As we wrap up 2008, we decided to do some superlatives or "Best of 2008" and get our Opp Knockers to vote for the best picture.
Today we're going to start our superlatives with Funniest Picture.
We need your votes - below are the pictures that are up for the Superlative. Please use the poll on the right to actually vote for your favorite picture.
Be sure to check back frequently for more categories and more opportunities to vote.
The polls will close on January 5th and the winners will be announced!

1. Hayden at Christmas 2. Ice Ice Baby
3. Dolly

4. Go Speed Racer Go Go
5. Brent has Issues

6. Brent wants to be a Dog
7. Fiona is a Princess
8. Fletcher's going Tubing

9. Trains Make Caleb Happy

As 2009 is right around the corner I have been asked by my lovely wife (okay I begged her) to contribute to the Opportunity Knocked blog. I am taking this serious so I have given up my day job and I will devote all of my new spare time to writing to this blog. I am not sure how we will eat but that does not concern me. I just want to make sure that the Opportunity Knocked fan base is taken care of through this blog. I will take this first post to say if you follow our blog you are now considered an Opp Knocker! It is catchy but you need to take it serious. In our planning session we talked about bringing you opportunities to vote, make humorous comments and of course a chance for your voice to be heard on Becca's famous hot topic Tuesday! Opp Knockers 2009 will be a great one so be on the lookout!

Brent

Really... I love it. I love everything about Christmas, but this week finds me "mourning" Christmas. I get so excited about Christmas that once it's come and gone, I get a little sad sometimes. Not depression sad, but just sad that it's all over with and we have to wait 1 whole year for it to come again.
Christmas is full of wonderful memories for me and I am determined to keep them going as long as possible!
Brent and I were so fortunate to get to spend five days in Chattanooga for Christmas this year. It was really nice because we didn't have to rush from one family gathering to the next. Christmas Day has always been fully dedicated to my family - Brent has always graciously "given" me Christmas because he knows how special it is for me. We started the morning at 6:30 a.m. at my sister's house watching my niece and nephews open their presents from Santa. We left there around 9am and headed to my parents where we exchanged gifts with each other and spent the day eating, napping and eating some more. (Maybe THIS is why I like Christmas so much??)









The rest of the visit consisted of a few movies and of course family time with the Whitakers and a little shopping trip with my mom.

I made a cake for the Whitaker family for Christmas...





I also made a cake today for work for our end of the month celebrations...

After an eventful Saturday with the Whitaker family, the Christmas celebrations continued with the Thorntons. On Sunday we headed to my grandmother's house for the annual Thornton gathering. But oh, don't worry this won't be another boring post about a boring gathering because "Thorntons are GRRREAT," therefore we have GRRRREAT gatherings!

Step one: bring food, gather in separate rooms to eat and enjoy your food.

Step two: assign someone as the "entertainment director" for the day. This year, it was ME!

After eating dinner, my entire family gathered in the living room for some "friendly" competition including some Christmas carol trivia and anagrams. Once we finished the games, it was time to sing Christmas carols. And don't worry if you don't know the words, we have song books. Enough for the entire family! Once I distributed the song books, we sang a few songs as a family then proceeded to the best part EVER: Thornton family dirty Santa gift exchange. LOVE IT!

Once the gift giving and receiving was finished, (and believe me, no one went down without a fight for their favorite gift) the party wrapped up. My family is notorious for racing off from our get together and this year was no different; it's become quite comical actually.


Here are a few photos from the celebration:

This past weekend we packed up our fur babies and Christmas presents and headed to Chattanooga for the first of the family Christmas celebrations. Brent's sister, Brandi, hosted this year's celebration at their beautiful new home. Brent and I were the first to arrive at the Jackson household where we assisted the hosts prepare dinner and entertain our nephews. Having the entire Whitaker family make the 2 hour trek to Chattanooga was no small feat. In fact, it took weeks of planning on Brandi's part and numerous phone calls among the family to get this celebration off the ground.
Once the Alabama Whitaker's arrived to the Jackson house, we sat down to an amazing dinner then headed to the living room for entertainment and presents. Overall it was a wonderful and memorable Whitaker celebration!

Hayden REALLY liked his car that Ed gave him.

Brent and Aunt Cindy

Pop-Pop and Ti Ti working their "bells" (hand motion) with Hayden and Caleb

Jada, Grandma and Ed doing Karaoke

Caleb telling me "shhhh"

Brent intently watching Lucas open our gift.

Hayden's FINALLY letting me take his picture!

Karaoke with Unc

BB with the boys

"Alright stop, collaborate and listen. Ice is back with a brand new invention..." just kidding. I'm not going to have an entire post dedicated to Vanilla Ice, just regular ol' ice carved into some amazing things!

Thursday night we went to the Gaylord Opryland's ICE! with the Grinch. It was awesome!! Basically it's all these ice carvings in the shape of the Grinch Christmas characters. You start the tour with being provided these big blue coats. Why, you ask? Because it's only 8 DEGREES inside the exhibit. EIGHT DEGREES. and yes, for all my fellow southerners who have never experienced 8 degrees, IT IS COLD!! IT IS FREEZING. It is almost miserable but it only took us about 20 minutes to go through the entire exhibit.
Of course we went with our new Nashville buddies - Austin and Anne (that's Anne with an E for all you Green Gables fans). ha ha

I would have more from the night but my camera died. Originally I thought it was my batteries but then realized that my camera wasn't working because it was so cold - later I realized my batteries were too cold to work! Again...it was cold!


Here are a few photos...and remember, everything you see (besides us of course) is made of ice! It truly was incredible to see.



I'm not sure why we all felt "gangsta" but we did. I especially like Anne's version - she looks more like she's showing us her manicure than throwing up gang signs!



Ice...everything is made of ICE!!!



I was mostly impressed with how vivid all the colors were on everything! Check out the Christmas tree in the background!



Cute picture - totally regretted it later because EVERYTHING was ice, so I was sitting on ice waiting for the photo. Needless to say my rear end was freezing!!

Brent