'Twas the night before Christmas...

My aunt Carole had a Christmas Eve party for years and my dad always read the Night before Christmas to the children who were there. This was long before I had Mallory and Michael and now the party is no more. But thankfully Daddy has spent Christmas with us in Kentucky for the past three years and can now read to his own grandchildren. He always puts a lot in to it and makes it extra fun!

First Snows

We had a couple of nice dustings of snow last week. It wasn't much but the kids did get out and manage to get nice and cold and wet.

Christmas Sunday

We had a wonderful service today. The children did their Christmas specials, the adult choir sang beautifully and Paul gave an awesome Christmas message.

The kids did two songs with the bells...always a favorite.

Michael even had a letter during the Christmas alphabet. He said his line, N is for night when our savior was born, perfectly!

At home after the service.

The kids signed to another great song.

Michael and Mallory's special friends, Martha and Wesley.

First Present

We discovered a couple of years ago that the kids get too overwhelmed on Christmas morning with all the gifts. So we like to spread it out and let them open a little along the way. This past Saturday we were heading to a Breakfast with Santa so they got their Christmas pjs a little early to wear that morning.

Garbage Dump Tree

The kids and I found this sweet little tree on the side of the road the other day next to some people's trash cans and brought it home. I told them it was going to be hauled off to the garbage dump so they call it the garbage dump tree. We need a better name.

Family Christmas Outing

We went to Lexington yesterday for a fun family day. We love to go at Christmastime. We ate lunch at our favorite chicken finger place, Cane's. Then we went to the mall and the kids played, we shopped and they got their "official" Santa picture. The play place at the mall makes the cutest pix.

Christmas Cookie Time

Hanging of the Greens

The kids both brought in nativity scene pieces during our recent Hanging of the Greens service. Michael actually turned around, stopped and posed for Mommy as he was walking in. It was too cute. Mallory did a great job with the bells this year!