Helping Daddy

Michael and Mary Ellen love helping...especially with Daddy!  So when Andrew asked for help changing the oil in our van, they were super excited.  Love to see them so excited about the smallest thing.  And definitely a photo-moment for this Mama to see all those legs poking out from under the van.  Love those little helpers!

Christmas Day Is Here!

Michael and Mary Ellen's presents!  I love to see them round the corner from the kitchen to see all their toys.  They were really into it this year...so much fun!

Michael playing with his new Thomas train track.

Mary Ellen with her new set of mega blocks.

Mary Ellen just had to try on her helmet and sit on her bike.  She was ready to go!  We couldn't get dressed fast enough to get outside and ride.

Daddy and Papa giving pointers and a little help when needed.  It was a rough adjustment from their big wheels.  The biggest obstacle was learning that when you pedal backward you break.  It was rough going and a little frustrating for them at first, but they weren't scared so Andrew and I thought it was a big win.

Michael and Daddy put his F16 model together and it quickly became Michael's favorite of the day.

They got these Mater teeth...they actually were lollipops...in their stocking.  It was great entertainment watching them eat it!

It was an all around fun day with lots of joy and excitement for my favorite 2 little people.  Oh, and Mama got a new smart-phone too...good work Daddy!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was extra special this year.  Papa and Mama Jo were here to enjoy the holiday with us.  We all got ready to go to church for the Candlelight Christmas Eve service.  Time for a few pictures in front of our tree at home.

At Church in front of one of the beautiful trees.

Up on stage for the children's time with Pastor Clay.  Yep, you guessed it only Mary Ellen went up.  Michael preferred staying on Daddy's lap.  Hard to believe they are old enough to go up for children's time...what happened to my little babies?!

Snuggle time waiting for the service to start!

Finally...back at home in our Christmas PJ's and ready to open some presents!

We have such generous friends.  Here M&M are opening presents from the Peyton's.  EmmaLee and Cody helped pay for them with their own money.  What great friends!

Opening presents from Uncle Jamie, Aunt Amy, Ryals, Pryce, and Brygs.  Can you tell Michael loves his flashlight?!!!

Now for the big gifts from Papa and Mama Jo...close your eyes!!!

WOW, our very own BB guns!  Yep, Mary Ellen's is pink!  What a fantastic surprise!  It was just like  A Christmas Story.  Hopefully they won't shoot their eye out, LOL!  They were so excited...thanks Papa and Mama Jo!

Kingdom Kids Christmas Program

The stage was set and the kids were ready to enter stage left.  We had been practicing for weeks singing all the songs and they were ready...well Mary Ellen was.  Michael was still refusing to sing anymore than just a few lines at home.  I found out later he was doing the same at school.  He told me after the program, "I just don't sing Mama".  What do you say to that?

Each class dressed up.  3B dressed as gingerbread men...aren't the aprons adorable?!  This was the only picture I have of Mary Ellen AND Michael on the stage.  After one song Michael walked down to his teacher on the front row and said, "Ms. Dawn I don't want to sing and I don't want to be a gingerbread man.  I'll just go sit with Mama"!  Although he did sit there with her he never went back up on stage...just not his thing I guess. 

Mary Ellen on the other hand was so excited to sing AND be on stage.  She sang every word to every song and smiled like a little angel (well OK I guess like a gingerbread man not an angel but you get the idea).  Her favorite song was Go Tell It On The Mountain, and my oh my was she ever cute singing it!

Michael getting his Christmas presents from Ms. Dawn.

Mary Ellen getting her Christmas presents from Ms. Kristina.

Now this was the part of the day that Michael could get into...the eating!!  There was so much yummy food afterward for lunch.  It was nice to all fellowship together.  I love Kingdom Kids and so do Michael and Mary Ellen!

Riverbanks Zoo Lights

We love the Zoo!  And it is beautiful at Christmas time.  We went one cold night with our friends the Peyton's to enjoy the lights at the Zoo, the animals (the ones that were out and about), some roasted marshmallows, and Santa Claus!  They had the snow machine going when we arrived and M&M did what they always do; try to catch the snowflakes on their tongue.  Unfortunately the flakes were not made of ice but soap, yuck.

This picture makes me laugh every time I see it.  Michael is waving and Mary Ellen is saluting...so funny!

EmmaLee and Mary Ellen by the jack-in-the-box lights.

All the boys; Andrew and Michael, Crys and Cody....waiting for the girls of course!

The lions were sleeping but we could still see them.

All 4 cute friends;  EmmaLee, Mary Ellen, Michael and Cody.

This was only the second time M&M have braved Santa Claus.  The first time was when they were one and Mary Ellen cried and cried.  They were shy but did a great job this time.

