Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve finally arrived and I don't think I've seen Michael and Mary Ellen so excited!  We all were!  It was so nice to be in our new home, to have hosted a few parties and some family, and been able to enjoy the fullness of the holiday.  Papa and Mama Jo were in town and so we all enjoyed watching "The Christmas Story" together, eating a yummy lasagna supper, and then headed out to our Christmas Eve service at church.  It was a beautiful service and I was reminded again how blessed we are to have ADBC as our church family! 

When we got home from church we got M&M into their Christmas PJ's and they were able to open their last little bag on their advent calendar.  I got this great idea for an advent calendar from a friend...yes, all my good ideas are stolen ones...to have little bags with numbers on them to count down to Christmas.  We strung it along the big window by the breakfast table so they were able to see it everyday.  I really do think it helped with their counting and number recognition too.  They loved it and I really miss it now that Christmas is over.  It provided the extra bonus of being a good bribe to finish their meals!  Then we settled down to read the Christmas story...the REAL one...before bed.  We have several Christmas books; "J is for Jesus", "The Three Miracles", " The Tale of Three Trees", and "Nighty Night Baby Jesus" are just a few of our favorites. M&M have always loved books.  But for Christmas Eve Andrew and I took turns reading from Luke.  They have now heard the story of Jesus' birth many times and I hope they really understand what Christmas means.

It was late.  But now our work was just beginning.  We got everything wrapped, stockings filled, and toys displayed just so; anticipating seeing the joy and excitement on their faces.  We were not disappointed...

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

I guess I jumped ahead with the "snow" post and skipped right over Christmas.  This was a busy and hectic Christmas.  I was reminded several times about that Christmas two years ago in Bahrain when it was just us in the Middle East, no family and few friends.  I knew at the time I'd one day look back longingly at that quiet Christmas. Although busy, this year was an exciting and joyous one as well.  I was able for the first time in 3 years to really decorate for Christmas with all our own decorations, that had been in storage when we were overseas and then building our house.  It thrilled me to be able to decorate our beautiful new house just like I wanted.  But it was also exhausting!  And I admittedly went a little overboard.

I was finally able to do a tree of just my stained glass stars and crosses.  It was a beautiful crystal clear and white tree.  I wish I could have gotten a better picture of it.  This one just doesn't do it justice.

This is my favorite Nativity.  I collect them and have about 4 or 5.  M&M also have one for their room that is a miniature porcelain set.  I was quickly aware that I was having to say "don't touch" way too much and was sad that there wasn't any of our decorations that they could play with.  So we got them a little people Nativity set that was the best purchase of the season.  It was set up in their room on a shelf they could reach.  They loved it and played with it everyday!

This was our big tree in the living room.  It's a 9 foot tree and fits perfectly in that corner by the fireplace.

Michael and Mary Ellen even had a tree in their room!  Colored lights, pink and green ornaments, and all the twin ornaments they got after they were born.  They loved it!

So, yes I got carried away with decorating and yes, it was a lot of work.  But to see how much joy it brought to our family it was worth it.  M&M really understood this year that we were celebrating Jesus' Birthday and we were all very thankful to be together to share it!

Christmas Snow!

Well, OK it was actually the day after Christmas.  But what a treat for South Carolina to get snow so early!  The picture of our house above was when we woke up that morning.  That was the most that ever accumulated on the ground.  Although it snowed all day, very little stuck.  It was beautiful to watch!

Michael and Mary Ellen really were content for most of the day to just watch it snow.  They were still most excited about all their new toys and wanted to keep playing inside.  I did suggest mid-day that we go outside and play, so we bundled up and headed out.

Here they are displaying their snowballs.  They thought it was great to make and throw them.  Mary Ellen wanted to make a snowman but alas, not nearly enough snow for that.  Her favorite part was eating her snowballs...don't know where she got that from.  Michael just loved throwing them.

Beautiful snowfall all day long, just this heavy.  Lovely to watch and what a treat to have a white Christmas!

Oaks, Maples, and Broke Toes...Oh My!

The week before Christmas we had 14, yep that's right 14, trees delivered.  I'm not talking little 4 foot things you can get at Lowe's.  These were 15 to 20 foot 200 to 300 lb trees.  Five Natchez White Crepe Myrtles, 4 River Birch, One Laurel Oak and 4 Maples.  They are all beautiful trees that we got a GREAT deal on from a tree farm in Columbia.  But they arrived the day before we were to have 20 people over to our house for a Christmas party, it was COLD, and it was raining cats and dogs.  Yes, a recipe for disaster!  The tree guy delivered them in a car-type trailer that had pull out ramps.  So they (the tree guy, Andrew and Andrew's Daddy) were rolling the trees down the ramp into place around the property.  About 6 trees in, the ramp fell off the trailer with a tree on top of it as they were rolling it down...right on Andrew's foot.  Believe it or not, they finished unloading the trees.  Then we went to the emergency room.  Big toe broken.  I was a little relieved it wasn't worse.  Andrew has broken a toe before so to him it wasn't that big a deal although it looked horrible.  So the next day he was out in the freezing rain putting those trees in the ground.  Now that's dedication!

Cinnamon Ornaments

I love to do craft projects.  I love to do craft projects with Michael and Mary Ellen.  But I especially love to do craft projects with M&M that they can actually do.  This was definitely a winner!

The recipe is super simple; a cup of applesauce and a cup of cinnamon, roll it out and cut into fun Christmas shapes.

Not only did they help roll out the dough...

But they chose what cookie cutters they wanted and were able to cut them out too!

They were so proud when they saw how many they cut out.

They loved to watch them in the oven...just at their eye-level.  The ornaments take a few hours at a very low temp in the oven so they watched them off and on.  The best part was the AMAZING smell.  Perfect Christmas activity for a cold winter day!

My Little Owl n Puppy

My friend Jen Wood  http://www.etsy.com/shop/jenniferwood917  made these adorable crochet hats for Michael and Mary Ellen.  When they first got them, I swear they must have worn them around the house for  2 days straight.  It is always a special day when they get to wear them out.  Took these cute pictures in the back yard when we were playing one COLD afternoon.  Mary Ellen's is a sleeping owl and Michael's is a puppy dog.  Super cute...thanks Jen!

A Four-Wheeling Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving again this year in Laurens.  Uncle Jamie's family generously hosted all of us again and it has now really become the 4 wheeling Thanksgiving.  That's all the kids want to do...and eat!

Pryce, Mary Ellen and Brygs playing around in the kitchen while waiting to eat.  The last one is so cute...Mary Ellen getting kisses after she bumped her head on the counter above.

Daddy giving M&M a ride on the big 4-wheeler.  These things always freak me out a bit.  Maybe I've read (and known) of too many accidents on these things that end horribly.  Of course, I trust Andrew and he is always very safe.  And Michael and Mary Ellen could stay on it all day!

Beautiful farm.  Beautiful fall day.  Couldn't ask for a better Thanksgiving.

Andrew giving Ryals and Michael a turn.

This little John Deere was the most favorite because they learned how to do it all by themselves.  The best thing was that you could lock the wheel to one side and they just did big loops the whole time.  Contained them a bit.  They still seemed to love it every bit as much.  Micheal was so funny how he was reclined way back with his gun in his hand...Joe cool!