Clydesdale in the Yard, Deer Meat Galore, and Bell Ringers

Pacifiers are enjoyed most when you have friends that are enjoying them with you. 

 Hunter is such a good big brother.  These moments melt my heart. 

After Daddy and Hunter got back home and settled in from their hunting trip, we decorated our Christmas tree. 

The boy in the green shirt below is our ornament breaker.  He manages to break around 2-3 per year.  

It's just because he gets SO excited when it comes to Christmas decorations and he can't help but touch them, smell them, take them off the tree, and touch them some more.  He broke two the night we decorated the tree.  :)

Speaking of getting excited about Christmas decorations, last year we decided to put lights on the outside of our house for the first time.  Nothing special.  Just a row of lights along the bottom of the roof in the front.  Around 2 am the night we put them on, Josh heard the front door open.  He jumped up out of bed, ready for a fight!!! He ran out into the living room and was going to pulverize somebody.

It was Nathanael.  

He was standing outside on our front porch.  

At 2 am.    

"I just wanted to see the pretty lights!!"
**sigh** Love that boy.

Here's a picture of Josh cleaning and cutting up the 40+ pounds of deer meat he and Hunter brought home from their hunting trip.  He was getting it ready to take to a butcher friend of ours.  We had it made into 1/2 hamburger and 1/2 deer sticks.   We LOVE us some deer sticks around here!!  And my collection of recipes for venison burger has been growing over the years and we're pretty happy with those meals as well.  Yay!! for organic deer meat!!!

Levi is very much into accessories lately.  And his brother's old Thomas the Train bike. 

On Monday night, December 9th we had the privilege of ringing the bell to collect donations for the Salvation Army outside the Publix near our house.  I signed us up through a Christian homeschooling association I belong to in our county. 

We handed out mini candy canes and helped the boys step out of their comfort zone and wish everyone a Merry Christmas who walked by.  Mostly Hunter needed the encouragement with this.  Nathanael doesn't know a stranger and will walk up and talk to anyone.  And that he did!!! With gusto!!

This army guy stopped to tell the boys he was proud of them for serving others by ringing the bell for donations.  The boys pretty much think that army guys are the coolest people on the planet, so it was a great encouragement to them and us.  :)

I used to be a psycho when it came to my Christmas tree. Only elegant, perfectly placed ornaments allowed.  Only the finest looking tree skirt.  I used to twist tie every stinking light to every stinking branch so they were right where I wanted them.  Seriously.   And now I have three boys and those days are over!  Half of our lights don't work.  Tree skirt is a cheesy, Santa cartoon scene.  And many ornaments are clustered together and not evenly dispersed.  And many are broken, but still usable.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.  :)

Another heart melter!   

Here's Levi lending Nathanael a finger, picking his nose.  

True brotherly love.

We were blessed with yet another special event in our front yard put on by the elementary school where we live.  This time it was a winter festival.  There was a Clydesdale horse giving rides in a carriage around our bus loop!

We all enjoyed the ride.  Hunter's best buddy from school even got to go along with us!

Levi thoroughly enjoyed all the fun games they had set up.  He did not, however, enjoy waiting in line for his turn to play.  He cried and cried with frustration until it was his turn to play the games. 

He recovered quickly from his distress when they put the ball in his hand

and he got to put it in the bucket!! What a rush!!  So fun for this toddler!

Snowman Levi

The duckie game was Levi's favorite.  He kept saying "duckeeeee!  cak! cak!"  

I think we played this game at least ten times. 

Scoop two duckies into the net.  Way fun.  :)

They also had a snow machine and free hot chocolate and candy canes!  

The boys all had so much fun and once again, it made us so grateful to live where we live. 

I had the opportunity to hang out a little and watch Hunter at his Saints PE class for the first time.  Normally a homeschooling friend of ours that lives out by us takes him on Friday afternoons, but they were doing their Salvation Army bell ringing on this particular Friday.  So, I was able to go and get a little glimpse of what happens there and then scadattle to be home in time for Nathanael. 

We played a little on the playground while waiting for Saints to get started.  

Levi LOVES the swing.  Can't you tell?  

Actually, he's always hated playground swings but I thought I'd give it a go and he hasn't changed.  :)

Hunter was showing his little brother how the playground rocking motorcycle worked.  I couldn't help but think back to a picture I took of him 5 years before when he was at a playground on a similar riding toy.
My, how he's grown!!

Saints is at a really nice, big park in our town with lots of different fields and areas to play.  It was about a five minute walk to get to where Hunter's class's first activity was. 

This station had jump ropes, hula hoops, and tug of war! 

I am so thrilled that Hunter gets to participate in his "Saints" PE class on Friday afternoons.  The coaches are awesome, Godly role models and Hunter has a blast while getting plenty of exercise and social time.  Homeschooling rocks.