McSpaddin Christmas!

The day after Christmas we travel to Kentucky to Shelley's house for more Christmas!

Tanner and Michael had a great time playing together.

Everyone passed Conner around. He was so good, as always!

Opening presents was very organized and tidy.

(unlike with my family everything is mass chaos and nobody knows what anyone gets.)

Mike loved his trombone from Tanner!

Jeff loved his vest and shirt.

Michael & Tanner both loved ripping every piece of paper off every box.

We had a blast. We ate lots of good food and sang, and laughed and really just had a good time.

Christmas!

We had a great Christmas this year!
On Christmas Eve Tanner got a trampoline from Mommy & Daddy. Even YaYa came over and jumped on it.

Later we celebrated at YaYa and Papa Earl's House. The boys got more stuff than they can ever play with and that was just the beginning.

(and Jeff's favorit present, a whole bov of boxers)

When we got home we made cookies for Santa and put out carrots for the reindeer.

On Christmas morning, we woke Tanner up and asked him, "Do you know who came last night?" He said, "Yeah, Santa" and just laid there. Jeff said, "Lets go see if he ate your cookies." Tanner walked in the living room, right past the huge pile of toys and said "YEAH, He ate them, He ate them!" It was so funny. Then he went back and looked at his toys and saw Hungry Hungry Hippos first, not the Big Big Rocket ship. Finally he saw it and played and played with all of his toys. Conner like all of his toys too, I think.

Then for lunch we went back to YaYa and Earl's for the Carpenter's Christmas.
More fun stuff for the boys.

We had a great time and this was just my family we still had to travel to

Kentucky for Jeff's family.

Hop Hop as Baby Jesus

Last week Riley Read (3 years old) called Jeff and asked if Conner could be baby Jesus in their Christmas program. Jeff said yes, but didn't get any details. He didn't even talk to Joni about it. On Friday Mom saw Joni at the Beauty Shop and said "Are you coming to watch Conner in the Christmas program?" We (mom & I) knew nothing about it. So I called Jeff after mom called me and he said "Oh, I forgot to tell you." Anyway Conner was the most beautiful Baby Jesus ever in the Lake Mystic Christmas Program. He didn't cry at all (until it was over and the preacher was talking too long).

I hope that Joseph was really more excited and involved than this Joseph was.

Riley was an angel and I thought at one point she was going to take Baby Jesus away from Mary.

Riley also sang very

well, into the microphone.

It was a very cute program and really helped me remember the reason we celebrate Christmas! I can't imagine how Mary must have felt knowing that her son was going to save the world. I definitely would have been very scared. Don't forget the true meaning of Christmas this year!

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

No More Dirt Pile

Saturday morning during breakfast a truck with a tractor pulled in to the yard. Tanner was so excited. I wasn't sure what they were doing. I didn't need a skid-steer for anything. But they had come to change Tanner's dirt pile into a sand pile. A dump truck with beautiful white sand arrived just after the tractor. They pulled apart the pipes and got all the dirt out and put in the new sand. I was so happy to see the white sand. I won't have to use so much Spray & Wash on Tanner's clothes now. Tanner really wanted the men to stay and play with him, but they had real work to do. Thanks Papa Earl, Mr. Rob and the crew!

Christmas Boys

I found the boys matching Christmas pj's and couldn't wait until Christmas for them to wear them. Here is a little preview of Christmas morning.

Tanner wanted to make a silly face.

(I know some of these are a little scary but I promise I was right there to catch him if he started to fall and his head Did Not hit the floor one time.)

All of this was done with a little bribe. Tanner could open a present if he would hold Conner and take a good picture. (It was something he had already played with and wanted YaYa to wrap yesterday but forgot about it!)

Sunday School Fun

In Sunday school we made a Gingerbread house and some ginger bread men. I was really worried because for the last 2 months there have been 6-8 kids in my class of 2-6 year olds, but God is good, only 4 showed up this Sunday.
The kids really had fun and didn't make too much of a mess. Except for the crunched up fruit loops on the floor (sorry Brent).
Their gingerbread men were really cute. Here are some pictures of them.

