Andy got home a year ago

Yep...he's been home a year! We're so glad he's home! It was fun to remember back to that night...packing the car with our posters and heading to Sacramento...we were all soooooo excited. Here are a few pics from that night.

Commissioning pics posted below

As promised...I dug up some pics of Andy's commissioning 16 years ago. I posted them below...in a previous post.

I have to say... I LOVE my new copier/scanner/printer/fax!

Jingle Bells

Drew began singing a few weeks before Christmas. His first song was "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"....well actually Happy Birthday was his first song (the kids sing/hum it twice through while brushing their teeth). That was followed by "5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the bed". As soon as he heard Jingle Bells it stuck and he has sung it all season. A few days ago I heard him singing "to town..." from Santa Claus is Coming to Town. It's so much fun to hear him sing...so I thought I'd post this video.

Calling Norad on Christmas Eve

Christmas 2008

Our Christmas celebrations began on the 20th when we picked Martha/Nana up at the airport. The first thing the kids wanted to do was watch a movie with her.


The next day, we had a special dinner out compliments of Uncle Billy and then headed to the Broadmoor Hotel to see all the wonderful holiday decorations.


Happy Hour margaritas apparently come as a pair, which we did not know...but we "suffered" through drinking them both.


My drink was delicious and HUGE!


The gingerbread display at the Broadmoor...


various light displays outside...




The amazing chandelier in the main lobby


M&J standing on what looks like a rug, but is really a tile mosaic


Nana and the kids next to one of the gorgeous trees in the lobby


We spent the week working this puzzle...only to find out that a piece was MISSING!


Christmas Eve night the kids found new jammies under their pillows and couldn't have been more thrilled! Drew's had candy canes on them and he ran around saying, "Minty" over and over.






Mommy read from Luke


Daddy read Twas the Night Before Christmas


We called Norad to "track" Santa's whereabouts...

We sprinkled special reindeer food (oats with glitter) in the grass to help attract the reindeer to our house.

Drew dumped his oats in a pile right by the front door...


We set out cookies, milk and carrots...

On their way to bed...

CHRISTMAS MORNING!

Jack and Madi came into our room at 6am. The first thing I remember Jack saying is, "I know Santa brought me the Batcave b/c I peeked!"

The kids checking out their gifts from Santa. Madilyn got some Littlest Pet Shop toys. Jack got the coveted Batcave. Drew got a toy kitchen. Sadie is licking the carpet...as usual.

The whole Cole Clan...

Drew...

(Drew made us lots of 'faffles'!)

Drew checking to see if Santa ate the cookies and drank the milk and seeing if the carrots for the reindeer were gone.

Madilyn...

Jack...

Right before he opened these Legos I asked Jack, "What do you think Uncle Andy and Aunt Nicole got you?" He answered very matter-o-factly, "Legos, b/c that is what I told them to get me!" Little stinker...

Nana...

My favorite meal of the whole year...ham, cheese grits, corn casserole, green beans, cranberry, rolls, pecan pie...

Martha's White Christmas

Doing Legos...

A "Day after Christmas" trip to Garden of the Gods to get out and get our blood flowing! (Followed by a drive around the USAFA...almost all of us fell asleep on the Academy drive...so no pics!)

Post-Christmas cuddles...