Christmas 2011

We traveled to Traverse City to spend the week before Christmas with my family.  On our way we stopped on Josh's sisters to help babysit and celebrate the Christmas season with them. Josh was very creative and thoughtful to pick out some crafts for the kids to make for gifts for their parents. The kids really enjoyed making their gifts and the girls were especially excited to put them under the tree. We enjoyed spending time with the Weis' and having Mike join us for a day as well. We even got a game of Ticket to Ride in!!!

 The girls were fascinated with the hot glue gun which only Josh was allowed to touch, so they helped hand him the Popsicle sticks and watched.

Charlie WOULD NOT take off this hat and he pulled in on so far it would make his ears stick out. What a cutie (even though he's looks a little sleepy right here). He is coloring his magnet crosses for mommy and daddy.

The girls decorated pencil holders made of cans and Popsicle sticks and then painted flower magnets for mommy and daddy. They both did a great job painting with brushes (might have been the first time). Josh made sure no paint got on anything else and surprisingly it didn't:)

It was nice to spend time with family as well. We hung out with my parents in the evenings after work and it was great to relax and take a break from school and work.  We had a yummy lunch at my grandma's house on Wednesday.  It was nice to spend some time with her and enjoy her company. We went out to lunch one day at a local Louisiana style cafe and I ate alligator for the first time. It tasted good, just a bit tough. I'd eat it again! We went to dinner with Jon, Tara the kids and my parents on on Thursday night. Josh and I shared a table with Alyssa and Jacob and it was fun to catch up with them and hear about the books they're reading, choir and band concerts and their tween/teen perspectives. Love those two:)

Friday night we celebrated Christmas with a nice turkey and ham dinner, stopping by the live nativity at church (where the young girl who played the angel was tired and ready to go home, pics to follow because it was too funny to pass up), opening presents, darts and XBox Kinects.  Our gift from my parents this year is our upcoming trip to Disney and Shades of Green. We can't wait for that trip in March!!!

Tara and I were going to take a picture of each other and apparently decided at the same time...lol.

 

Alyssa loved the donkey at the live Nativity and couldn't wait to get her pic with him.

Usually the Angel, as I know from experience taking part in the live nativity, stand and holds the trumpet pretending to sound the horn. It had been a long night for this Angel...

 Sitting down...checking out the horn...

 ...leaning on the horn and had just asked what time it was, lol...

 ...making sure her gloves are holding up...

...no playing the horn but leaning on it wondering when they will be done.

This young girl was a trooper and I am glad she was able to take part in the event as many people in the community come to see the live nativity and remember Christ's birth during this season. When it's cold and standing for a half hour at a time for multiple shifts can be long for a kid:)

Josh was really wanting to do some work with his hands since he had the time and break from school. So he had the idea to make an entryway table for my parents. They just recently got a new front door and have been working on redecorating the living room and entryway. Josh did most of the work of course but I helped with some small cutting, drilling, sanding and taking pics for the blog:) The only thing I realized is that we didn't take a finished product picture because we left in a rush to head home a day late because I was sick on Saturday.

I drilled those holes:)

So the final product looked like the table Josh originally made for our hallway in our apartment at the seminary. Nice slim look with a dark stain.

Here are a couple pics from the kids concerts and Christmas celebrations before we arrived:

Congratulations to Jon and Tara! They got engagement on Christmas morning:)