Since everyone was in town my mom wanted to get family pictures done. We had Mary Alice take them and she did a fantastic job...here's just a few of the many we got. Also, the one at the top of the blog she took as well.
Have a great and safe New Year's Eve...ours is pretty low key this year which will be nice.
Cash was more interested in Parkes toys which usually Parkes would push him down, but here's them actually opening a present together.
Parkes got really into the opening of presents and never really looked what he got until all the presents were opened and he could stop and check things out. After our family Christmas we headed back to my parents for lunch and more presents and fun. Here's Parkes showing Uncle Brad the power ranger he got.
Jim and Sarah Beth who have not been back to Nashville since last Christmas so this was the first time they got to meet Cash.
Then if Christmas wasn't enough we have Parkes birthday on the 27th. So the 26th we cleared out all the Christmas decorations and put up the birthday decorations for the boys family birthday party (Cash's is Jan 7 so we just did them together...I told Parkes he could have a friend birthday in the summer since he shared his birthday with Cash). So here are the cousins and Uncle Jim at the kids table.
And Cash really enjoyed the cake....he had 3 slices, but luckily slept great that night not waking up until 8:30 the next morning.
So after the boys birthday we had a surprise birthday party for Sarah Beth the next day...her birthday is the 31st, but her parents were in town only until the 30th so we wanted them to be there for it. She did however catch on when she noticed a line of cars not too far from the party house that she recognized. So here's all the Stevens family. I don't have a picture of Sarah Beth's side, but a side note her cousin was my good friend growing up and we introduced Jim and Sarah Beth several years ago so now we get to be somewhat related.
And Cash was happy to get more cake.
So after all the festivities we all crashed last night. Well I say all, that is all but Parkes. We tricked Cash into bed at 6 since he had missed his afternoon nap. Then put Parkes in his room with a movie. Brandon was watching football downstairs, and I went upstairs to watch Food Network. Well about 8 Brandon and I both fell asleep while watching our shows. Then about 9:30 I get woken up by Parkes asking why Daddy is sleeping on the couch. So Parkes climb in bed with me and Brandon woke up around midnight to realize his spot was taken and went back to sleep in Parkes bed. The whole family sleep until 9 in the morning so we might need to keep up this pace to keep the boys sleeping.
Well it is Christmas morning and yes I'm blogging. I know there's a grandmother in Michigan that will want to see some pictures of the boys, especially being Cash's first Christmas. So here's some pics from the 23rd were we spent the day hunting down Santa. Christmas has creep up on us and we completely missed our church's Breakfast with Santa so after a log failed attempt at the mall we went out to a house in Brentwood that had a huge light display and Santa was there so the boys got to see him and Parkes was very excited...Cash, however, was not.
Then Christmas Eve was not white, but muddy. So Parkes and one of the boys next door instead of having a snow fight had a mud fight (very much encouraged by their dads). We had lots of good mud were the dumpster had been sitting until last week just waiting for boys to jump in.
So after Parkes got cleaned up we headed out to my parents for Christmas Eve. Here's Uncle Brian and Cash.
My brothers, Brad and Jim.
Parkes and his cousins, Abby James and Draper.
And now it's 8:30 and we are waiting for Parkes to wake up and come see what Santa brought him.
Parkes had his school program on Sunday night. Last year he swayed through the whole performance, but never opened his mouth. This year they put him in the front because he is the loudest singer....I think he has come out of his shell. If he already wasn't social enough he now loves to preform as well. On Fridays at school he goes to Sing and Sign and it is amazing to see what all he has learned. Working at the school where Parkes is has really been such a great thing since I actually have learned some of the signs even though my class is too young to go to Sing and Sign we still get some of the songs and seasonal signs. So they preform their song and also signed the monthly Bible verse that they learn each month. Parkes has found a new crush at school...a little girl named Parker who as he has told me he "just loves so much." Cash is now 11 months, and got his first fever yesterday. I got called out of my class to go hold him...another advantage to working were the kids are I could go ahead and give him medicine while I waited for Brandon to come get him. But not a bad record so far 11 months before he got anything, and today he is acting completely fine....just laughing and following his brother around who at the moment is watching the food network by his request.
Parkes is an old pro by this point when it comes to opening his presents and this year he is all about power rangers and transformers.
We then headed out to Opryland Hotel and walked around and enjoyed the lights.
