Christmas 3 and final! :)

Christmas pics, Laura with the spinny wheel thingee and her red hair predecessor.
Cole with Halo legos that we heard about forever!
Cole with Santa hat and a weird look, but I like the pic
Laura...not sure what she's screaming and finally Hannah proving that it doesn't matter what you give them (at least four year olds)...she's holding a brush and she HATES getting her hair brushed!

Christmas 2

Christmas Eve we went to Mary's to celebrate her bday and eat, scrumptious food, play fun game (Farkle), back at home we read the Christmas story, opened the traditional one present and scooted kiddies off to bed,. Well, one kiddie then we had two helpers. I think Laura enjoyed it. We didn't don our kerchief and cap until 2:00 am and of course the kids were up at 6:00, I'm proud to say we were right there with them.

I have no idea why we're hugging (maybe the Christmas pjs), but I love the picture :)

feigning sleep (can you see the giggles coming forth?)

They're ready for Christmas morning...bring it on (if only mommy and daddy were)

After Santa came...Hannah calls these the "set ups"

Santa doesn't wraps, but names are necessary, cause great goodness if he didn't

and I happen to know this little house gave Santa some trouble in more ways than one

Christmas 1

We pretty much failed on taking pics during the month of december

The Sunday before Christmas at my mom's

Christmas Eve in Florida...short sleeves and pillow pets from pa paw (that's mountainese for Grandpa/daddy).

and...Batting

talking over wood and planning to organize it all, we did that new year's day woohoo

running

biking

swinging



pa paw :)

Our cat snuggled up under the Christmas tree :)..I forgot he was there and was tossing presents on him. apparently he didn't mind.

More Christmas to come :) :) :)...where is the dislike button for uploading pics to blogger????

"If I ask you a question, will you tell me the truth?"

SPOILER ALERT: If children who can read are around, send them away.



So, it's reading time before bed. Hannah and I with a book on the couch, Brandon and Laura in the chair across the room. I'm pretty sure Hannah's reading to me, because her version of the story is so much better than the one in the book. I'm fairly certain I'm half way checking some kind of list in my head. Then something about the way Brandon's looking at Laura catches my attention...it's endearing, like they're having a moment...awww how sweet. I watch them for a bit then listen to Hannah nanna's story. At some point I hear Laura say, "And then you'll get me up after Hannah goes to sleep and I'll help?" I'm thinking this sounds awfully suspicious. I think I tune out the rest in denial. We wrap up reading time, put girls in bed and I look at Brandon like...What in the world just happened here ? As I'm telling Laura goodnight she informs me she knows the secret of Christmas and is going to help on Christmas eve. Again I look at Brandon like...What in the world just happened here?....I'm not this huge Santa fan..He's great, we love it on Christmas morning...the extra excitement, we certainly use the better watch out, better not pout song, but only once or twice. I love the premise (sp?) behind the whole deal, but being Santa is a lot work and no credit all the while you're pretty much telling "stories" to your kids.
When Cole came to us around the age of 5 or 6 and said Santa can't be real for about five reasons, we caved. Cole listens to all adult conversations and has the memory of a computer so I wasn't shocked. Laura's 8 and while that seems old (in Santa years for some, certainly at our house), Laura is just so innocent to me, she does not care about adult's conversations (not that that makes Cole uninnocent, there's just a difference).

I finally corner Brandon and ask how this happened. He said she started the conversation with....

"If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?"

...did he have another choice?..I don't think so. He carefully explained the spirit behind it and how "he's" real but not real. Apparently two girls at school were talking about it, one said he's real the other not. This is what public school gets ya ;). At least she came to us to clear it up as I hope she'll do with even more important gems she'll hear at school.

She can't wait until Christmas eve, Brandon said she continually repeated that sentiment.

So I've since wondered why this upset me so, not being the hugest Santa fan and all. I've come to the conclusion that it's such a part of childhood that symbolizes growing up. As you grow up there will often be questions of "how old were you when you found out", "how did you find out", and once you know, you know and there's no going back. It's hard having your kids grow up on you!

I'm excited she gets to help and while I wasn't part of the conversation to explain how this all works I will never, ever forget the sweetness and love as I watched Brandon talk to her.....it was magical.

More Christmas and fun

Cole, Zachary, Jackson, Jacob, Laura at Carm's

Laura and Emily at Mary's with puzzles from Miss Sonya

On the 29th we gathered with my dad and Carmen's family to celebrate Christmas. It's always good stuff it Carmen's cooking and I can't remember what she cooked right now, but you can bet it was good.

