Christmas Part Two

Starting Christmas celebrating early this year, meant we had lots of time for Christmas fun!

Christmas donuts from a friend!

9 month old birthday snuggles

Christmas carolling at a nursing home.
We loved this last year and this year too. We went with our homeschool group (plus a few church friends this year.) Besides the songs the group sang, K also played Silent Night on his recorder and C sang Little Drummer Boy. 

We went to a holiday library concert

Read lots of good Christmas books-this was one of my favorite new ones this year.

I always love our Jesse Tree- Thank you Janelle! 

A first this year was the Nutcracker. The girls and I really enjoyed it!

We went with two friends and their daughters

The girls all sat together the first half. The second half the girls were by their Mommies and C took a nice nap. She enjoyed what she saw. We loved that we knew most of the music because of the Tchaikovsky-discovers-america-audiobook. And both girls really loved reading the Nutcracker book after we went. 

We did lots of neighborhood caroling and cookie delivering. 

So much to smile about- especially at Christmas

Two boys went with us to big church

we were only planning to have one picnic in December but it was so nice out that we had an extra!

We rode our bikes to the neighborhood cookies with Santa party at the lot. Nice to have some cookies and chat with neighbors. The kids had fun playing. we did skip the hot chocolate since it was shorts weather!

Manna had a nice MU Serve team dinner- complete with bouncy house!

and snowman decorating

Thankful Christmas

So much to be thankful for this year:

1. Family who come see us!
2. Husband home with us
3. Home to live in
4. Chickens to feed

5. and hold
6. beautiful weather

7. growing chickens and children (T is holding Liberty here)

8. more family
9. new van that can seat us plus some family

10 plenty of time to celebrate Christmas!
Following a tradition started in Baltimore, we started early this year- right after Thanksgiving. 

After a wonderful Thanksgiving, we headed out Friday to find a tree

We did some Christmas baking! See Nola Grace's cookie jar!

Went to see Christmas decorations at the Poe house

Donned our Christmas clothes- don't they all look nice!

This turkey is a little out of order but it was really good!

We had amazing weather for Thanksgiving. This tree was beautiful and the kids cute too!

Love visits with family!

KG with her favorite East coast uncle!

The good weather lead to some photo ops out back

Smily V with his Nana

We trimmed the tree!

Donned our Christmas PJs (all of us!) 

Got lots of wonderful presents!

Merry Christmas! And to all a good night!

Little c isn't so little anymore- "I'm Free"

"I'm growing up too fast Mommy" and that's the truth! whoever said the days go slow and the years fast was right too! Just yesterday this sweet little girl was a teeny tiny baby and now she's big!

We had a fun birthday for this sweet "Fwee year old" We met Daddy for lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings. Then little c got to go with Daddy to the zoo (AKA Petsmart.) She even got to ride in the truck with him (it was all the way on the other side of the parking lot while the rest of the kids went to Dollar Tree with me.)

She was so excited to open the presents they picked for her at Dollar Tree.

Cupcakes are always fun!

V didn't get a cupcake but a ride in a laundry basket is pretty fun too!

She had a birthday party with friends too! Pizza, playtime, pinata, presents. 

sweet to have some friends about her size!

this sweet girl got to celebrate with the LewCrew, with friends, with Nana and Papa, and with Grandma and Pops Leon. a well celebrated 3rd birthday!