CHRISTMAS !!!!!!!

Collin - age 12 1/2


Kaitlynn - age 10 1/2


Christopher - age 7


Kaebrie - age 5

The above 4 pictures are the annual, traditional individual pictures taken for their Christmas books. It is fun (and a bit sad) to look back through those books and see how much they have changed and how fast they are growing up. Kaitlynn didn't pose for this one below, she was waiting for me to do something with the camera and I saw her looking at the tree and snapped it. I really like the glow and the reflection of the lights on the floor and the look on her face.
After that picture, Kaitlynn and I left for the Christmas Eve Communion Service. Kaebrie had a fever and ended up in the ER on Christmas day with a very bad UTI. So Collin stayed home with her so I could go to church. When we returned, we got into jammies and opened our ornaments (every child gets one each Christmas that symbolizes something that happened that year). Collin got a BELIZE ornament. Kaitlynn got a Minnie Mouse who was knitting ornament. Tiff got a soccer ornament. Kaebrie got a ballet ornament. And even Yazzi got an ornament - a golden retriever puppy in a stocking.

The rest of these pictures are a bit out of order, some were Christmas Eve some were Christmas morning.

Sam's mom let me have a letter she found that was written for Sam by his grandfather 31 years ago. I had it matted and framed. Sam had no recollection of that letter. It really touched him.

Kaebrie got a doll! She had wanted one really bad. She gave her a Christmas name and Holly has been by her side ever since.
So much so that she posed this picture and asked me to take Holly's official Christmas picture! :D
Tiff LOVED his art set!
Below is probably my favorite picture from Christmas Eve. Can you tell they are a bit exited about opening their Wii Fit?
I got a rotisserie!!! It also cooks, dehydrates, defrosts and more. Sam even had some chickens in the outside fridge waiting to be rotisseried! :D It was YUMMY!!!!
Then everyone had hot chocolate with marshmallows as I had planned for a movie night, but we all ended up playing the Wii Fit.
A VERY excited Tiffer who BEGGED for this and just knew what that square box was under the tree.
We have a traditional breakfast on Christmas morning, bacon (or sausage)
scrambled eggs, (but these were not edible and had to be thrown out)
and the favorite, CINNAMON ROLLS!
After breakfast we open stockings! Yazzi went first. Here she is winking at me , saying thank you for her new bone.
She LOVED it!
The kids have a computer site they love called Club Penguin. You can play for free, but members get to do extra special things. 3 of them got a one month membership card in their stockings. As you can see, Kaebrie is thrilled!
Also in her stocking: Silly Bandz! I so could have invented these rubber band shaped thingys.
Tiff wanted a certain Wii game, Lego Indiana Jones. He was happy to have unwrapped that!
We had almost convinced Collin that we were not able to get his special gift this year. He got a new strap from Kaebrie, there were picks and strings in his stocking, but we couldn't tease him any more...
He got a new guitar!
His favorite one, after playing many in 2 different stores. I LOVE that look on his face!
Kaitlynn is excited over a coupon she got from her JuJu! One week (or more) of time in Alabama with her grandparents ALONE. Like, without her siblings. She loved that idea, and so did everyone else!
There are a lot more pictures, but those tell the story the best. Of course the most important story was talked about all month with our Jesse Tree. The birth of Christ and what that meant for us.
Happy Birthday Jesus!