Christmas Came and Went!

(Warning this may be a rambly one:)

I suppose that does seem to happen every year, doesn't it?

Our first Christmas in this house, and the season truly flew. 

 We started Christmas morning with daddy reading from Luke 2. We have always made a point to start the day this way.

 And we really try to keep it fairly modest. This year, each kid had 6 presents to open: one "main" new toy, a DS game, books, then 3 other smaller gifts. It's always hard to not feel like I want to do "more" really just for the sake of the opening process. But I have learned when it comes down to it, I do think that keeping it simple is the best way to go for everyone :)

We painted the wood paneling in the den right before Thanksgiving and you may have noticed I still haven't finished the bookshelves. So I have about 5 unfinished projects going on in this house right now... don't judge ;-)

Also, can I just say if you haven't learned this lesson already, never buy a pre-lit tree. They are horrible, the lights go out and can't be fixed. This was only our 2nd year with this tree and I added like 4 strands of lights before I finally just gave up. Next year I'm taking the wire cutters to that bad boy. It's no wonder it went down this year in record breaking time!

 Look at that pitiful face. We got the bug Christmas Eve. We missed church, but were kind enough to show up at families house just in time for the vomiting to commence. It was lovely and I'm sure much appreciated... We took part in an event as a family the Saturday before Christmas and grabbed some Chik-fil-A on the way home. As Ryan and I finished eating and the kids pleaded to go into the play area, my mommy guilt took over. I always say no, usually due to time constraint. So I was feeling bad and thought I just needed this time to say yes. As they were in there I said to hubby "You know we have held off on the stomach bug this long, you know they are going to go in there, and get it just in time for Christmas". I'm thinking of offering my fortune telling services for a small fee... or I suppose I could just chalk it up to good ol' Murphy's Law. (After Bennett got it later, he told me as he watched the Mucinex commercial with that delightful animated snot monster, he thought that was what was in his tummy, LOL, that kid...)
 We were totally selfish and graced the family with our presence Christmas Day as we were in between children being sick. I actually think Sadie was still feeling worse than we realized at the time, as you may be able to tell from the pics! I didn't get pics of Christmas morning present opening at home because I guess I have lost my multi-camera (video and photo) multi-tasking skill. So we have video this year from that and pics from Chrsitmas at the Braithwait's.

 HG and Gigi.

 All the littles and Gigi-- clearly in "ah" of "say Christmas"... Why do we always think that works?!? Haha ;-)

 Everyone plus stink pot post random melt down.

 The ladies. I smiled weird in every pic taken that day. Not sure what that was about...

 Slightly less than successful, in my book ;-)

 Waiting patiently for the present opening to begin!

 A guitar to learn with daddy! Yay!!

We have officially inherited the keys to the Zhu Zhu Kingdom. 

 It's a pirate's life for this boy!

 My favorite little man in the world!

 Oh so stlyin' sporting their head bands from Gigi ;-) I've never seen such cute little messes!

 I believe her exact words on opening this one were 

"Noooo WAY!!!"

 My squirt!

We have an eight passenger vehicle and this is how I rode home. Yeah....Fortunate kiddOs, grandparents don't have to follow the modest rule. ;-)  Spoiled by both sets of grandparents and family!

Wow! What a wonderful Christmas, despite sickness, and backing out of a lot of Christmas parties because I was feeling strangely overwhelmed this year. God's goodness is undeniable year round, but celebrating His goodness in this season never gets old. 

I felt slightly bad, we had tried so hard to not focus on gifts with our kids (you can read about our decision to not do Santa here), that I feel we actually did them a slight disservice. A few days before Christmas, we were wrapping family gifts and the kids actually brought up that mommy and daddy didn't get them any gifts, did they? And Christmas Eve, it was like they didn't even know to be excited about waking up on Christmas morning to a pile of presents just for them!!! I am glad they know Christmas is not "about getting presents" and yet, I want them to know it is OKAY to be excited about gifts!!! It is special!! Because we have gotten the most EXCITING gift of all. And from that Gift abundance of blessings flow. 

This was a yet another Christmas of abundant blessings from the Ultimate Giver. 

I pray we celebrate that well on Christmas Day and every other day between!

Chock Full

Here I am cramming the last few weeks of stuff in a couple days before Christmas. I can't believe we are only days away! Where did this Christmas season go?!? It has been a good one so far! I have one other little thing to share on here by Christmas, but other than that this pretty much covers all the Christmas-y fun from the last couple weeks so brace yourselves.

Happened to have my camera by me when a Saturday morning wrestle match broke out, and I ended up with these cute pics of the girls...

Love.

We visited the Alpine Village again! Such a "magical" Christmas event for the littles.

 Music programs? Check! 

Hannah Grace didn't have anything for school, is that normal? I don't know, but she did take part in the kids number at the church music concert. Of course, I didn't realize until the week of, it was MY responsibility to make sure she knew the songs, ha! Woops :) Ah, well, she pulled it together okay  I think.

 And the preschool music program. Neither Sadie or Bennett were interested in doing the hand motions, ayay.

 We did our first Christmas cookie baking day! (Here you get to catch a glimpse into the unintentional demolition zone that is our kitchen- hopefully we will get it in shape after the holidays!)

 I need to get my grandfather (the baker)'s recipe for the frosting. Ryan did not approve of the taste-- it does have an initial funny taste on some of them? Hannah Grace can't eat them because I did make them with egg, and Sadie would pick candy over any other dessert any day (ugh) so it looks like me and Bennett are single handed-ly going to be polishing off these cookies!! So if I look pregnant next time you see me, I'm not... it's just the cookies ;-)

 The aftermath....

 The school girls class party. We love her sweet teacher!

 4 little reindeer....

And two angels, costumes completely homemade and from the mind of Hannah Grace...

 The next few days are pretty filled up with lots of fun, a little service, time with family (Great Grandma "Gigi"came in yesterday!!) and hopefully a good deal of worship!

When reading this the other day I felt it was such a fitting passage for the events of the last week, and the upcoming Christmas holiday, so I'll leave you with that!

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

[...]

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. [...]

 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

From the the 1st chapter of the Gospel of John. ESV

Merry Christmas!!