Merry Christmas!

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'" 



What an amazing Christmas.  We enjoyed a beautiful candlelight service with Grandbuddy in our new sanctuary at church on Christmas Eve. The nursery was closed, so Madeline joined us, as well.  And I must say, she did great! Following church, we had a yummy meal and a visit with the Hobby family (Mimi's mom - Granny - and brother and his family).

Christmas morning was such a treat for Madeline. She came downstairs to find a kitchen from Santa, and a wooden table and chairs from mom and dad that she uses as her "art table."  Other big favorites were her Dora CD and plush toy (if I haven't mentioned it before, she's a HUGE Dora fan.  HUGE!). We even had a FaceTime with Uncle David all the way from Paris. Derek, Madeline and I had a quiet family morning soaking in Santa and unwrapping gifts.  Mimi, Buddy, Uncle Keith and Avery joined us for Christmas brunch and then we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Mimi and Buddy's house that night. We're looking forward to a visit from Vie and Papa this weekend to continue the Christmas celebration with them.

Christmas has always been a favorite for me, but I tell ya, it keeps getting better.  Nothing makes you feel more grateful than spending quality time with family and experiencing this special celebration through your child's eyes. 

Christmas celebrations have begun!

We celebrated an early Christmas with a visit from Uncle Kenneth and Aunt Kristen (or as Madeline affectionately calls them, Uncle Cork and Aunt Krusty) this weekend.  We started our weekend with a yummy dinner at Angus Barn with the Beavers family.  Madeline and Avery ate like little champs and seemed to really love all of the Christmas decor.

On Saturday, we headed to Mimi and Grandbuddy's to find a wonderful treat.  Mimi found a fantastic bounce house for the girls, complete with a ball pitt.  These girls jumped and threw themselves around this "jump jump" and loved every minute (when I speak of the girls, I mean Madeline, Avery and Aunt Rachelle, too!). After a wonderful dinner with the family, we unwrapped gifts and the big kids exchanged Secret Santa gifts.  We completed the weekend with lunch, another round of jumping, and decorating Christmas cookies with Aunt Rach, Uncle Keith, and Avery.

Such a wonderful time of year - my favorite.  I feel eternally blessed and I'm so grateful for the blessings of family and friends. 

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

- Roman 15:13

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.

- James 1:17

A visit to see Santa

As you can see, it didn't really go so well.  Madeline liked to be in the vicinity of Santa, and waved to him a few times, but lap?  No thank you.  Maybe next year!!

Boots, Booster Seats, & Big Girl Church

Madeline ate in her "big girl chair" at the table this morning.  AND she graduated up to the 2 year old class at church.  When did she grow up?!

And, we also have new boots.  We're mighty proud of these boots...