Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Merry Christmas!


We had a wonderful Christmas as a family.  Christmas morning, we ate a quick breakfast, then the boys opened their stockings before we moved into the living room to see all of the gifts under the tree!  The boys got some really special gifts, and Connor enjoyed handing out the presents and “helping” us open them.  Their favorite gifts were their new mini trampoline, Connor’s Lightning McQueen bike, Aaron’s dress-up monkey, and Connor’s airplane that he could “build” with special tools.  After we opened presents, we ate French Toast casserole and sausage for lunch and took naps.  Then we went over to the Greenert’s to exchange gifts with them and came home to eat chicken soup and bread for dinner.  We also ate some homemade Christmas cookies and celebrated Jesus’ birthday by singing to him and eating birthday cupcakes.
Connor has really understood the meaning of Christmas a lot more this year.  He loved singing “Jingle Bells” and “Away in a Manger,” looking at and setting up our manger scenes (outside ones as well as the magnet and Fischer Price scenes that we got for him), reading his Christmas books, and watching Christmas music and shows on tv.  It is really neat to see how much his understanding has grown in the past year.  We definitely had a Christmas to remember and we’re so thankful we got to spend it together as a family!
Happy birthday, Jesus!
Connor arranged his manger scene characters so "they can all see Baby Jesus."
Visiting the Greenerts.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, we played outside before naps then we went to church as a family.  We sat with the Libbys and the Bartells and all of the kids!  The boys really enjoyed the music and made it through about 20 minutes of the service.  After service, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the Coursey’s house.   Emily and Chad made a huge traditional Christmas feast with all of the trimmings.  When we got home, we put out cookies for Santa and reindeer food outside.  Then we read “The Night before Christmas” and went to sleep!
Sprinkling the reindeer food in the driveway.
Cookies and milk are ready for Santa!
Ready for Christmas morning!

Christmas Art Projects

Our house quickly filled up with lots of Christmas crafts that the boys made at the YMCA, church, home, and school.  My favorites are definitely the angel made out of Connor's traced hands and foot, Aaron's tree that he painted, and the manger "fortress" that Connor and I made one day during Aaron's nap.  I realize that I will have hundreds of these decorations by the time the boys finish school, but I treasure each one and managed to find a special place to display each of them this year!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Christmas Cookies!

This afternoon, we made Christmas cookies!  Connor picked out several Christmas cookie cutters, then we mixed the dough, rolled it out, and started cutting out our cookies.  Connor did a great job cutting out traditional Christmas shapes such as airplanes, stockings ("boots"), bells, stars, candy canes, and gingerbread men.  Then he carefully added the sprinkles using a spoon and put the cookies in the oven!  They turned out great!  We all enjoyed eating them, and we know Santa will enjoy his tomorrow night!

Aaron played in the sink and in the family room!