Archive for the category “Christmas”

30 Dec 2010

Christmas 2010

Christmas Eve- 12/24/2010

Setting out Reindeer Food- a mixture of oatmeal, peanuts, apple slices & cranberries.

Nathan with “his” baby.

Kids opening their Christmas presents from Paw Paw & Mimi (Kip’s Dad & his wife).

Christmas Day- 12/25/2010

Waiting to come down stairs.

Opening their “big” presents from Daddy & Mommy.

Savvy got her long awaited “Jessie” doll.

Nathan has been asking & wishing for a Buzz Lightyear for a year or more now- he was thrilled!

Mary had been wishing & hoping for a doll with “hair you can fix”. She is such a happy & content girl, it’s a pleasure to buy her something that she was hoping for since she so rarely expresses a desire for something.

Happy, sweet Roo on her first Christmas Day!!!

For my own memory: Lyra’s First Christmas presents- A Steiff bunny rabbit, Madame Alexander doll, wooden stacking/nesting bowls, vanilla teethers from Vuilli, stacking/nesting bowls that click together to make different sized balls.

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29 Dec 2010

Christmas Train Ride

12/23/2010- The Polar Express

Back in October we ended up with a little bit of extra money so we bought tickets to ride The Polar Express on December 23rd and got a room at Calhoun House Inn & Suites. We got up early the morning of the 23rd to make the 4 hour ride to Bryson City, NC where the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad is located. After the little girls had a nap we headed into downtown Bryson City. We visited The Story Telling Center of the Southern Appalachians. We learned a little about NC history and enjoyed a story telling session. Tim the story teller also makes wooden toys in a corner of his shop so we enjoyed watching him work and bought one of his autographed tops.

Mary & Nathan with their new friend enjoying the story.

I think Tim the Toymaker and Lyra enjoyed each other.

Every child received an orange from the toy maker.

At the restaurant for dinner. It was fun to see kids all around town, all in their pajamas, ready for the train ride.

What did Nathan want to order for dinner? Salad, of course!

The Polar Express, coming into the Train Depot.

Waiting to get on the train- can you tell they are excited??

I love this picture of Kip & Lyra- so cute!

Kip says that squishing Lyra into these pajamas is like trying to stuff a sausage. LOVE IT!!

The waiters/actors on The Polar Express were SO great- they were really into it- excited, engaging with the kids.

Mary says, “This is the Life!”

The train was decorated with lights, greenery & ornaments.

Each table had a basket with gingerbread cookies, mini muffins and petite fours (this basket has already been dug into by the kids). Also candles & greenery. Everyone got hot chocolate in beautiful, collectible mugs that we got to bring home.

Reading “The Polar Express” storybook.

About 1/2 way into the ride, they turned out all the lights on the train as we went by a lighted Christmas village. The waiters were shouting out- there’s the elves dormitory! That’s the reindeer stable! Santa’s workshop! Toy storage!

Waving to Santa on his sleigh…. Shortly afterward the train stopped to reverse & the waiters told the kids that if they had been good Santa would get on the train to talk to them- every kid on the train was glued to the windows on the way back to see if Santa was still there or if he was on our train.

Caroling while we wait for Santa to get to our train.

SANTA!!!

Every child received a bell from Santa’s sleigh. Here Santa is handing Savannah her bell.

ACK! Mary blinked! Still cute though…

This was such a great trip- wonderful memories were made. I’m so,so,so glad we did this!!!

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28 Dec 2010

December 16-21, 2010- Christmas crafting & baking & snow

12/16/2010- Christmas Crafting

We made paper chains earlier in the day. Lots and lots of drawings of The Christmas Story- shepherds, the Wise Men, the Nativity scene, etc. Then we made Peppermint Wreath ornaments. You arrange the ornaments in a circle on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake them at 275 degrees for 15 or 20 minutes. When they cool, tie some ribbon on them. They are fragile so be careful!

12/18/2010- Savvy watching a beautiful snow fall.

12/21/2010- Baking Christmas cookies and decorating the gingerbread house.

Lyra, hanging out in the Jumparoo while the big kids work on cookies & gingerbread house. That is Mary’s new sparring gear in the mesh bag in the background!

Posting this picture for myself to remember later- notice how Savvy is STILL doing the “W” sit??

Savvy, caught in the act of sneaking some candy instead of decorating with it!

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15 Dec 2010

Christmas Lights + Little Kids = Disaster

12/7/2010-

I had this vision of bundled up, happy kids helping me put up the outside Christmas lights in the chilly air. Then coming inside to a nice warm fire and a cup of hot chocolate. I took pictures of them before we headed outside. I was ready for a fun, memory making afternoon.

Cute Lou Lou.

Savanny all ready to go.

The REALITY was a far, far cry from the vision. Cold, cranky kids + cold, crying, cranky baby = Irritated & cranky Mom.

I gave up, we came inside and 6 days later the lights are still sitting out on the front walk. I really need to try again.

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14 Dec 2010

Roo Under the Tree

12/8/2010- CUTEST.BABY.EVER.!!!!!!!!!!!!

love that crooked little smile, that sneaky little look.

Roo scootched around on the floor and got herself under the tree. And then she ATTACKED the lights. She is so,so,so,so cute.

Little laughing face.

Do you know why I took this picture and posted it? Because of the feet. The fat little feet. And the fat tires on her little ankles. And the tiny little fat squishy toes.

More fat, squishy little toes and feet and ankles. Look at that little tire of fat around her left ankle. Delicious.

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11 Dec 2010

Outtakes….

Now, the outtakes from yesterday’s GOOD picture!

I kind of like this one below!

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10 Dec 2010

Christmas Picture of all 4 kids.

Merry Christmas!

Savannah (3yo), Nathan (5yo) holding Lyra (8 months) and Mary (6yo).

(I love this picture! 12/8/2010)

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19 Nov 2010

Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes

I’ve wanted to participate with this charity for years but always lacked either the funds or the time to do so. Finally, this year we were able to do it. The kids are getting old enough to participate which, of course, made it more fun. We spent several weeks talking a bit here & there about children who might not ever receive a Christmas gift and how this was one way to show them the love of Christ through our actions. We watched several of the Operation Christmas Child videos posted online. The kids used their allowance money to go shopping at Dollar General- we picked out toys, books, crayons and notepads, combs, toothbrushes & toothpaste. Playing cards. Hairbobs, baby dolls & mini tea sets for the girls. Robots, cars, action figures, magnifying glasses for the boy box. Candy for all. The boxes were packed so full we could barely close them. We enclosed pictures of our family, drawings from Mary & prayed over the boxes. Then we took them to the local Church to deliver them. We had great fun doing this project & I can’t wait to do it again next year!

11/16/10- Boxes all packed & ready to deliver! I wish I’d thought to take a picture of packing the boxes. Also, we paid for the shipping so that we could track the boxes and find out what country they go to. When we find out where they went, I’m going to look up a video on youtube of kids opening their Christmas boxes from that country for my kids to see.