ella, and Daddy went to Lowes to complete the Coal Car in their three week series.  Last week they worked on the caboose, and the front of the train (which is scheduled for next Saturday) they made last year and it fits together with this set.  If you have young children and haven't checked out the Build and Grow program at Lowes - do it.  It's free, and such a great bonding experience!

 Luke has been working on perfecting his crawling.  Which means he's getting stuckin random places around the house (this picture, under his excersaucer).

Luke, Noah, and I had our own sing along at the kitchen table courtesy of Christmas songs + you tube.

(We still have Ella, she just doesn't like her picture taken much, I will trap her and take a few pics of her soon).

Baby in a Basket.

 I don't know why, but I wait until we are almost completely out of underwear to do the laundry.  Yeah, realistically I could do a load or two a day to maintain...  Today I was getting caught up on folding about 5 loads and Luke kept crawling over and messing my organzied piles (mounds) up.  I grabbed a basket, stuck him in it, and you would have thought it was Christmas day.  He had so much fun!  And I got the laundry caught up, or at least until tonight at bathtime when the loads pile up again...