Civil War Ironclad

We decided to take a history field trip on our way from Mississippi to Texas.  We've started studying the Civil War, and while we are not to Vicksburg yet, I thought going and seeing some of the exhibits there would give the girls a good picture to have in mind when we do get to it.
The first big monument we came to was the Illinois Monument.  This commemorates the troops from Illinois that participated in the campaign and seige to take Vicksburg.  It is a pretty awesome open-air building.

What I really wanted the girls to see in Vicksburg was the Union Ironclad that was salvaged and refurbished at the park.  It's hard to picture the size and mechanics of these ships without seeing one I think.  The kids tend to think of ships like the ones we have now, so an ironclad is a strange shape to them.  We got to talk about why the armies started making ironclads, how they fought against each other, and how they worked on the inside.  It is always better to stand in the ship than to just talk about it!

There is also a nice little museum there with all the things that they brought up along with the ship.  They have models of what the ship would have looked like too.

We also got to watch an interactive exhibit what showed what happened as the Union armies took the surrounding forts and towns then laid seige to Vicksburg.  I love boards like this one!  It is so helpful to see the lights telling you which army is where, how and when they moved, and when fighting broke out.  There were also exhibits showing what some of the dug-out shelters in the bluffs looked like and had inside.  It was very much worth the stop!

Texas Christmas

We drove to Texas for our second Christmas.  Jason's parents live in Tyler, Texas, so this rounds out our Southern Christmas.  :)   We made the girls wait a bit after we got there until we could open presents.  Lyla was the only one beginning to pester people about it.  But I think everyone was excited to see people open presents.  Again, it never lasts long but it is so fun to give and get gifts!  Sometimes you just never know what you may get.  And I found out that just because a box looks new and unopened doesn't mean that the picture is actually what is in the box.  

Jason's uncle, aunt, cousin, and his family came over one evening to visit.  The girls so enjoy playing with more cousins!  And while the littlest cousin couldn't quite keep up with the big girls, we all enjoyed hearing her say sweet things like, "I no no?!" - translated "I don't know"

We got to go to church on Sunday at Monty and Pop's church.

Celee got to amaze everyone with her dismembered finger trick. (Thanks Uncle Jerry)

And all the girls got to go out to eat and shopping one afternoon.  I haven't done that in a looooong time.  I don't really enjoy shopping and rarely have the purpose to do it, but it was fun hitting the sales!

Lyla was VERY determined to use some of her Christmas money to go to Build a Bear.  She was so determined in fact that she got in trouble pestering us all about it and had to sit in the car with me at one store.  But finally her Build-a-Bear dreams were realized!  They didn't have the specific animal she originally wanted to "make."  But she settled on a normal bear, as long as he could have slippers.

Later the girls tried on some very high heels.  I don't think Lyla needs these extra four inches.

I also got to eat out at Clear Springs, which has super yummy fried pickles and catfish.  Oh yes!!  Again, not something I get to eat often, but oh when I do it's so good!

It was a wonderful Southern (Texas-specific) Christmas!

Mississippi Christmas

We spent the first leg of our Christmas travels in Mississippi with my parents.  We stayed at my Aunt Gale's house on the way down then one to Decatur.  I had forgotten in the business of life at home that I bought a gingerbread village kit for the girls.  We brought it with us though and they made their village at Mimi and Papaw's house.  They each got to make a house and Jason made one too.  The icing wasn't getting hard very fast though so some of the walls or rooves kept caving in.  After they all finished they decided to have a dropping contest.  Everyone held their house about 2 inches off the counter and dropped them to see whose house would survive the drop.  Then the survivors would raise theirs up higher and drop.  Then again higher and higher.  Finally Jason's house was the last standing (of course), but Lyla took care of that quick.  So I'm glad I got a picture of the finished products because they didn't last long.  The pile stayed on the counter for about a day because the girls insisted they were going to eat it.  But they didn't, so the pile of gingerbread rubble went the way of the trashcan.

The girls played a lot of games with Mimi and Gale, then Mimi broke out the dominoes.  This is a good one because Lyla can play on her own in dominoes.  

The girls all took their turns being Papaw's kitchen helper.  Gwyn of course loves this.  Celee is ok with it.  I think she just enjoys having the one-on-one attention but could care less about the actual cooking.  Lyla loves it because she feels like a "big girl" getting to help make things in the kitchen that we are actually going to eat.  

We also got to get together with some of my friends from school.  I so look forward to seeing these ladies each time we come home!  I love that our kids look forward to playing together.  I love that we all just fall back in talking just like we always have.  It's great to have friends who knew you before adulthood and still love you!

We also got to spend Christmas Eve with family in Jackson.  Christine and Jerry, Tommy and Kristie, Jennifer, Ryan, Paige, and Jeffery were all there. There's always so much to talk about and there's never enough time!  But we are super glad for this Mississippi Christmas tradition! 

Christmas morning the girls didn't get up too early - 7:30 is a good wake-up time for Chirstmas morning.  They went straight for the stockings while everyone else woke up and took care of the dogs.  We did remember the stockings this year.  

Then it was time for the presents!  The girls all took turns handing out presents to everyone.  They'd hand one to someone and then open one themselves.   

I actually got Jason a gift he couldn't figure out.  Success!  I love to get him the things he puts on his wishlist, but I also love to surprise him each year.
 He still couldn't figure it out after he saw where it was shipped from.  And he needed the girls' help to get it out of the box.  It was a portable fisbee golf basket with disks.  Woohoo!  Now we can frisbee golf it up anywhere!

The girls didn't ask for a whole lot this year - and Celee got the few things she asked for for her birthday, so we had to get creative with the gifts.  I knew Lyla needed something kinetic though!  So we got her a pogo ball.  It's almost like the one I had when I was little, but it has a handle on a bungee cord attached to it.  Jump as much as you like Lyla!








As always, the present-opening did not last very long.  Then it got really quiet because Gwyn and Celee were reading books they got.  Lyla went to start putting together a Lego set she received.  And the adults set about fixing breakfast.

Gwyn and Celee joined in the Lego building soon.  You can never have too many Legos or book should be our family motto.

Celee got a game called Lego Fusion were you build Lego creations and take pictures of them with the ipad.  Then the game puts your creation into a virtual world - kind of like AnimalJam except for Lego friends.  I must say it's pretty cool.

We took the frisbee golf basket out into the yard and practiced a bit from different spots.  Jason is demonstrating his "putting."  And Nicholas (the dog) was trying to play too.  

We got to see family and good friends, relax, eat, and play.  We went to a wonderful Christmas Eve service at Pinelake and had a birthday party for Jesus.  I'm so thankful for the time and ability to come home for Christmas.  We wouldn't know what to do with ourselves if we stayed home!