christmas eve 2010

 

A book I just read talked about Christmas Eve being the best day of the year. It is the day where things are about to happen.

I agree.

Christmas Eve-ning is spent with family at Grandma’s house.

It wouldn’t feel like Christmas to me anymore without Arby’s sandwiches by candlelight.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, of course, we have to have a little gingerbread competition which is quite competitive despite the recurring “tie” we have each year.

 

 

Then it was time to go home, put out the milk and cookies and stocking, and try to get some sleep. I still wake up about every half hour. Some traditions never die.

village people

I’m starting to pick up and pack up Christmas 2010. Sigh.

The first post to catch up on was from last Thursday when Cali, Kimi, Ian, and I put together a gingerbread village to pass the afternoon.

My favorite part was the discussions such as, “We need to put up a fence because, what if some of the gingerbread people have dogs?”

I think our village looked better than the box.

we can hardly stand the wait

This is the face of a girl who has just visited Santa:Yesterday was the last day of school for the girls before the holidays and it was a fun day of holiday sing alongs, seeing Santa, and Christmas parties.

 

Ian, Natalie, and I got to sit in the audience and hear all the grades sing some Christmas songs. (That’s a picture of the kindergarten. Kimi is on the second row up, on the end, nearest Santa.)

I was trying to keep Natalie and Ian interested, but having kind of a hard time. I was using my point-and-shoot camera to take videos so I let Natalie take some pictures.

When I saw the pictures I had a better idea of why it was so boring to those two.

There is Cali singing with the Second Grade. I went to help out with her Christmas Party afterwards and forgot to take any more pictures of her because I was so busy calling an intense game of BINGO.

The kindergarten followed Santa to the library.

You know on the movie “A Christmas Story” where everyone is herded through the line with Santa as quickly as possible? It was like that except that they even doubled the kids up to make it go twice as fast.

Then in the evening we were off to Great-Grandpa’s house and the annual Christmas party.

I didn’t take my good camera along, and I kicked myself about it.

I believe he has one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen out his back windows.

Here’s a funny story from the first Christmas party I ever went to at this house:

There are about a bazillion aunts, uncles, grandchildren, cousins, and such (give-or-take) at this party, and it was the night after I became engaged to Scott that we went to this party.

In the midst of being greeted and introduced to everyone, I met Scott’s sweet grandmother. Her first words to me were, “Scott just made the worst decision of his life!” and then she gave me a hug.

I was a little taken back until I realized that she meant his decision to enlist in the army that he had made a few weeks before. (She was a war-time bride herself.)

So the final countdown has officially begun, and I am now employed in the business of keeping children, who have reached a fever-pitch of excitement and are hyped-up on sugar, busy. 

Got to stop blogging now and get to work.

a little stocking stuffer

What was my favorite thing that came in a stocking?

My little sister.

But today she hits the big 2-1, and official adulthood, so it’s a good day to embarrass her with pictures from childhood.

(I told you I found some gems in those old pictures.) 

Remember where you used to take naps? (Anywhere you dropped.)

Remember mowing the lawn together? Or your nifty eyewear?  hehehe.

  

 

Happy Birthday Christine!

flashback friday: here we are as in olden days

Would you like a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past? I would take one.

I recently found this file that Elizabeth gave me with miscellaneous photos.

It held quite a few gems.

Here’s Elizabeth and me, hanging out with Christine, waiting to go open presents:

I’m so glad that I never went through any awkward teenage years, or had bad hair days.

I really miss seeing everyone open up all their presents.

I also miss that furry pink bathrobe.

I know I’m missing seeing scenes like these:

And these:

What I really miss from these pictures is all of you- painting ornaments, dipping pretzels, playing games, putting together puzzles, sleeping under the Christmas tree, wrapping presents in sneaky ways, and being awake together for most of the night on Christmas eve.

I hope that these pictures bring back the good memories of yesteryear that they do for me. (And not make you want to find a way to revoke my access to the internet and picture posting powers.)

Merry Christmas to my siblings and parents, scattered across too wide of distances for my liking, but always together in my heart.

family friendly?

I’m a big holiday movie lover.

We have the old standbys that we watch every year; White Christmas, Its a Wonderful Life, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolf the Rednosed Reindeer , and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The ultimate favorite of mine being Muppet Christmas Carol.

We decided to rent Disney’s new Christmas Carol even though we firmly believe nothing will ever be better than the muppet version. We were just looking for something new to watch.

It was advertised as “fun for the whole family” and “heartwarming” and it was Disney so I thought it would be pretty good.

About halfway through when Kimi was hiding under a blanket in the corner and I was covering Ian’s eyes during the Ghost of Christmas PRESENT we decided to just shut it off.

I think “freaky” and “missing the point” would be more appropriate. (Scott and I watched the rest later just to give it a fair chance.)

SO anyways, I’d say skip this one.  Or save it for Halloween.

monday night lights

On Monday night we went downtown to see some beautiful Christmas lights.

Scott and I walked by the place where he proposed to me 11 years ago under these twinkling lights, while Natalie complained LOUDLY about being pushed in the stroller, and mused about whether we had any inkling of what we were starting then.

I think we had no idea that we would be so blessed.

we've been working on a little something

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

this month is such a special one. . .

It’s birthday time again. This time it was Daddy’s turn.

The kids made a sign and then staked out the front door waiting for him to get home.

Here he comes! (Thanks to our sign even the mailman wished him a happy birthday as he drove by.)

Surprise! Happy Birthday to our favorite Daddy.