Merry Christmas 2009

Merry Christmas everyone!

We have had a lovely day with grandma, pop-pop and Aunt Jessica.  We had tons of food, opened presents and just enjoyed being together to celebrate the holiday!

We hope that your day was special and blessed and you were able to celebrate this happy holiday with those you love the most!!

Waiting to See if Santa came

First Presents

Santa was BEGGED for this toy

A Little Elmo Action

Gotta start 'em early on the hoops practice!!

Daddy and his Princess with her Princess clothes

 

Christmas Clothes 2009

Waiting for the drums to be done!

Rocking Out on Christmas Day!!

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

HE CAME!!!

Santa arrived just a little while ago...just after I fell asleep!

He was VERY generous this year and left Nicholas and Addison, as well as everyone else, lots of presents to open! 

Santa even made sure that Baby Jesus made his way into the creche right in between Mary and Joseph.

On his way out he guzzled the milk and cookies left out for him and scribbled out a note for Nicholas and Addison!  Can't wait to see their faces in the morning!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Christmas Eve

It's almost 3:30am on Christmas morning and I am wide awake courtesy of a large cup of coffee consumed about 3 hours ago.  I'd like to take this first opportunity to wish you a Very Merry and Blessed Christmas!

After a busy day of last minute shopping, spending the day with my family and the evening enjoying time with Pat's family, I have finally settled in to wait for Santa and my cheesecake to finish!

We had a lovely evening with the Stella side of the family and the kids got to run around, enjoy lots of family time and open tons of presents!  The food, the conversation and the company were quite lovely and, as always, it was a great way to spend Christmas Eve and prepare for Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas!!

Ready for Christmas Eve!

This is my favorite picture of the night purely because of the look on Pop-pop's face!

He was trying to get the kids to stand in front of the tree so I could take a nice picture.

It didn't work.

Grandpa and Addie

Aunt Liz, Frank and the kids

Aunt Liz and Addie

Looking for Santa

Presents from Aunt Liz.

(Torture tools for mommy and daddy)

Christmas Even 2009

More Snow and Another Christmas Tree

We spent the day at Grandma and Pop-pop's house today. 

Grandma and Pop-pop saved the bulk of decorating their Christmas tree for Nicholas and Addison to take care of.  When we got to the house the kids went right to it and started hanging ornaments, beads and candy canes and they did a GREAT job!

After having something to eat and finishing up the tree, I bundled up the kids in their snow suits and boots and we headed out into the snow for some playtime!  They had a great time because Grandma and Pop-pop got about 4 to 6 more inches than we did and there was TONS of nice, soft, snow to play in.  We spent a good amount of time in the sun and the snow until the kids just got too cold.  Then we headed inside for the rest of the day.

It was a great way to spend the day after a snowed in snow day as well as the last weekend before Christmas!!

 

 

 

 

 

Oh SNOW!

It's Snowing here!!

We've been in the midst of our first big snowstorm of the season since early this afternoon.  We ended up having to cancel a whole bunch of plans today, which was very upsetting!  But we did get to spend the day together as a family, which is a rarity with our busy schedules!

We spent the day cleaning up, doing laundry, baking cookies and finally heading out into the snow!!

The kids enjoyed the snow and we had to bribe them with hot chocolate and cookies to get them to come in.  It was quite cold but well worth the fun!!

 Ready to Go!

 

Snow Bunny

Mommy and Her Snow Bunny

Snow Angels

Finished Product

 

Brrrr!

Christmas Concert

Tonight was Nicholas and Addison's Christmas concert at school.  I cannot tell you how cute the whole thing was!  The kids sang some Christmas songs and then some Hanukkah songs and even did a few little dances. 

We weren't able to take too many pictures because there were so many parents but we did get a few!  I only wish we were able to get some video, too!

 

 

 

 

Oh Yes, It's Ladies Night

Last night I hosted a ladies night in at our house for some of my closest friends- that could make it!  Sadly, there were people missing who I wish could have joined us!  At any rate, last night was tons of fun!

Women from all parts of my life came together for lots of wine, appetizers and desserts and, of course, conversation!  We spent the night laughing and enjoying all the delicious delicacies that everyone brought.  By the end of the night we had laughed ourselves silly and fully enjoyed each others' company and food!

It truly was the perfect way to spend a Saturday night during this holiday season and we can't wait to do it again!

Much to Pat's dismay I occasionally buy wine based solely on the label.

I thought this was apropos considering the event!

The wine was tasty, too!

 

 

Santa Claus Came to Town

In the midst of cleaning and getting prepared for last night's festivities I heard tons of sirens and horns outside.  I was initially worried until I remembered what time of year it was!  Each year, roughly one to two weekends before Christmas, our fire department brings the trucks around the neighborhood with Santa and his helpers on top.  Yesterday was that day!

Nicholas loved standing in the driveway watching the firetrucks and then getting to wave to Santa.  One of the firemen even gave him a candy cane directly from Santa!  Addison slept through the entire event!

 

Nativity Redux

A few Christmases ago when Santa brought the Baby Jesus-

I kid, I kid...we all know it's the Easter Bunny that brought Jesus!  ;)

ANYWAY, Santa brought Nicholas and Addison a Little People Nativity Set a few years ago and when I was cleaning up in preparation for tonight I found bits and pieces of the set.  I wanted to try and put the entire set together because I like the kids to understand the TRUE meaning of Christmas and I want them to know that it's about Jesus' Birth and not presents and Santa.

So, I went through every toy box, every closet, every "Secret" hiding place that the kids have created, and I tried to find all of the little people necessary to make up the Nativity scene.  Anyone who lives with, has lived with, or knows children, knows that keeping all of the pieces of every toy together is virtually impossible.  Well, that was certainly the case today!  Try as I might, I could not find all of the little people so I did a little substituting. 

Take a look.....

Let's start at the top, shall we?

There's the Angel- who I SWEAR I saw last week.  This week she apparently, has just returned from her Winter vacation in the islands.

Moving down, we can see that it appears that Mary decided to go out on Safari for awhile.  And, 'Lo, Jesus has already been delivered!

Poor Joseph, still has to carry around that stick...must not be too good on his feet.

Mary brought back a few animals from her travels...the camel, which is actually a circus camel- must have been an interesting safari- the elephant, who was in the act that followed the camel under the big top, and of course the basics: the sheep, and the donkeys.  I'm curious to know where the lowing cattle are....

And finally, we see that the three "Kings" have also made an early arrival bearing gifts of gold, myrrh, and pretty orange flowers delivered by a little pink bunny.

It's the Nativity like you've never seen!

*Nicholas just came running in and he found Mary...her twin sister, Peg, had been out on Safari.  He also found the third wiseman, he was tied up in mounds of that green Easter grass, feasting on Cadbury eggs and muttering something about pink bunnies and camels.

Happy 3rd Week of Advent and Happy Hanukkah!!

Hope yours has been Blessed!