CHRISTMAS

Our first Christmas celebration was last weekend in the LA area with John's family. We drove out there Saturday morning, had Christmas on Sunday, and were back in the van driving home on Monday. whew! quite the whirlwind trip, especially since we had just arrived home from my Grandmother's funeral the prior weekend...but it was so good to see John's family again. The kids LOVE their California aunties, cousins and Nana. :)

we all slept in my sister-in-law's office/guest room. They have an "L" shaped sofa that John and I slept on (see the burgundy sheets?) and then they graciously set up a queen air mattress for the kids to sleep on -sausage style! :)

Here are a few pics I took of the kids during the Christmas party.

John's mom got Andrew a camping set. He slept with the canteen and wore that headlamp EVERYWHERE the entire day. He had a big ole red mark on his forehead from it! :)

Becca got a "Sleeping Beauty" dress up outfit-the pic is missing the high heeled pink plastic pumps that goes with the outfit. :)


Miss Elizabeth came down with a really bad cold Sunday afternoon (why we ended up leaving CA earlier than expected), so we skipped church on Christmas Eve and just went over to my parent's for dinner.

Here is Miss E on her 2nd Christmas Eve with us.

Becca was in NO mood to be taking pictures (she had skipped nap that day and was rather unpleasant by 7pm!) -thus the stone face on her. :)

the stockings were hung by the pool table with care. :)

(can you see the outline of the one on the right?)

Christmas morning the kids got their stockings, unwrapped their couple toys here, and then we headed over to my parents' where my sister's gang was awaiting us.

getting cooking utensils

hmmmm...more cooking utensils

it's hard to see in this pic, but Becca's face is one of pure joy as she realizes she is opening her "My Little Mommy" baby doll and accessories. :)

Andrew with his monster truck

at my parents', my sister is trying to get a good pic of the boys..notice Rebecca in on the action.

She was SO excited all week to get to see her new cousins on Christmas!

Jeremiah

you talkin' to me?!

baby in a box!

my parents gave our kids a play kitchen for Christmas (thus, all the kitchen gadgets the kids got from us!)

AND, my sister's kids got one too!

the kitchen comes with a phone..notice Becca and my niece Jackie "talking" to each other. :)

the "littles" playing

Andrew riding his new bike at grandma and grandpa's house.

We had a wonderful Christmas week, minus Elizabeth being sick AND back to having 4-5 nightmares a night. :(

God has done SO much for and with us this year ~ we are eager to see what He will do in 2009. :)