Holiday Fun (part 3)

One more shot at Christmas tree pics. This time with Alex too. I don't know why I torture myself.

they really do love each other

New Christmas PJ night

Reindeer ears- trying to get them to just stay still for a minute.

and ultimately the kids thought a wrestling match would be fun, almost taking out the tree, but having lots of laughs

Ellie helped me make Christmas Cookies

and it can't be all fun and games. I put those kids to work! My collection of grocery sacks was OUT OF CONTROL!!!


and lastly, we had a gingerbread house night with our friends the Loopers! Everyone had a lot of fun! Especially the candy monster, Ellie, who pretty much contributed by stuffing as much candy in her mouth as possible the whole time.

I have never made a gingerbread house and it was really easy with this graham cracker template. We used some simple candy decorations that we had most of left over from Halloween :) and canned icing.

The girls with our pregnant bellies!

and the final results...Love the Loopers and their cute lil love shack- Donna doesn't mess around when it comes to this stuff. Let's just say Lance was very sweet to let her be the team captain :)

Holiday Fun (part 2)

Warning- this is Christmas overload! and there will be a part 3 before I even get to actual Christmas! yikes!

Alex had a school performance...adorable of course! This year was so different from last- he did great and was really excited about it! He had been singing the songs (Away in a Manger, Jingle Bells, Up on the Housetop, to name a few) at home on his own for several weeks. I was so impressed! He was thrilled to see Nani, Papa Wes, Honey, Daddy, Ellie, and me all in the audience beaming back at him! I am so mad at myself for not bringing the long lens!!! Next year, remind me! Love that our friend Madison is in the front row, center, in her precious bright green and striped tights ;) Alex is in the front row, next to the kid in plaid, with a red shirt and brown pants.

then at the end they did a few more songs with all the classes and Alex is smushed there in the middle

I think he is waving to Papa in the balcony who is videoing

This is a picture of his teachers taking them out of sanctuary. Alex is mouthing to me that he wants snack...what else is new?!

Ellie LOVED the show and cheering Alex on

After the show I wanted to get some pictures of Ellie in her cute Christmas outfit. The big lollipop was a mistake. Love and admiration at first...

but I couldn't get the girl to sit still for long. And it made a MESS!
switch to smaller lolli and outside :)

Our Church puts on an amazing event called Walk Through Bethlehem.

Everyone LOVED the camel and needed a camel picture :)

Alex was really scared at first, but warmed up :)



my sweet friend was Mary at the time we went and that is one of her sweet baby boys (she has twins) Aren't they perfect for the job! :) As expected, Ellie was a fanAlex said his favorite part was the soldiers AND the camel. I have to admit it was all pretty cool!
And for some "extras" of the month....

Ellie in her winter wear, loving her boots! :) and busted pulling ornaments off the tree... and thats why we have soft ones at the bottom!
We had a fire and "hot cocoa" one night. More like warm chocolate soy milk :) I hate this picture of me looking scrubby but I want to include it bc it is me. a rare shot. and I think its funny that I am totally using the belly as a coffee table
Our Elf came back again this year- Alex named him Elfie. The kids BOTH LOVED finding him everyday and would revisit him and laugh throughout the day. Best is showing him to Daddy when he gets home from work.

pirate Elfie was huge hit- argh

and the kids just had a lot of fun together! They love playing together and this day, it was making the one seater, a two seater. And Ellie held on all by herself. She is getting so grown up! *note Alex's "summer wear"- pretty sure it was not appropriate but he was going through a huge anti-warm clothes phase. Still prefers shorts and tshirts but has not been fighting it like he did at the beginning of the season

Holiday Fun (part 1)

We had a great time this year celebrating all month long! The kids were really into it and it makes it so fun!

decorating the tree- We let the kids help and do the decorating this year, with thoughts that I would go back and fix it and add the breakables up high, and it never happened but I kinda liked it that way

and the angel on top!
yes, our tree is a beast...thats what happens when you get your tree in a huge warehouse that throws off your sense of proportion

Alex was thrilled about all the ornaments and he couldn't stop checking them all out
opening up all of my snow globe collection was like opening up gifts to the kids. THEY LOVED IT! and the snow globes had to be one of Ellie's favorite things this year. Sadly, when I didn't want to wind them all up for her I had to tell her they were sleeping and this only kept the whining away half of the time. :)


we topped off our day of decorating with a candlelight dinner...another family favorite!

We went to visit Santa up at our church (It was easy and cheap and I knew it wouldn't go well anyway)

Ellie seemed very interested from a distance! Alex was very anxious for our turn but was very patient.

as expected, lil one was NOT having it. Alex went ahead and told Santa that he wanted toy helicopters.

mean momma made her do it anyway

and then Alex got his time not worried about sister

one more try, and its still a no-go

this helped the pain go away