Merry Christmas 2015!

We had such a fun Christmas this year!

Both kids had performances.  Joe had a band performance and Joci had a chorus performance.  Both were so much fun.  It doesn't get much better than watching your child perform something they worked so desperately hard on.  Their proud faces seeking you out in the crowd and smiling shyly from the stage.

Mom was here practically the entire month of December.  She got to see the kids' performances, their birthdays, Christmas and New Years.  Her help here was undeniable, and just her prescence is so comforting.  Everyone is just that much happier and the kids just love being with her

One of my favorite tradition that we've done for so many years is Jon reading 'The Night Before Christmas' to the kids.  We have a beautiful copy that Nonnie gave us.  It is a gorgeous, intricate pop up book with the full poem within.  The kids always love seeing the pop ups and Jon loves that it's his and his alone.  I like watching him read to them.

Of course, Christmas morning the kids are terribly excited, looking forward to opening gifts and their stockings.  I love to watch each person open a present, each and every one of them.  That's why I insist that we open them all one at a time.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Joci talking with Santa.  He was lovely.  He asked her lots of questions and made her giggle.

Santa asked Joe lots of questions, as well, and I loved how easily Joe enjoyed talking with him.

One of our favorite Santas ever!  We were at a little village craft fair and he was there for visits.  Not many kids there and so we had lots of time with Santa, and he was just lovely to ours.

Making Gingerbread men!

Jon reading 'The Night Before Christmas' pop up book to the kids on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Day, 2015

Children's Assembly

Both kids had assemblies in December. 

Joe had a pirate assembly.  He had to learn a song, and also did a reading (that he wrote) about the blunderbuss.  The song we heard before and were expecting him to do a good job at.  We didn't know about the reading, though, until at the assembly when he stood up and read so well, never missing a line, never stammering, and read.  We were so proud of him and pleased that he did such a great job.

Joci had a traditional Christmas assembly.  She was a sweet, beautiful angel.  During the assembly she had a slight wardrobe malfunction with her halo, but she picked it up and carried on with it. 

Pictures with Santa...

Merry Christmas 2010!

Well, Christmas has come and gone and it was another magical day for sure.

Personally, Christmas Eve night with the kids is my favorite. We eat appetizers for dinner and wear new jammies to bed. I love when Jon reads Twas the Night Before Christmas to them before bed. I love how they get so excited tracking Santa on Norad, and I love, love, love when they are trying to be quiet and fall asleep quickly before Santa comes. Jocelyn held my face in her two little hands as she laid in bed all tucked in and whispered to me that she has to be very quiet or Santa would hear her. Then she gave me a quiet kiss, too. Last year Joe told me to 'go away' because Santa was coming and he had to go to sleep.

That night, Jon and I wrapped all the gifts, and Jon set up the Kinect in the family room as a special surprise for the whole family. Eventually it was time for bed and when the kids came in to snuggle with us in the morning they were so well behaved, even though they were brimming over with anticipation with what was waiting for them downstairs.

Later after we unwrapped presents we played the Kinect for awhile, I made biscuits and gravy, and then we watched Dispictable Me. After all that we got around and were off to my parents house. Jocelyn got dressed up in a cute little Santa dress.

At Grandma and Grandpa's house there were even more presents to Jocelyn's surprise. She was wondering why they hadn't opened their presents yet and couldn't believe there were more for her! We had a lot of fun playing with the toy Nerf 'guns' that we got, shooting each other and targets with Nerf darts.

Dad made a turkey, but wasn't feeling well, so Jon and I finished dinner. We had a great turkey, mashed potatos, veggies, crescent rolls, and noodles. For dessert, our friend Joan sent us some petitfores and I made snowball cookies. The kids put on their new jammies and we stayed the night.

It was a great, great day. One that I will hopefully remember for a very long time. Here's some pictures of our day: