Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Sanders Family! We are grateful that we can spend this day together, and send our best wishes out to all our friends and family!

Santa Starr

We will not be able to make it to Air Life Santa this year because of Alan's surgery. Mommy is a little sad because she has been taking Kevin and then Alan every year since 2005. However, Kevin's playgroup's mommies made sure that our own playgroup tradition of pictures with Santa Starr could take place during our break at home in San Antonio between the pre-op appointments and Alan's surgery.

The party is smaller as families have moved, but we know they were with us in spirit. With the kids starting kindergarten and rumors that Santa Starr will be retiring, this may be our last big Christmas party. It was so nice to have fun with friends before we head into the tough month ahead.


Santa Starr arrives at Miss Cookie's house


Kevin and Alan wait for their turn with Santa Starr


Kevin and Santa


The boys are wiggly!


Kevin gives Santa a hug


Alan and Santa


Alan loves the candy cane that Santa Starr handed out


Yummy treats!


Playgroup Mommies with Santa Starr

Preschool Christmas Party

Today was Kevin's preschool Christmas party. The teachers ordered pizza and Mommy finally got a chance to use her Wilton Gingerbread Man cake pan. Kevin decorated the cake with M&Ms for his little friends.






He turned out pretty good looking! Too bad we're going to EAT him!

The party started with Pizza! Alan didn't care for the pizza, but he was pretty fascinated with all that Kevin's school room had to offer - computers, big sunny windows, interesting cubbies full of stuff!









After lunch, we went to the other classroom to decorate cookies, dance and exchange books.


Ms. Anna shows off Kevin's cake


Alan takes a break in the middle of the dancing


Kevin and Alan boogie


Books!


Alan and Kevin at the Lego table

After the book exchange, it was time to head home for Alan's nap and for Kevin to finish his day at school. What a fun party!

Air Life Santa 2009

For the fifth year in a row, we have gone to the hospital where the boys were born for their Christmas fair, complete with pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Now that it's during the second week of December, the picture doesn't make our Christmas card, but we are still making our annual ornament. The event was much bigger this year since they combined it with the Stone Oak Winter Festival. We liked it better in earlier years when it was smaller and friendlier to the little ones. It was hard navigating Alan's stroller around. However, with the combined events, there were two lines to see Santa Claus (nudge nudge wink wink). I'm glad we got the one with Santa and Mrs. Claus since that has been our Christmas tradition since Kevin was born.





When we were done, whom should we meet in the hallway but Doc Murdock, Mommy's OB through both pregnancies and the one who was there for Alan's birth. Since she hadn't seen Mommy since last January, she hadn't heard about Alan's illness, but she was so happy to see how big the boys have grown.

Elf Yourself 2009

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Another Hill Country Christmas

Once again, we got VIP preview tickets to Schlitterbahn's Hill Country Christmas. We had so much fun last year, so we were looking forward to going with Daddy this year. We enjoyed the "snow" and Christmas lights blinking to Christmas music!

We were worried with the rain earlier in the day, but it stopped in time for us to enjoy the lights and meant it wasn't crowded at all. There was no line up to see Santa and we got story time with Mrs. Claus all to ourselves! We were having a time getting both boys to smile and look at the camera at the same time, but then Daddy broke out the Aerosmith. At first, the girls behind the camera looked at Daddy like he was crazy, then they saw the boys grinning and bobbing their heads to the music and started laughing.

It started sprinkling again so we went into Mrs. Claus's story time. Alan preferred to roam around, but Kevin sat on Daddy's lap for the first story. He was a little nervous at first, not wanting to go over to Mrs. Claus to choose a story book. By the second story, he was off Daddy's lap and choosing another book for Mrs. Claus to read. Finally, Mommy chose a book about Rudolph, which had a button for Kevin to press which lit up Rudolph's nose!

After more lights and a snack, we headed home after changing the boys into fuzzy PJs. Alan fell asleep on the way home, but Kevin held on long enough to brush his teeth. What a fun outing!

Christmas Morning

'twas the night before Christmas...



Auntie 'Chelle and her kids Lance and Renee gave Kevin and Alan a new plate and cookies to leave out for Santa. Now that Lance and Renee were getting so big, it was time for them to pass the plate (figuratively speaking) on to our little munchkins.



The next morning, it was time to open presents!



Kevin unzipped the door to all the presents and started pulling them out.



Kevin had fun ripping off the wrapping paper, and even more fun putting all the little pieces into the garbage can. Just like his daddy!



Alan wanted to play with his toys as soon as he got a glimpse of them. Mommy can do the rest of the unwrapping!



Alan has a snack. Playing with toys is hard work!



Playing with boxes is fun too!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve at SeaWorld

Merry Christmas from Kevin, Alan, Mommy and Daddy!

Our 2008 Christmas letter is here.

Air Life Santa 2008

Today was the family's 4th annual visit to the Air Life Santa at the hospital where the boys were born - Kevin's 4th visit and Alan's 2nd. The event gets bigger every year!

While we were waiting for our turn to visit Santa, Kevin saw Suzy Bee for a balloon airplane.



In the line-up, Alan did upside-downs to make Kevin laugh.





Kevin enjoyed rubbing Santa's beard, and for a while, we didn't think we would get a shot with Alan looking at the camera because he was so fascinated with Mrs. Claus.

Rudolph's Apprentice

Last week, Kevin made a reindeer t-shirt in school, and today he came home wearing the shirt and a little red nose action. His teacher Ms. Anna told us he was entranced by the choir recital, loves the gingerbread man and that he likes to say "Ho ho ho"!

Elf Yourself!

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Christmas Cutie

Alan was all dressed up for the Kevin's playgroup Christmas party today. He got to wear the red velvet vest that Kevin wore his first Christmas, without the tie or black velvet pants. What a little charmer!

A Hill Country Christmas

Thanks to Mommy's volunteer work with the Elf Louise Christmas Project, we got to go to a special preview of the Hill Country Christmas at Schlitterbahn.

The waterpark has been converted into a Winter Wonderland, complete with a skating rink, sledding and snow!



Alan was excited by all the beautiful holiday lights...



... and was amazed to see Schatze, Shlitterbahn's resident pup.



Kevin loved the falling "snow" and had a great time dancing around. We all got covered, even Alan in the stroller.

Merry Christmas! Take 1

Unfortunately, Daddy has to work this Christmas. We will celebrate Alan's first Christmas together on Saturday. Today, Mommy and the boys were invited to celebrate with Kevin's friend Jazmine and her family.


Kevin, Alan and Mommy.


Jazmine's Mommy gives Alan a cuddle.


Kevin has fun bouncing on an old mattress. Who needs toys?