Bartlesville, Oklahoma: Checking out the AT&SF No.940

 On Christmas Eve we went up to Bartlesville (an hour north of Tulsa) to check out the steam engine they have on display.  They recently acquired and are refurbishing a caboose.  It was cold.  Cole did enjoy it a lot, but he didn't exactly complain when it was time to leave (the cold and his tummy yearning for the Chick-Fil-A he knew was coming helped make this easier)!  On the way home we counted oil pump-jacks!  We counted somewhere in the 40's from Bartlesville to Tulsa.

 What on earth do these things do? Steam engines are amazing. We need to look into this.

 How small he is compared to the wheels.

Merry Christmas!

 

Cole enjoyed Christmas this year.  He went to see Santa, left out cookies, and did all the big kid things having to do with Santa.  He got many things that were on his Christmas "list" and didn't whine about things that he didn't get.  He loves his new bugs, fish, trains, and all of his other toys. 
Cole went shopping with Daddy this year and Daddy got me some earrings (I was heart broken one had broken from the other set he got me a few years ago) and Cole picked out a dolphin necklace with a mommy dolphin and a Cole dolphin leaping side by side.  Very sweet and I will cherish it.

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!!!

Cole Visits Santa 2011

He was reserved, but he was marching through Bass Pro like it was a mission.  When he got to Santa he rattled off some things he wanted for Christmas.  Santa picked him up and he got a lot more quiet and Santa couldn't hear him.  It was quite adorable and funny.  We are just glad he wasn't terrified!  He wants big bugs, fish in a net, and fish in an aquarium.  Well, let's just say we will stick to the bugs and maybe some toy fish (not in a net).  We are sure he will be thrilled with his gifts regardless!

Christmas Comes to the Forte Home

Saturday we did a Christmas craft and put up the Christmas tree.  Cole enjoyed taking all the ornaments out and looking at them.  He enjoyed the carousel that used to be my grandmother's and plays Christmas music with animals moving up and down the most.  He also enjoyed our little collection of Snoopy ornaments.  He didn't want to wear the Santa hat too much, but he did insist upon putting it on himself without help (bottom left image).  We did a foam ornament of baby Jesus as a craft...hopefully we will do one or two more.  I printed out some fun activity packs with the Nativity, etc, so we will have fun doing those, too!  Hard to believe Christmas is a week and a half away!

Pop Pop and Grandma Visit!

 They read books.

 We ate Ted's and kept Cole busy wearing sunglasses.

 He liked to wear them like this.

 We played airplanes.

 Cole concentrated a lot on his planes.

 And played with Pop Pop.

 We opened presents.

 Cole got a quilted play mat roadway to play cars on.

Cole got a neat construction vehicle book.  He really loves the roadway blanket especially.  He plays with it all the time.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Photos

 I know we already posted a video, but here are some images of Christmas Eve/Day.  We made this pictures for each set of grandparents about a month ago.  I just wanted to share them here.

 Cole and I before church last night.

 Cole wanted me to open up his "vuh-vuhs" (Cars).

 Our handsome boy being silly.

 Our Christmas tree.

 Cole playing with one of his many gifts.

 New Vuh Vuhs!

 Harmonica

 One of his two web conferences.

 Putting together the wooden railroad with Daddy.

 "All Aboard"

 Who says these wooden railroads are just for trains?

 The Advent Calendar.  Lots of good chocolate.

Our first tree.  It died about a week after we got it and we had to redo the whole decorating process.  It's all good, though, because we like the 2nd one even better.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Cole got several trains and cars today.  He played with everything and he played hard.  He was exhausted by noon even though he slept in until almost 9.  Here is a snippet of him playing with his wooden train tracks and some new trains.  He started saying "All Aboard" and I had to catch it on video! Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

For those of you who didn't see Cole's Christmas portraits on my photography page I posted them here for Christmas Eve!  More photos to come tomorrow or Cole's first Christmas where he has some awareness!!  Merry Christmas, Everyone!!!