A Redneck Christmas Parade

Saturday was the Christmas Parade in Bristol.
It was really good but there were some Redneck floats. Tanner had a great time. One of his favorites was the Marching Band.

Conner stayed in the warm car with Mamoo and Papoo.

This is the Liberty Just float that Tanner helped work on with YaYa and the boys. The won first place, beating BYA!!!!The float was a pontoon boat (can you say redneck?) sleigh with reindeer on top of the truck. It was really, really good.

Mr. Piggly Wiggly was there, of course.

Jeff and Tanner picked up a whole bucket full of candy. We ate all the good candy (chocolate) before we left the parade.

A Redneck parade would not be complete without a tractor covered in lights. A Grader to be exact, with a girl on the front of it throwing out candy.

When Rob went by us on the horse Tanner got on with him and finished out the parade.

We really had a great time so I guess that makes us Rednecks. Caint wait 'til next year!

Merry Christmas Y'all!

Christmas Program

Tanner didn't sing or dance but he was definitely a star. He had to make sure he could see himself in the video monitor at all times. He did do a little thing with his shirt. He just told me as we were watching the video he was "missing my microphone". Well he was cute anyway.

The directors of this program should have known that skirts were a bad idea with kids.

I'll try to post all the videos on YouTube under search TannerD

Ginger Bread House

We also decorated a gingerbread house this weekend. Tanner really did alot of it by himself, but after about 5 minutes he got distracted by how good the icing tasted. He would decorate a little the eat a little icing off of his finger, then decorate some, then icing off of his finger until finally he just started squeezing the icing into his mouth straight from the bag. So needless to say he didn't take a nap that day, but we did make a cute house.

Conner got a little icing action too.

I think he liked it!

Busy Christmas Weekend

Wow, the Christmas season seems to get busier and busier every year. This weekend was just the beginning. We got up on Saturday morning and went to see Santa in Blountstown. Tanner sat on his lap and studied Santa's face, like he knew something wasn't just right. Conner let Santa hold him too. Tanner told Santa that he wanted a rocket ship (the one thing Santa wasn't prepared for because up until that moment all he wanted was candy). So Santa is now off looking for Tanner a rocket ship. They took some cute pictures and off we went to pick out a tree.

We got a tree at the fruit stand and went home to put it up. Jeff had to get all of the tree work done quick because the Gators were coming on soon. He got it up and Tanner helped me decorate it and it really is a beautiful tree.

After we got the tree up we went to the Christmas Parade in Blountstown. Tanner loved the Marching Band and the Christmas bus. Thank goodness there wasn't a fire in Calhoun County because every Fire truck they have was in the parade with the sirens blaring. It was LOUD!!! Conner slept through the whole thing. Then we went to the Christmas train. Tanner had fun on that too and wanted to do it again. Conner slept through that too. Tonight we have the Christmas program at Church. Tanner will probably stand there with his shirt in his mouth because that is what he has done every practice, but he will be cute. So I hope that we can slow down a little but it doesn't look like it is going to happen.

We will just have fun and remember why we celebrate

Christmas in the first place.

Merry Christmas!

Puppy Found

Yes! Puppy was found after 2 1/2 days of searching, YaYa found puppy, in the blanket drawer, in Tanner's t.v. cabinet. (I think this is the only place in the house I didn't look.) The reward of a HUGE HUG was given. Tanner hasn't let puppy go since then. He puts him in his shirt when he needs to use his hand or holds him around his neck. So I think I will never let puppy out of my sight again.

Lost

Yesterday sometime after 10:00AM, Puppy got lost. For those of you who don't know, Puppy is Tanner's stuffed animal that he takes everywhere and he can't sleep without. He has had puppy since Feb. '06. Puppy was last seen on the back of the couch by YaYa. He is brown, with a red handkerchief with faded white hearts. His ears are chewed on and his neck is very thin.
If seen at our house please return. He is missed very much!

