Our Christmas in Pictures

We started with Mass at 4:00 PM Christmas Eve.  The girls sang in the Children's Choir.  Mom finished the matching dresses only the day before...whew!

Gabriel wriggled...a lot...during Mass, but mostly behaved himself. 

I bought matching shirts for the boys...Joshua promised not to complain...otherwise I'd have made him wear a tie and blazer in addition to a shirt with a (gasp!) collar.   Aren't they the cutest kids ever? 

Back home, we had dinner and the kids got to open one present...a tradition from David's side of the family. Then late that night, we set everything out for Christmas morning...consoled ourselves with some Mike's Hard Pomegranate Punch (highly recommeded for busy parents) and went to bed. 

The kids were up around 7:00 AM.  Gabriel totally understood the concept of opening presents this year ;-)

As you can see by the carnage, the kids enjoying their Christmas morning.  My living room may never be the same again.

The kids stayed in their PJ's for hours, played Uno Attack, and ate numerous unhealthy snacks provided by Mom...who ate some herself :-).  But thoroughly enjoyed her new PURPLE laptop!

Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas Day!

Christmas to Me...

is going to Mass on Christmas Eve, staying up late to make sure everything is perfect...stockings and cookies ready for Santa, present under the tree, being so thankful my hubby has job, knowing so many are going with less or without this year, believing the miracle of Jesus's birth can and should be the answer to our deepest heart's desires...

And this song...which I couldn't find to download...but I found the lyrics...

Crying for Christmas ~ Scott Krippayne

These are the lives of the rearranged

Scattered souls who've been displaced

Nowhere else to turn

Like Bethlehem we have packed the place

Human need fills ever space

No room at the inn

Still God found a corner,

Made a bed down in the hay

Could he reappear, make his advent here

Will he still draw near today?

My world is crying,

Crying for a Christmas

Some way to know for sure –

That our God is with us

We could all use a sign

A little glimpse of divine

For a world that still cries for Christmas

Feeding trough on a dirty floor

Unimpressive welcome for

God's Almighty Son

Are we as blind to incarnation

Daily proof of our salvation

Love's already come

We are not abandoned,

All alone in our despair

He who once came down,

He can still be found

Every when and everywhere

My world is crying,

Crying for a Christmas

Some way to know for sure –

That our God is with us

Once a baby so small

Grew to die for us all

For a world that still cries for Christmas.

Jesus you are here, Jesus you are now

Jesus you are here, Jesus you are now

My world is crying,

Crying for a Christmas

Some way to know for sure –

That our God is with us

We can all be the sign

That his love is alive

For a world that still cries for Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone...from all of us to all of you. 

My Kids are the CUTEST Elves!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Pictures in the Snow

Today was magical...we had snow.  It happens so rarely here...the kids couldn't wait to get home...since the greatest chance for snow was this afternoon.  When I went to read to Rebecca's class around 2:30, she told me everyone had gone outside twice to "play" in the snow.  (Her classroom is right by an exit door, and the kids could see the flurries coming down.  Rebecca's teacher said they didn't get much work done today ;-).  But what a wonderful thing...letting all the kids out...and taste snowflakes on their tongues. 

We were hoping it would accumulate more, but we only got enough to throw a few snowballs in the backyard.  But the kids were happy enough, and once their feet and gloves were soaked through, the novelty wore off and they all decided to come back inside. 

I got a few pictures of the snow and the kids having fun (who know when I'll get to use the "snow" settting on my camera again!). 

Stick Family (just for fun)