Where Did January Go???

How do I ever begin to apologize enough??? Sorry this is so belated, and full of information and scattered thoughts. January did happen at the Hooks House and it was a BIG month. Grace turned 1 year old on the 5th and had a smashing birthday party, friends came over and played, time was spent at Mama's House, there was much dress up, a new tradition was started with Pajamas and Pancakes and Grandad came to visit to put the icing on the cake of January! During January we found out that Grace really does like to wear her pink fur coat with everything including pjs! January also lead us to the confirmation that Jacob and Jude would prefer to wear their Spiderman and Batman costumes than normal clothes and that Jude in sunglasses is the cutest sight ever! January 2008 has been a great door to open, and peek inside the amazing new year that lies ahead. If January is the prequel to what awaits in 2008, then we know this year will be fun, exciting, full of laughter and graced everyday by three wonderful angels that keep us in stitches. I want everyone who reads our crazy sporadic blog to know that Corey and I truly recognize that we are living a dream. We are blessed beyond measure with wonderful family and friends who make the day to day more than daily. Thank you.

More Fun with the Tent

It is still super cold here in Arlington so, we had another day with indoor camping. Jacob keeps trying to convince me that we are going "real camping" soon with "Jacob, Jude, Grace, Mommy, Daddy, Grandaddy, Mama, Ryan and Paige". I'm not so sure about that. The most fun today was with the static electricity and Grace's hair. Here are some pictures to make you smile.

Happy 2008!!!

We started off the new year by putting up the boy's tent in the living room today and taking down all the Christmas decorations. We were going to "go out" and do something fun today, but it was too cold and Corey and I realized it would be just as much fun to go "camping" in the living room. Everyone has had a great time all day going in and out of the tent. Jude will announce that he is "Going camping, Mommy. Bye. I love you." Jacob has been the landlord of the tent taking Grace out of it every so often and zipping up the door so Jude cannot enter. Grace has mainly just tried to get into the tent with little success. Felt like the tent might be a commentary on our family dynamics.

Happy New Year to everyone! Hope all stayed warm and cozy and thought about all the wonderful things that 2008 will bring.

Aunt Jeanne's Presents

Aunt Jeanne sent presents this year from California. I snapped a few pictures of the kids opening them and being excited...one last post about Christmas!

A Few Final Holiday Pictures

I couldn't resist showing off a few more pictures of our precious kiddos from this holiday season. It was a really great Christmas full of wonderful moments with each child and all of our family.

5th and Final Family Christmas!!!

On Christmas day our family gathers at Martha Sue's house for lunch and piles of presents to open. It is a very relaxing day that is a much needed break for the fast pace of the holidays. Everyone watched each other open presents, the boys ran races and played hide and go seek in the backyard. The weather was perfect for outdoor games. There was also much lounging infront of the TV with our feet up on the coffee table. This is always the perfect way to end the holiday craze and eat just enough for a good Christmas Day nap.

4th Family Christmas Extravaganza!

The Wood Family has been celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve for decades. We get together late in the afternoon and eat, eat, exchange gifts, eat, exchange more gifts and drink a little coffee before we wait for Santa to arrive. We packed the three kids up to head over to Mama's house at 3:30 on Christmas Eve for the fun to begin. There are 8 second cousins that get to play together which makes it a blast for Jacob, Jude and Grace. This year Mama and Grandaddy decided to get remote control cars for all the boys to play with on the back patio. It was such a good time and everyone got in on the fun. Grace was passed around all night from family member to family member in true princess form. Every child was given a new pair of pajamas at some point in the evening by their grandparents so, 8 children went home in new pajamas completely worn out and ready to listen for reindeer hooves on the roof. It was another fantastic family Christmas!