I have looked all over this house. I have looked under the couch, in the couch, in the beds, under the beds, in Tanner's toys, in Tanner's room, I have even looked in the cabinets and the refrigerator. And we didn't leave the house yester day, so I know he is in here somewhere. I think I am more worried about Puppy than Tanner is. He slept with 3 other stuffed animals last night and this morning when he got up, I asked him " Did you sleep good?"
He said, "Yeah, but I was missing my puppy." I almost cried. So if you have any suggestions on where a lost Puppy might go, please, please let me know.

Running Dogs

Jeff and Papa Earl took Tanner hunting on Thanksgiving Day. When they got to the forest the dogs were running a deer. Tanner got in Papa Earl's lap to listen to the dogs. He stood on Mr. Chad's dog box to watch for the deer. Then helped catch the dogs (by the antenna). Afterward he got down on all fours and ran across the road barking & saying "catch me Earl, I'm the dogs"

These are a few pictures Jeff took.

Double Trouble

Tanner & Nate or Nano & Nater or Tanner D. & Nate Nate, however you say it these boys are Double Trouble.

Yesterday it was raining so Nate came to play, instead of sitting in the truck in the woods hunting.

These kids are precious together. I got out the rainy day tents and put them together with the tunnel. They played in there for a hour.


I think it is so funny how their minds work and they come up with the craziest things to say!
Just a few quotes from the last few days from a 3 year old and an almost 3 year old.


I asked Tanner what does Santa say?

Hi! HO HO! Captain!

I found them in the bathroom talking away and when Nate saw me he said "We ain't gone tell you what we said" then laughed.


Nate came in with a Gator shirt on, then had on a Seminole Jersey, later because he was so dirty he changed into just a green shirt. While we were watching the game he said. "I'm not a Gator or Seminole anymore, I'm just going for the green team"

While playing on the train table Tanner said "Oh, no, Mommy, Nate Nate broke my rail rail track".

If Tanner doesn't have time to poo-poo on the potty he says "It will come out in a little while"


This morning I had on gray tights. When Tanner saw them he said "Oh, what have you got on your legs?"

When Nate saw the tights he said, "What is that on your legs, long socks?"



Every morning Tanner greets me with "Good morning Mommy, the sun says GET UP!"


I know that I may just be a little partial, but these have got to be close to the cutest kids around.
And I am so glad that they get to grow up together! Watch out Conner, you have Double Trouble coming your way in just a few months.

Happy Turkey Day!

I saw these cupcake pops on a blog, http://bakerella.blogspot.com/ , they were so cute, so I had to make them. I didn't have all the ingredients (& neither did the Piggly Wiggly), like candy coated espresso beans, heart shaped sprinkles, or sucker sticks, so I had to improvise a little, with gummy bears, caramel squares and Popsicle sticks. Not to mention it was 10:00 at night. Tanner was still up wanting to help, but I wouldn't let him because the chocolate was getting to hard. So I turned around and he had Hersey Kisses, Kit Kats and Suckers all over the counter (don't forget it is 10:00 at night). Where is this child's Daddy? The kitchen was a huge mess!

Why, oh why, do I have to do stuff like this? And what am I going to do with them now?

They turned out SOOOOO Darn Cute though!

Doctors Appointments

3 years old

2 months old

Yesterday both boys had doctors appointments. We saw Dr. Martin instead of Dr. Elzie. I really loved him. Tanner had to pee pee in a cup, get ht. and wt., Blood Pressure, and an eye test. He has never had to do any of this before. He weighed in at a big 29lbs. and was 37 1/2 inches tall. His vision was 20/30 which is good for a three year old according to the nurse. Jeff and I said it was 20/30 with ADD because he was distracted by the time it got to the 20/20 line. He talked and talked and talked to Dr. Martin, he stood on one foot and hopped. He got an A+ on his exam. Dr. Martin says "keep encouraging the imagination and see you back in a year"

Conner was 10lbs 3oz and 21 3/4 inches. He was smiling and holding his head up. He got an A+ too. He had to get 3 shots. He did well and has not had any reactions yet.

So another thing to be thankful for, Healthy Kids!