That night we celebrated Christmas with Mary, Brooke, Emily, Karis and Sonya! We ate such good food all day I thought I was going to pop. The older girls stayed after dinner to watch Mama Mia, love that music..the movie was just okay; while dad's put kids to bed.

This concluded our Christmas festivities finally. It was a good year, surrounded by family and friends, hope yours was the same.

Christmas day and more

Hannah got the inflated school bus from santa and she really did love it, didn't want to get out of it to open any other presents, but she also loved her craiglist sesame couch and crayons and coloring book. You guessed it...the bus is busted. She does enjoy the little couch and we'll repair the bus. She got a bus because she's always so excited when she sees one and Cole and Laura "get" to get on one so she got hers. She's such a sweetie!

Laura got the gotta go potty doll that she asked Santa for, but she was most excited about the easel because it's the biggest present she ever got. She loves to play school and she and Hannah have a good time with the easel. Laura was annoyed by the potty dolls incessant talking after five minutes.

This is the castle that took over three hours for Santa's elves to put together. He's had a great time with it. Plays with Laura and Brandon and would with me if I were more cooperative. Well it is in pieces now but he has Lego battles with all the pieces parts and people. Let me just say it's a lot of dough for teeny pieces of plastic that Hannah will eventually throw in the toilet. ;).

We've tried to be really good at teaching the children how you respond when you get a gift. This is Cole hugging Laura after getting a gift that he already had one of. I take the kids to the dollar store to get gifts for each other and us. Not ironically I suppose, it was after we did this, that the kids were most excited about Christmas...it is better to give than receive! This may be one of the few pics we have of them hugging, they love each other, but she is his little sister!

We had a big brunch, took naps. Later we went to my mom's and have fun with everyone. My brother Gary bought Guitar Hero and we played for the first time. It was fun. The we came home and collapsed. Another big day gone for the year. Time to start anticipating the next.

Christmas Eve

We had fun Christmas Eve. It was so warm we decided to wash the van..it needed it. The kids all got wet. Hannah loved it and washed one spot for twenty minutes. Pappaw came over later for dinner, Hannah adores her Pappaw.

Later Cole narrated the Christmas story as Brandon and Laura and doll reenacted it. The doll was baby Jesus for the rest of the night and even went caroling with us. The kids opened their Christmas pjs then we went over to the Tews for cookie decorating and caroling. This was our first time doing this and it was fun. Hannah loved handing out treat bags.

We got back home just in time to tuck the girls in bed before Santa came. After they were snoozing, the "all-knowing" Cole helped his dad with some Christmas magic. After he went to bed I helped his dad with some Christmas magic by putting together a 900 piece Lego castle, that was the bomb!! It's in pieces now possibly never to return. It was fun working together with Brandon as little elves though. Christmas is so much fun!

A shout out

to those who serve...
this is kind of cheesy, but I like the guys voice and the music behind it and of course the premise. Thanks to all of those serving our country, particularly if they're away from their families during Christmas. God speed! Our prayers and love are with you and yours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-JMePMCRhc

'Tis the season

to fret, to budget, to worry that the kids will like what they get - will they feel like they got enough? I don't want to be a debbie downer, but it would be so nice if so much commercialism and materialism weren't wrapped up in Christmas. I love the Spirit of Christmas, everyone's excited, more kind, more thoughtful, more giving. It seems that it would be more enjoyable if our customs leaned more toward tangible but not touchable acts of service. Instead of giving a gift from from one hand to another, we could create bonds through lending ourselves to one another.

I realize it's a pipe dream. I'm the world's worst of wanting to get one more present for the kids. But how would it be to live in a world where the homemade gift truly was enough? For the giver and receiver. That we were aware of the richness of having one another and the simple things in life. I believe that that Christmas is out there waiting for us, maybe not as a nation or culture, but maybe for a moment as a family. I hope that I can give my kids a piece of what I think that feels like; peaceful, grateful, loving, safe. So adored that a Father would give His Son that we might live this life to become more and then return home to be greater, even beyond our imaginations. A homemade gift that's tangible but not touchable, so real, but can't be wrapped. It's how Christmas started out to be and will be once again.

In the mean time I'll wake up early the day after Thanksgiving and help the economy, hoping to get some good finds for the kids. I'm already excited about decorating, the music, not sleeping on Christmas eve, all the fun parties, eating too many sweets. But! I do hope to reserve a few moments to slow down and experience the Christmas of my dreams and be extra grateful, peaceful, and sit in awe with the knowledge that I was adored enough for a Son to be born, His life to be lived in service and His death in suffering....what a gift to us all.