Christmas

Wow, I finally made it to Christmas!  December is always a very busy month with Jared’s work party, school and Church Christmas programs and many family gatherings! Jared and I also managed to sneak away for our anniversary about a week before Christmas and I’m VERY thankful the kids’ grandparents looked after them so that we could have that time together! At the Church Christmas program, Blake was an angel and Kiera was a shepherd. She was originally going to be a dancer but the Sunday School workers asked if she would switch because the shepherds had a singing part and they were a small group. The only picture I could get with Haley in her Christmas dress At the end, Haley dressed up as a sheep and joined the other kids on the stage. We accidentally missed her cue earlier in the program, so we stuck her up there at the end. Part of our community group at our Christmas party I had been eyeing the blue and white icicle lights on Target’s website since the Christmas a year before, so while we were in the States for our anniversary, we found some there!  We ended up going to 2 different Target stores in 2 different cities to buy enough sets and it was TOTALLY worth it!  We bought enough for the top part of the house, too, but it was too late in the year for Jared to tackle those, so hopefully next year he can get those up! We did our own little family Christmas on the evening of the 24th.  Every year I pull out 2 children’s books that I have put away on a shelf based on the story of Jesus and one is from the perspective of Mary that makes me tear up every time: “Tomorrow you will be king, but tonight you are my baby…” and Kiera read the stories this year. Opening up their stockings at home for the very first time, which was also one of my purchases in the States the week before She got exactly what she wanted. She has a whole bunch of those sticker books and LOVES doing them! More Lego…always brings a smile to his face! She enjoys listening to Christian kids music, so I bought her a Hillsong Kids c.d. The best stocking stuffer ever (it was Blake’s): a spider that stuck to the ceiling or wall…except that the sticky, rubbery stuff started breaking off within a few days and then it didn’t work anymore.  It was sure fun while it lasted! A special breakfast for Christmas morning Christmas at Jared’s Dad + Stepmom’s includes a small mountain of gifts every year My sister-in-law’s friend came for a visit in November and then came back again for Christmas, so it was great to have her there!  They met when they were both working in Africa, she’s from England and was going to school this past year in Texas. :) This was my niece and nephew’s first Christmas One of my favorite gifts A little tired after the gift opening marathon She’s got her typical 80’s look going on ;) Holding his little cousin Woohoo! I made it to the end of last year! Christmas was very special with the new members of our family and the fact that I had my health back…you can’t put a price on those! :D