Christmas Eve

MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Oh boy, oh boy, Christmas is tomorrow!  How exciting.  Everyone's ready here, and we had a really great week leading up.  We got a nice family picture in front of the Christmas tree, and everyone was a pretty good listener for the pictures as well.

Grayson is just growing up too fast!  He spilled something on the floor this past week, and then cleaned it up himself.  While I'm grateful he can help out and clean up, and am UNgrateful that he is no longer a little baby!  In unrelated news, we're accepting applications for new neighbors, and the application process is to send us a picture of your current baby...

Brooke got sick this past week, which is super lame.  She's just been so sick so much lately.  That means Grayson has a playmate for most of the week.  They had all kinds of fun, including some Mario Kart.  Grayson had a great time playing, and even got second in a race.  He'll also alternate setting down his controller and letting the auto-pilots keep him on course, or wiggling the controls and swerving off the road.  He's a natural.

Do you know what the problem is with having a sick playmate?  Well, at Grayson's age at least, you tend to share everything.  Snacks, the switch controller, germs... a throw up bowl...  Great news, no one actually used the bowl... bad news, that means two people threw up somewhere we never wanted it.  It's a little funny when Grayson is sick though, he'll usually take long naps, but when he's awake he is going full speed just like any other day.  In this picture he's full speed watching TV... but when he's up, he's active.

I don't remember if there's any story to this, but Winry had a chocolate popsicle after school one day, and mostly I just love how she gets a ring around her mouth!

On Friday both of the kids had a party at school, and Brooke was feeling better by then too!  Parents were invited, and Monica went to both parties while I watched Grayson.  Watching Grayson involved him sleeping in until 9, and then turning on "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" when he woke up.  Anyway, here's Winry at her party with an awesome wreath ornament.

And Brooke made a reindeer hat.

School was a short day, and really was just a day to have a Christmas party.  Monica took all the kids to Chick-fil-a for lunch, and of course they all got ice cream.  What a way to celebrate the start of Christmas break.

On Christmas Adam we had Santa waffles for breakfast.  I slept in, I don't remember if I was up late with Grayson or what at this point, but if I recall correctly Monica said Winry helped make it all.  What a great helper, and hopefully she'll just bring Monica and me breakfast in bed all on her own soon!

I don't really remember the context of this picture, but I'm guessing Grayson was still feeling a little sick, and we were just snuggle buddies.

On the 23rd for dinner we decided to have a "Bethlehem" dinner.  I don't know how authentic we really were, but we ate on the floor by candlelight, and had lentils and pita bread and humus and olives and dates.  I know Monica looked things up, but I think we also just ate a lot of what we had, and I at least don't think the Madras Indian Lentils were period authentic!  Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and the kids all dressed up.  Grayson was a donkey, Brooke was a shepherd, and Winry was a wise man with a gift. Oh and Brooke completely came up with Grayson's costume on her own, made it for him, and dressed him in it!

On Christmas Eve, the girls sang in church.  They did a fabulous job, and the picture was better than ever thanks to Monica's new phone!

That evening the kids all put on their matching pajamas and we got a picture in front of the tree.  Fortunately none of them look naughty in this picture, which is good as this was a last chance for a good impression.

That night we all came to the piano and sang some Christmas songs together.  I thought it was a really great time and I would love to do it again every year.

Brooke even played her Christmas song she has been working on this year.

And that night right before bed we did a call with Monica's family.  Her parents were home alone for Christmas, so we all called to chat, even Melanie and family in India!  It's not terribly easy to get everyone together, so it was nice to see everyone.

And I think that's a wrap for our lead up to Christmas.  Of course we're excited for presents tomorrow, but we're also excited that we can return to live with Heavenly Father because Jesus Christ was born!  I am so grateful He is my Savior, and that He was willing to suffer for my sins so that I can repent and be healed.  I am grateful for the gift that He is in my life, in the life of my wife and children, and the lives of all people.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.