Then we have enjoyed watching some football...even though Brandon is a little sad Alabama lost on Saturday. He's still excited about the promise of next year and a BCS bowl. Of course I'm excited about Ole Miss' bowl game too!!!!! Hotty Toddy!!! So after all the fun of the weekend we got to meet Luke Engesath shortly after he was born today to Keri and Matt. The family is doing great. Another boy to join the crew...Cash is glad to have someone closer to his age.
Then Brandon headed out Sunday with our neighbor to go interview an Alabama player (don't know who even though he has told me a million times...I guess I keep tuning him out when he talks about it). Our neighbor is writing a book about Alabama's 12 National Championships so Brandon has graciously offered his time to help hold the video camera and what not while they are interviewing. So I thought I would share the picture as Brandon is so excited about getting to meet these people...I do know one of them is Todd Bates a defensive captain from the 2004 team who is helping with the book so I do listen sometimes.
We took the boys to an old church up the street to try to capture a few pictures before the holiday season starts which also includes both their birthdays. So here is our attempt to get them both looking and smiling at the same time. The last picture is how the majority came out...Parkes is obsessed with Cash's head and has to touch or hug it all day long and poor Cash isn't usually thrilled by it.
Cash was a frog which was the same as Parkes his first Halloween. Cash tried a lollipop for the first time and loved it.
We carved the pumpkin this year exactly how Parkes drew it which made him very excited. Cash, however, was not a big fan of putting his hands inside the pumpkin. 
We went trick-or-treating with our neighbors...5 boys who I'm sure will get into all kinds of trouble growing up.
Cash is now 10 months and is quite the eater. We have Parkes who refuses to eat anything that isn't a carb or has any remote flavor. And then there's Cash who if I give him veggies that haven't been roasted, sauteed or cook in some way in seasonings he spits them out. He has been the last two weeks on all table food and is loving it. He had hamburger and mac-n-cheese the other day, but his favorites are baked sweet potato fries, baked potato and curry butternut squash soup....so different then Parkes. Here he is enjoying some veggies out of some soup.
And finally, this is how Parkes decided to sleep a few weeks ago. He cleared all his toys out of one drawer from his train table and put in his pillows and fell asleep. Hope you have a great week. We are getting our front porch put on so lots of fun construction going on over here.
Okay I just wanted to say how proud I am of Bush's integrity from his speech congratulating a man who has done nothing but trash him for a year. Also, curious about all the people I know in my life that say how bad the last eight years were exactly how the last eight years negatively affected them personally since Bush keep our country safe for all these years and has had to deal with some poor choices made prior to him and a much lower approval rated Democratic congress. Bush has gotten so much hate from Americans and to set up a transition team to help Obama especially with how he was greeted to the White House really shows what a classy guy he is. (sidenote....interesting that the Dow had its biggest drop post election ever today)
So all that rambling said I decided to post some pictures from the Ole Miss/Alabama game...another event that the outcome was not what I wanted. Brandon and I went on our way home from the beach with some friends and left all the kids behind with a babysitter for 10 hours for some fun tailgating and game watching. And I must add that Ole miss beat Alabama in all numbers except the score (of course that's the one that matters).
'
Okay so here are way more beach trip pictures then you probably ever cared to see. The sad thing is it's only about 1/8 the number of pictures I had taken. We had lots of fun after a few sleeping changes...we were suppose to have a 3 bedroom house and like last year I got a call a month prior saying we couldn't have it because it was in foreclosure so we got moved...unlike last year we got downsized to a 2 bedroom instead of upped to a 6 bedroom. They had a pull out couch that Brandon and I attempted the first night with great intentions that would then give Parkes and Cash the twin bedroom, but we could feel every spring and our head was a good foot below our feet so we decide to all share a room from then on out which can lead to some sleeplessness which has now continued with Cash since we got home....hopefully it will pass soon.
Parkes, Jay and Cash all very much enjoyed the beach this year spending hours digging, building and eating (Cash) the sand.
Parkes and Jay playing with the fish Jon and Brandon caught. They enjoyed fishing with their daddies....if I was better organized I'd put all the fishing pics together but I'm trying to get out the door to a much needed girl's night so you'll have to scroll down to see the other one).
The pool was a big hit with the kids and adults for some late afternoon wind down from the day.
We went to a local playground on a cloudy day for the boys to run around.
We enjoyed the zoo again this year.
And finally the tent Laura brought...that did look much bigger on the box, but when we got it put together was pretty small and blew away quickly. The boys did enjoy playing in it for a few minutes though.
