What a week it has been! Last Friday we made the drive to St. Louis to spend the Christmas weekend with Rebekah's family. As you can see from the pictures, Sydney and Abigail were visited by Santa, and all Sydney wanted to do was eat his beard. It sure was nice to have so many hands to hold the girls--Grandma Gin was always willing to take care of Sydney and Abigail. She seems to have a knack for keeping them happy. Aunt Miranda had plenty of time with the girls (to hold, feed, change, bounce, and wrap them in Christmas paper) after not seeing them since October. And Papa Mike and Gramma Deanie were more than willing to allow Rebekah and me a few hours away from the girls on Saturday and Monday afternoon. We were back in Nashville on Wednesday night for Christmas with Brad's family. As depicted by the doubled-over Grandma, the picture time with Grandma and Grandpa with their grand and great-grandkids was a good time. All in all, it has been a great, although busy, holiday season with some great quality time with family.

Although it blew past us, I should not forget to mention that Rebekah and I celebrated 5 years of marriage on Thursday, the 29th! If the depth of our love for each other grows as much in the next five years as it has in the past five, I'll need to ask for SCUBA gear for Christmas. Love you, baby.

Merry Christmas, everyone! Sydney and Abigail's first Christmas is shaping up very nicely--we woke this morning to an inch or so of snow on the ground in St. Louis! First Christmas for the girls is a white one! Church was good this morning and the girls were, of course, a hit, and the turkey is smelling wonderful.

We will provide plenty of Christmas pictures of our family in the future...I wanted to update everyone on the girls' latest check up with Dr. Mallard on Friday. The good news is that the girls are growing as they should and are not far off of average for length and weight for 6 month olds. Bad news? No, there is not any bad news--just that the next round of shots may have given Sydney a bit of a fever, and she has recovered wonderfully. Tylenol drops did the trick to keep the fever down. Sydney was 16 pounds, 25 1/4 inches long and Abigail was 16 pounds, 5 ounces, and 25 3/4 inches long. The appointment went very well for Rebekah, who had to fly solo this time. She really is an amazing woman to be able to keep up with all of the details and be such a great mama at the same time. Thanks, sweets--I love you.

Sydney (in hot pink) and Abigail (in light pink) say "VEGETABLES ARE GOOD!" Sorry Aunt Amy, it looks like the girls actually like green beans--unlike you. Abigail has found that saying "Bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb" with her lips while being fed creates a shower of green stuff that is a whole lot of fun--as you can see in the top picture. The real food feedings seem to be getting smoother with each spoonful. The girls have also received a lesson in electricity this week--by getting a dose of the static variety almost every time we touch them. Such is life. We hope you have a very Merry and blessed Christmas!

When Rebekah and I have a chance to sit and reflect on the past week, we always comment on how time truly flies. This past week was filled with shopping and Christmas parties, business trips and busy work, new foods for the girls-vegetables-and, of course, the daily grind. In the meantime, Sydney and Abigail never fail to surprise us and get our attention. Each of the girls is talking more--not full sentences yet, but more vocal every day. Their legs seem much stronger than just a week ago, and they can now enjoy the jump-chair--modeled by the lovely, dancing Abigail in the above pictures. And the frequency of smiles have increased--come to think of it the whining has increased as well, but that is all part of them telling us what they want. Right now the "talking" means that it is time to eat--again...

Obviously, Abigail and Sydney are not old enough to understand Christmas, but Rebekah and I are enjoying the season with them. These pictures are a result of Rebekah and me trying to capture the girls' smiles as they sport one of their Christmas outfits. The smiling thing is going to have to come, again, when they understand what smiling is and can perform on cue. "Catching" both girls in the act right now may be impossible; this will happen in time. I keep trying to tell myself to not look forward to tomorrow/the future, but to enjoy the girls as they are today. Example: Michael and Heather Blankenship had their twin boys, Ben and Drew, who are 7 weeks old at church today--everyone is looking good--but I was thinking that I don't really remember those days when the girls were less than 5 pounds and slept most of the time. Yet I see Drew Blackston, son of Stacy and Andy, today and look forward to seeing what our girls will look like or what they will be interested in at 2 1/2 years old. After a three-day, out of town trip this past week, I was glad to be home and discovered that my daughters had grown! Not in ways that can be explained, but their personalities and mannerisms were just more grown up! I am glad that Rebekah was and will be with them every step of the way, so that we as parents will miss as little as possible.

Rice cereal! Abigail and Sydney are venturing into big people food, and it's taking some time for them to warm up to it. Their first experience (last night on their 5 month birthday) was short lived and we are still cleaning up bits of cereal in the kitchen. Rebekah said that they have taken to the cereal and have eaten more during each feeding today. We don't know if it is coincidence or not but after eating cereal and a bottle last night, the girls slept through the night--something that I've been looking forward to for a long time. Rebekah had to get up with the girls twice last night and only breifly to reassure them. Let's hope tonight is even better.

A big happy birthday to the girls and to Rebekah! My lovely wife turned 28 yesterday and has been celebrating for about a week--Runcie style last weekend, with the Glisson/Speake family on Monday, and with me and the girls last night. How time can fly and life can change. Last year, Rebekah was turning another year older, eating dinner at the Melting Pot with friends, still enjoying the memories of a recent trip to Europe--and unbenownst to Fertile Myrtle--PREGNANT! Congratulations, sweets, on living through the past year with such grace and for the anticipation of another wonderful year.