Christmas Cheer!

On Thanksgiving morning we watched the Macy's Day Parade and put up the Christmas Tree!

The house was a total disaster, mainly because I have a little 3 year old boy who likes to get everything out, all at once, and spread it all over the floor, and then leave it to go make a mess somewhere else. I know they are only little once, but man, it drives me nutso! Good thing he is so dang cute :)

I went to nurse Colton in his room for a while and told the kids to finish putting the ornaments on the tree. When I came back out a little while later Evie reported to me that she had told Zayne that he couldn't put more than one ornament per branch. Good rule, Evie!! It made me laugh out loud!

My multicolored wreath that I made several years ago with my Moses Lake friends got broken in our move. I don't know which move it was, but it was one of them :(  I was so sad. So I decided to make another one! I think it turned out beautiful! I did really like my multi colored one, though. Maybe I can make another one next year.

Owen took the kids down to the tree lighting in town. Colton was ready for bed and I had no desire to go out in the cold. After looking at these pictures you can tell it was chilly outside that night! The kids had fun, though. Cookie and hot cocoa was a hit!

While the kids were out our elf decided to come for the season! He brought each of them some Christmas Jammies, an ornament to hang on the tree and some Christmas socks! 

The kids have loved having him back around. Our elf doesn't do naughty things or get into stuff. He just brings some fun stuff once in a while! And he reports to Santa when the kids don't listen to their mommy and daddy and go to bed ;)

Colton is looking like such a big boy in his new jammies!

I managed to get a few decent pictures of the kids in their jammies in front of the Christmas tree....I really love these 3 kids!

A week or so later the elf brought them a gingerbread train kit!

 I need to get a picture of the finished product! They did great decorating it!

Sometimes the elf leaves a note. On Monday he told the kids to go visit Santa at his gingerbread house in the village. We decided to have Family Home Evening in the car on the way over. So we sang Away in A Manger and talked about The Nativity Story.

The elf is so smart because it was a Monday night and there was HARDLY anybody there! We only had to wait behind 2 families!

This was a really great Santa! Evie asked if he was just one of Santa's helpers and I had to tell her that I thought he was THE real Santa Clause! He told Evie that he saw extra stars by her name on the good list because she was always such a good helper with Colton! Evie told Santa that she wanted a puppy surprise for Christmas. Actually she brought him her list ;) Zayne told Santa that he wanted letters to play with in the bathtub! I am blown away by the fact that I got a picture with BOTH kids smiling! That doesn't usually happen. I only had 1 chance to get a picture and it turned out lovely!

We celebrated, of course, by going to Krispy Kreme! They even had special snowman decorated doughnuts :)

Sometimes you need daddy's hand in the picture to get your children (er, child) to look AT the camera!!