Merry Christmas! We pulled up to Grandma and Granddaddy Weldon's house with our van honking and kids cheering!
What a wonderful Christmas we had! Every year the ladies wear high heels on Christmas eve.
Mine are the red ones.
We also do a guys vs. girls crossword puzzle. Guys won this year. Oh, well!
Our first belly shot of the cousins! Two weeks apart, and both very ready to hold these little babies in our ARMS instead of our bellies!
Christmas eve also brings Santa Clause, in all his hilarity. We won't reveal who he is... but he does a pretty awesome job of making the kids' night extra special. This tradition was happening when "Santa" used to sit on Santa's lap...
Nothing better than Great-Grandmom holding a baby.
These two are like peas in a pod.
Nadine left a plate of cookies and milk and a note for Santa. This is the first time she's done this. She thought of it all on her own, and I'm really not sure where it came from.
The boys slept in the basement. Just too cute not to squeeze!
Christmas morning brought presents and laughter and fun!
It also brought monkey bread and dutch blitz!
We are so thankful for our wonderful Christmas. God has truly blessed us abundantly!
So this morning I was woken up early with a hot cup of tea delivered to my bed. Matthew and I were able to talk a bit before he headed out for his last day of work this week. So nice! I got up and had a delightful quiet morning, and the boys
stayed in their beds until 7:30 on the dot! Nadine came down bleary-eyed and looked quite put out when she saw me. She informed me that I was supposed to still be in bed so they could make me a surprise breakfast. I told her I would go back up and pretend to be asleep.
I then cuddled under my covers and was really excited about actually catching a few winks. It was a little hard, though, when all I could hear were excited voices coming up from the kitchen exclaiming this or that. "She'll LOVE it!" Then they came up seven or eight times to confirm my favorite tea, my favorite candy bar (?), cookie, how I like my toast, what I like with the peanut butter, etc. Elsie joined me in the middle of the hub-bub and cuddled with me. About 30 minutes later I heard the excited pounding of feet and loud whispering of what they would say as they triumphantly entered our bedroom. They sang "Jingle Bells" walking up the stairs and then cheered out QUITE merrily, "MERRY CHRISTMAS, MOMMY!" and produced an old cookie sheet tray with my breakfast.
It was complete with a Christmas tree ornament snagged from the tree. A cold piece of toast with peanut butter and the letter "M" sprawled out with honey. A milky way candy bar from the chocolate container. A Christmas cookie from our cookie stash. A piece of cinnamon candy cane loaf. A lukewarm cup of tea. I loved it. I especially love thoughtfulness that went into it!
Elsie and I shared the candy bar. =)
Labels:
kids; fun
Yesterday was probably one of my top most emotional days of this pregnancy. I could liken it to transition during labor. Intense! But as I was tucking in the boys before bed and going over the hard and fast rule of staying in their room until 7:30, Jack leaked the information that they had planned to get up "early" to make me breakfast and wash the dishes and "put all their energy into being good helpers." They felt the strain of disobedience just as much as I did. I told them that was fine, but just not before 7:30. =)
Then Elijah proceeded to pray in his raspy voice, "Lord, thank you for giving me the gift of being silly. I just love it so much. Thank you for giving Nadine the gift of being able to play. Thank you for giving Jack the gift of fighting and using his imagination to be a soldier. Thank you for giving Elsie the gift of, um, having fun. Thank you for Your gift of being boss of everything. You do a really good job."
I'm always blown away by what is going on in his little head. On the 18th, it was the 7-year mark of the day when he came home from the hospital, after being there for 5 weeks. What an incredible memory! He always loves telling people that he was so tiny that he fit in a Christmas stocking!
Labels:
Prayers of Elijah
My dear friend took Nadine and I with her and her daughter to see the Nutcracker on Sunday. What a treat! It was so much fun!
Good friends!
We have had our first few snows. The last time, it stuck! I am much too chicken to go outside in it just now, but the kids have had a blast for hours on end. Their favorite thing to do is come inside for hot chocolate!
Dipping a candy cane in the hot chocolate is even better!
Then, a special pre-Christmas surprise package arrived from Grandma Weldon, complete with books about winter and snow...
Also, each of them received a snowman pillow case! It will be perfect for spending the night on Christmas Eve at Grandma's house!
Then, last night my sister and I went out to get a manicure and pedicure. It was for her birthday, and also for my poor neglected toes that I can't reach anymore. They were beautified and are ready for labor and delivery now! The color? An Affair in Red Square. I really think there is something delicious about being able to look at your toes after you've had a baby and smile. Everything else is a bit frumpy! They just make me, you know, smile. =)
