Merry Christmas Medley

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!


Today's post is an assortment of Christmas photos and memories from this month. We have had a LOT of celebrations this year, a lot of good times. To start, just some pictures of everyday life.

The boys, after shopping with us in Wal-Mart. Gabe picked out a present for his class gift exchange and something for his teacher. They were good and got to ride the Winnie the Pooh after...

And at home, sitting in the clearance buckets I got at Wal-Mart. Gabe is hugging the Puppy he has had since his first Christmas in Pittsburg, that he still sleeps with every night. Ashton looks ornery, doesn't he!? (that's his usual look!)

Jermie and I went to our first Ugly Sweater Party! We even got a babysitter for the boys - the first time ever for Ashton to have a highschool girl watch him instead of family! Wish I would have shown the front of the sweater more - it was prety awful in full-view! :)

I think it should be recorded that we have had Great weather so far this year. These are pics of the boys playing in the front yard, mid-December, and they didn't even need winter coats. In one of the smaller pictures, Ashton is carrying Monkey - who he Loves - and asks for every night. This developed pretty suddenly, but he likes to sleep with Monkey every night. Pretty sweet.

And now, some actual Christmas Pictures!

This is our first Christmas Celebration - with my mom's side of the family out near KC. Lots of cousins and aunts and uncles. Lots of great food, big laughs, and time for the kids & adults to enjoy each other. Growing up, this was always "Pittsburg" Christmas, but we have loved having the get together at my uncles' home - it is so grand and gorgeous.

Sorry - I know the pictures should be bigger - but I was pressed for time and just did one photo collage. :)

And the much-anticipated Trinity PreSchool Christmas Program...

Gabe, Maverik & Whitlee were hard to get pictures of before the program - very distracted by everything going on - Gabe upset that he couldn't stay in the church and sit with Haylee. And during the program it was impossible to see them, with our seats in the back of the church and the kiddos so short at the front! I did go to the front, but they were lined up on the opposite side, of course, so photos were kind-of a fail... I think the whole program was a slight disappointment. Their portion of the program was a brief part of a big play and there was no applause and no big stage for them to get on... After the play, Gabe went down to the basement with all the kids, and his teachers let him go to the bathroom, and then he decided to go back upstairs by himself. Jermie, Ashton, Grandma Peggy and the other families went outside. When I got down to the basement, he wasn't in there. When I hollared into the bathrooms, he wasn't in there. When I went upstairs, he was in a man's arms, with the man trying to calm him down and saying his mom would be there soon... Argh! A moment of small panic for me, disorganization from the school, and poor Gabe was just UPSET - that he still didn't get to see Haylee! Ah, well, it was still an opportunity for us to show Gabe our support and be proud of him.

Good times.

One thing about sending Gabe to a Christian school - I have loved hearing his explinations of Christmas, his descriptions of heaven, his prayers, his songs, and his thoughts about Jesus and God. Even when he gets it wrong, it's cute: zalvation, referring to when Christ was 'boring' instead of born... :)

Another favorite: these are from Grandma Peggy. Gabe, Ashton & Maverik - ready for Christmas!

Kids are so fun this time of year. They make the season - and all its business and stress - worthwhile.

I want my kids to always embrace the holidays with the enthusiasm they have now. To always have the unconditional love for their families and excitement to see them as they do now. To have dreams about Santa and his reindeer, to sing Christmas songs.

I want my boys to quit growing on me! :)

Here is a memory of last year. The boys with Santa, 2009.

... Still to come - a post about our Christmas in Colorado, a look back on the year, and maybe a couple New Years resolutions! .... but not for awhile. Getting back to working on a Syllabus right now! :)