Merry, meaningful, and memorable...

That pretty much sums up our Christmas this year, but you know I can't leave it at that, so here's the rundown:

Our holiday gatherings began on Sunday afternoon (23rd), but first we spent the morning at Church. Next year I'm bound and determined that we'll get our behinds to church for either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. We continue the long-standing tradition in Brian's family of reading the Christmas story and singing carols before we open gifts on Christmas Eve, but it feels like something is missing when we aren't worshiping with our church family as well.


The source of Sam and Julia's three day sugar high. (and mine too for that matter!)

Sunday afternoon we visited with family, ate, played Taboo, ate, watched the kids being silly, ate, and then braved the blizzard like conditions to get to Grandma and Grandpa's house for gift opening. The wind rattled windows, swirled into drifts, and made the snow fall sideways. That blessed wind kept Brian from having to work - no point in plowing snow that is going to blow right back where it was! Thank you Lord!


Sam helped Sharon hand out gifts. There were so many! Brian's family is very generous and gives us wonderful presents.

























Apparently, being spoiled is hard work, but before we could go home for the night the kids had one more gift to "open".



Without further ado, I'd like to introduce the two newest members of our family - Mary and Joseph.
















That was a looooong car ride home trying to keep the fish from being evicted from their home.

What I think I'll remember most from the morning of Christmas Eve this year is the fact that Sam didn't want to come downstairs to open gifts because Curious George wasn't over yet. Then when he did come downstairs, he wanted to eat first. I guess my attempt at making Christmas about more than gifts worked. Now I just need to work on his love of TV. :) Both kids loved ripping the wrapping paper and discovering the treasure inside, though the tool set and stroller from the night before were more interesting than the plate I made for Julia and Sam's new markers. Sam did get pretty excited about giving Daddy the ornaments he and Julia made
for him.


See what Brian got me? I finally have a grown-up coat! No more Columbia jacket on Sunday mornings! I asked for something sentimental this year and he didn't disappoint. It was eight years ago that he gave me a jacket for Christmas ( a white Columbia jacket that I returned cuz really, who can keep a white coat white?) Each time I slip into the satiny sweetness of my new jacket I'll be reminded of our first Christmas together.


















After a good nap we packed up the puppy, the kids, and the rest of the gear and headed to Grandpa and Grandpa's house again.
This time the house would be full of cousins for Sam and Julia to play
with. Can you tell how excited Julia was about that?


Brian's parent's have the perfect sledding hill right out their front door and Gene kept everyone warm with a fire at the top of the hill. Inside things were heating up between the youngest of the cousins.




















Jacob and Julia,
sitting in a chair,












K-I-S-S-I-N-G



Both kids shared their musical talents with our extended family - sometimes with clothes on, sometimes without. It was so sweet to hear Sam singing Silent Night, Away in the Manger, Joy to the World, Frosty the Snowman, and Up on the Housetop. He's knew Silent Night last year, but all the other's he learned this year. Julia's performance during Brian's reading of the Christmas story will be relived for years to come. She plopped herself down in the middle of the living room so her dress poofed up behind her. Then she fell over and grabbed her toes saying, "tooties, tooties" over and over again - all the while displaying zero modesty as her bum and belly were exposed for all to see.




It was 10:30 before we went downstairs to crawl into our sleeping bags and after 11:30 before Sam fell asleep. There were about 20 tense minutes where we didn't know if anyone in the house was going to get any sleep, but then Julia fell asleep in my arms and turned into a limp noodle so I could transfer her to the pack-n-play. Sam watched Rudolf on our mini DVD player twice and then gave up and went to sleep (tucked warmly in his new sleeping bag). In the morning we enjoyed watching the kids discover their toys from Santa. Sam had asked for a toy train earlier in December and then sent him a second letter when his helicopter broke. Simple, handmade toys will bring hours of fun for years to come. I still have my wooden trucks my Uncle Mark made me when I was a kid. There were stockings to look in upstairs as well before gorging
ourselves on cinnamon rolls, tangerines, and juice. It took Brian at least ten trips to get things loaded in the van before we could leave. All Brian and I wanted for Christmas Day were long winter naps and eventually our overtired children gave in. We woke to the most beautiful snow I've ever seen. It looked like we were in the center of a snow globe the way the flakes floated to the ground. The wind from Sunday was long gone and for the first time in 55 years the Twin Cities saw 4+ inches of Christmas snow. Sam caught his first flakes on his tongue.
A quiet sled ride through the woods on Christmas Day and warm hot chocolate when we came inside was the perfect end to a merry, meaningful, and very memorable Christmas.