All 4 Thornes with Santa!

Jingle Jam with the Fam

Jingle Jam with the Fam was a super fun night at our church just for families.  What a great way to get in the Christmas spirit!  We sang songs and danced (Mary Ellen's favorite), heard the Christmas story told, did some fun crafts, decorated gingerbread men (Michael's favorite), and took silly pictures. 

Mary Ellen needed no coaxing to be up front when all the singing was happening.  She loves to sing and dance...and apparently be on stage! 

Michael's favorite was decorating and eating the gingerbread men.  That boy loves his food!

Cute little Mary and Joseph.  Fun night for all 4 Thornes to be together and have some Christmas fun!

Hunting with Papa

Seeing this picture just squeezes my heart.  Michael looked so big that afternoon in his orange vest going out scouting with Papa.  Of course, Michael thought he was going "hunting" and was really just excited to go anywhere with Papa by himself.  And he LOVED the orange vest!  He had just returned when I snapped this picture and I had a flash of how his teenage years were going to be.  I continually feel blessed that we live close enough now so that M&M can create these memories with their grandparents!

Fantasy of Lights

Mary Ellen's Dance class was asked to perform at Swan Lake's Fantasy of Lights this year.  She was so excited to wear her Christmas colors and ballet shoes and show everyone what she's learned this year.  It was cold night but we walked to the performance area and took in all the beautiful lights on the way.

She did a great job as usual...watching Ms. Jill down front like a hawk to make sure she got everything right.  I must say it is quite entertaining to watch 3 and 4 year olds dance.  Sometimes they are cute as can be and then they get distracted and just stop, lol!  The songs and routines were cute though, and the crowd seemed to enjoy it.  So proud of my little girl!

M&M loved the lights and wanted to have a picture by Santa in the JD tractor!  All-in-all it was a great way to spend an evening together as a family to get us into the Christmas spirit!

Christmas Projects and Baking

Pinterest has been the death of me...in a good way!  There are way too many amazing ideas and too little time to do all of them, especially during Christmas time.  The first idea I got from Pinterest for Christmas was this ruffle tree skirt.  I added the "Peacock Tree" in the dining room this year and needed a chocolate brown skirt for it...this was PERFECT! 

This was our second year doing an advent calendar.  M&M love it.  I also got this idea off Pinterest.  But instead of the throw away version using brown craft paper, I thought I'd sew the stockings using white felt and lots of red and green ribbons and buttons.  This took way more time than I thought but I'll have it to use again next year.  It was fun doing all the ribbon and button embelishments...fabric glue was my saving grace and glitter glue for the numbers!

These cute shirts for the kids were just pictures on Pinterest so I had to try and recreate it the best I could.  Michael's was a cute snowman face and Mary Ellen's a ribbon Christmas tree.  They wore them for our BCG Christmas party and on Christmas day.

 The idea below was from my super talented friend Mandy.  All the families at our church made one during "Jingle Jam with the Fam".  What a precious idea and super cute for all year long once I framed it.  All 4 Thorne's hands as a perfect reminder of this Christmas.

I wanted to make some special gifts for all the ladies at my MOPS table this year.  They turned out to be great gifts for family too.  Big and small candy-cane-chocolate-heart pops and Crockpot Apple Butter.  I used to can every Christmas before M&M.  Forgot how much I love to do it.  This Apple Butter is super yummy and made the whole house smell AMAZING!

BAKING

We wanted to give some treats to our neighbors this year and have some for when family visits.  So M&M helped me spend one full day (and part of the next) baking.  They were such great little helpers...and tasters!

Peppermint Snap Kisses...we also made Chocolate Snap Kisses using red M&M's.

Peppermint Brownie Cookies...YUM!!

Gingerbread Men...M&M decorated all the ones for our neighbors!

We loved Reindeer this year and found a few really cute ideas.  The most amazing are these Reindeer gingerbread cookies...just turn the gingerbread man upside down...why didn't I think of that?!

These reindeer cupcakes were so adorable I made them twice!  The first for our BCG Christmas party and then again for M&M's school Christmas program.

This Christmas was so super busy.  I'm determined next year to slow things up a bit and ENJOY more time with just our family.  I haven't figured out yet how that's going to happen...but I'm determined to try!  I have so many things I want to do and this ideal in my head of what needs to happen.  I'm afraid trying to reach that ideal may threaten to take me OUT one of these days.  I so want M&M to remember the LOVE and not the PROJECTS.  I must say that seeing them joyful and excited has become my new addiction!  Maybe God can show me how make them and me joyful...can't wait for Christmas next year!