Post Holiday

Now that the holidays have come and gone it's time to get back to normal. The tree came down and the the living room just looks like a normal, not-at-all-festive living room again. Now to get on with getting through winter...Why can't spring start on January 1st?

A few post holiday pics....

J and E were best buds in St. Joe. Here they are on the couch. E's playing his DS and J is just content to watch.

The plane ride home, which by-the-way was much better than the plane ride there.

Em got a kitchen for Christmas and she's enjoying it in her special Em way.

Christmas!

We made it through the whirlwind that was Christmas!

Got our family picture taken at Northview after the Christmas Eve service.

Em loves to touch the ornaments on the trees.

On Christmas morning J woke us up and we let him open his presents from Santa.

Part two happened when Em woke up and opened her presents.

She spent the day all dressed up in her beautiful Christmas dress. She looked so pretty!

After we ate a big Christmas breakfast we went a spent some time with a senior citizen in our community who didn't have any family in town. She was such a great lady and we hope to continue to visit and help her.

Em's cousins got this cute inflatable table and chairs and Em really loved sitting on it. She's ready for tea parties!

The next day we headed back to our hometown to visit with my family. We got to meet my sister's new puppy, Bella. Em was enamoured with this puppy. She threw a fit the first time it left the room! Maybe she liked that it was a baby like her.

All the cousins (sans cousin E). J has a ball when he gets to go back to St. Jo and play with this group of cousins.

J wanted this piece to add to his Thomas the Tank Engine collection and it was the last thing he got! He was so excited and played with it the rest of the night.

Em got an adorable new outfit so we had to try it on and take some pictures.

It was a great Christmas 2008!

Happy New Year, everyone!

A Birthday Party for Jesus.

The Well had our second annual Birthday Party for Jesus and we kicked it off with some Christmas carols.

Next the kids enacted the Christmas Story. In case it's not evident, J is Joseph, E is Mary and baby S is the angel (she also appeared as a star later in the story.) So here's where Mary and Joseph find out their having a baby.

Here's Mary looking rather great with child.Mary had to take the long journey to Bethlehem on a rather silly donkey. She giggled the whole way.

After the kids had enacted the story they presented the baby Jesus (in the bright blue manger) with gifts that they chose to give to boys and girls in need.
It was a fun night....

Obviously.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Just a cute pic of Em all bundled up for a ride in the car.

Cookies!

We had our annual cookie baking day with Sandy and Jenni and this year the kiddos got involved. It was really fun to have them join in on the holiday fun.

We started the day off with another tradition, albeit a new one...Gam and Papaw's Christmas pic with the grandkids. All the kids wore matching outfits...cute.

After the group pic I thought I might be able to get a pic of my two in their matching duds...Not really. This is the best we could do...
It was on to the baking marathon. The twins and J loved being a part of the cookie decorating.

Here's a live clip of the fun...

As if that wasn't enough baking, the next evening I did it again to make treats for my coworkers as a way to say "thanks! I appreciate you!" I thought that these cookies turned out really cute, but they were so much work!

I really do love baking, especially when it's for someone I love, but these two days wore me out! I'll be happy to not bake for a long time!

Merry Christmas!! (4 days to go!)

J's Christmas Program video...as promised

Here is a short video of J in his Christmas program. He did so great, we are proud of him. He seems to be right at home in front of an audience!

Sorry that the video is kind of small, I had to take it on my digital camera because we forgot to charge to big camera...oops.

Holiday Cheer!

Here's a glimps at the holiday cheer we've been experiencing lately...

This is the first year that J and I made a gingerbread house. Here it is assembled but not decorated...Ta Da!

J had is school Christmas program (a video to follow soon I hope.) He played the donkey although he looked a little more like a dog.

The kids did songs with sign language and J was so good at the signing and singing...he was right by the microphone so I could hear his sweet voice.

Daddy and Em with her new signature picture face.

Mommy and J.
A handsome boy indeed!

Happy Holidays, everyone!

This is what happens lately when you tell her to "say cheese!"Too cute.

O Christmas Tree!

I love, love, love having a Christmas tree up in my living room...if it were up to me it would be lit up 24/7, and we'd go broke from our electric bill. I never feel like it has enough lights though....

Our tree leans toward the whimsical side...a favorite with the kids. I have vivid memories of our family tree growing up and especially my grandma Whitten's tree (the most glorious Christmas tree a child could imagine. 2 words: Bubble Lights!) I have ornaments on my tree that were on her tree and our family tree. I cherish them! I hope my kids grow up loving our tree and remember it always!