The day after the day after Christmas

Also known as December 27th.  Yes, I know I am behind.  But today we are snowed in with about 6 inches of snow so far, which is a debilitating amount for coastal Carolina, so the roads are pretty much undriveable.  Zach's home from work, the boys are quiet, and I have no excuse not to update the blog.  So here goes....

The morning of the 27th, I took Dan outside to play a little in the snow.  This boy loves to dig in the dirt and that love transferred perfectly to the snow.  Unfortunately, we don't really have proper snow attire, so we couldn't stay out too long.  But we had fun for a few minutes!

After playing in the snow, Dan's pants were soaked so he just went pants-less for the rest of the morning.  He did manage to put on some jeans for lunch, though.  He does have some manners.  (:

Because the giant cranberry trifle at lunch wasn't enough, Layne and Lauren made a coconut cake for supper.  They called it a birthday cake for Great Grandma, even though her birthday is January 5th.  I think they were just trying to think of an excuse to make a giant cake from scratch.  I bought items at the store that I've never bought before, just so they could make this cake: cake flour, coconut extract, coconut water, coconut cream, coconut milk, and coconut flakes.  As Lauren and Layne were baking, we had a moment of crisis when we couldn't remember if Great Grandma even likes coconut.  Crisis averted--she likes coconut (and so did everyone else)!

We're getting ready in the laundry room so the cake will be a surprise!

The candles say "Lost Count."

Four layers of fat-free goodness.  Oh, wait.....

Lazy day after Christmas

Everyone was worn out from an exciting Christmas day of opening presents and eating!  We slept in as much as the boys would allow (until about 7:30) and then took our time getting up and ready.  My mom received a waffle maker from Lauren for Christmas and I got her some waffle mix and other accessories, so we decided to just hang out at the beach house all day--waffles for brunch and Domino's for supper. Too bad it wasn't much of a beachy day--rain and snow alternating all day so it was a good day to stay inside and play cards and watch football.

Wet snow in NC

Too bad we don't all have matching sweaters!

Ben is studying (and holding) those cards very intensely!

Dan's newest face

Christmas Day

Since Dan doesn't quite get the concept of Santa and presents, we weren't woken up at the crack of dawn, like we probably will be for the next 15 or so years.  In fact, once Dan woke up, it took him awhile to realize that his stocking was full and not hanging on the mantle.  He opened it up to find a few cars and books, not knowing that it would get refilled later on in the morning when the rest of the family came over. Santa must have accidentally brought those presents to the beach house.  (:

We had a great morning of opening presents and then immediately assembling them for play.  Dan especially loves his race track from Granny Rash, his chalkboard/whiteboard easel from cousins Corinne and Davis, and his new giant dump truck from Unc.  Ben loves to lounge in his new Bumbo while wearing a bow on his head.  Zach's favorite gift is his new electric griddle (from his mom) but there aren't any pictures of him opening it because he actually opened it two days early so we could make sandwiches for everyone!  I love my new shirt from Mary Ellen, my pantry organizer from my mom and dad, and a cool pillow made by Layne.

After opening presents, we sat down to a delicious feast prepared mostly by Layne and Lauren.  On the menu: brisket, roast chicken, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole, rosemary buttered rolls, and dessert of course--pecan pie and bittersweet chocolate tart.  Everything was yummy and everyone had a great time on Christmas!

Christmas morning bath (after a blowout, of course)

All the stockings!

Dan trying out Layne's new hat (with a mouth full of chocolate)

Pretty Ben

New quilt made by Great Grandma (now hanging in the boys' room)

Maybe he needs his own Bumbo?

Stop reading right now if you're hungry! (Don't say I didn't warn you.)

You'd never know that this tart caught the oven on fire the night before!

Christmas Eve day

The 24th was a beautiful beach day (if a bit chilly!).  Dan played on the beach with Zach and Aunt and Unc all morning long.  And then we were all rewarded with a great nap by him that afternoon!

The beach house was perfect for all of us to hang out without being on top of each other.  It has five bedrooms, each with their own full bathroom, so everyone could stay there comfortably while Zach and I and the babies could come home to our own beds.  And it's only about five miles from our house, so we did a lot of running back and forth when we forgot something (or someone).

We had a nice, relaxing day on Christmas Eve.  Zach and I went to the movies with Layne and Unc in the afternoon (saw The Fighter--awesome!) while everyone else hung out at our house and made dinner.  Then we just played hung out, watched football, and went to bed early to be ready for a big morning the next day!

We had the left half of this 3-story duplex

Using that good sunshine to read the paper

The Adoration of the Ben

Dessert: Coconut Almond Brownie Squares