We didn't have much money to put towards Christmas this year, but the important things don't come from a store anyway. I pray that Sam and Julia will look back someday at all these pictures (and the 240 I didn't post) and see that too. Do you think the grin on my face can get any bigger?

What child is this?

who laid to rest,
On Mary's lap is sleeping









Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
while shepherds watch are keeping?









This, this is Christ the King,





Whom shepherds guard and angels sing.











Haste, haste to bring Him laud,
The babe, the Son of Mary.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Winter Wonderland

Looks like we are in store for a white Christmas this year. Not that there was much doubt. Until a couple days ago we haven't been above freezing since before Thanksgiving. The slush created by yesterday's upper 30's is now covered with a fresh layer of pure white
snow.




Brian is off plowing again, but hopefully not for long.

The kids and I are enjoying The Polar Express, breaking the "no eating in the living room" rule, and I'm about to make a pot of coffee just for me- something I never ever do unless we have company.

It's not the same as having Daddy home, but it's fun to look at pictures of him from last night's skating adventure.


(These were my sister's skates from ages ago.)
This was Sammy's first time on skates and it felt like mine too. I haven't skated since college and it's been at least 5 years since Brian laced up his skates.



I can guarantee that if it weren't for Sam on the ice to help me balance, I would be nursing a pretty sore bum this morning.

It was Skate with Santa Night and Sam was doing his best to keep his distance. Julia, on the other hand, kept shouting "Santa! Santa!" I can only juggle so many things at once so there's only video of her giving him a high five as he skating past after a break in the penalty box.

Time to hit the publish button before squirmy wormy Julia erases everything. :) Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Just doing our part

to help Santa spread some Christmas cheer. Wanna help too?

Snow much fun!

When snow means Daddy has to leave for big chunks of time it's hard not to dislike the fluffy white stuff. The silver lining is that it makes us appreciate the time we do have.



Temps in the single digits, bad colds, and a two hour cleaning frenzy for a showing didn't put a damper on our family's fun this weekend.












We stumbled upon the perfect sledding hill
(a walking path that apparently in the winter
doubles as a luge) and had a terrific time. The best part is that we were only 30 seconds from home when the kids got too cold. Last year Sam wouldn't stay outside for more than two minutes. This year the ratio of time spent getting on snowsuits/two pair of socks/boots/scarves/mittens/hats to the time spent outdoors is working in my favor.



If you don't count the chunk of snow, Sammy got to go down the hill all by himself today! (Click on the picture to see the huge grin on his face.)

Tonight we're going on our annual Christmas lights "tour". I love this time of year!

...for richer or snowier

Cost of gas to drive to Target (in a snowstorm): pennies
Cost of bagels and coffee at the Target Starbucks: $4
Exercise while walking the aisles for an hour: free!!!
Dinner at Target $10
Two and a half hours of quiet so my hubby could nap before another night of plowing: priceless

Bring it on!

We're ready for ya Old Man Winter!
But could you please wrap up this snow sometime soon? We miss Daddy.


I couldn't resist throwing this one in too. :)

Over the hills and through the woods

There was just enough snow to get our Christmas tree this morning. Don't get me wrong, plenty of snow is falling but driving out to the country to cut the tree and getting home in case Brian has to work today meant we had to leave Church early and hustle out the Grandma and Grandpa's for the tree. Grandpa did a wonderful job "planting" the tree for the kids to find.
"That tree looks nice!" said Sam with his as he shielded his face from the driving icey pellets. Hearing those words made all the effort worth it - even the flat tire Brian discovered as he was loading the van to go home.




We let Daddy and Grandpa do all the hard work while we supervised from afar. Poor Sam didn't like the wind one bit. Julia didn't seem to mind. She was busy trying to figure out where her hands went, why she couldn't put her arms down at her side normally, and how one minute she knew how to walk and the next her feet were shoved into boots four sizes to big which made it impossible to move. Thanks for everything Grandma and Grandpa!






You can see in his eyes how miserable he is. He even turned down a second cookie! (That orange pants wearing boy is you, Kieran!)



Can't wait to get it in the house and decorate it...tomorrow. I just got the call that Brian has to plow the rest of the day/night. Poor guy.