Fun while it lasted

Christmas time is getting exceptionally funner as I have a child that is growing older. This year was so magical and busy. Here are some highlights.

My mom gave us this precious moments nativity a few years ago for the kids to play with, which is awesome, but it also means that the baby Jesus is long gone and can not be found. I was touched one morning to find that this is how he set up the manger scene. Just imagine that baby Jesus is there, because that is what William does.

We have spent a lot of time trying to emphasize the reason for the season and I think he gets it, but that doesn't mean he wasn't excited for Santa to come.

Even having this advent calendar did not stop him from asking everyday if Santa was coming. He had a hard time grasping the difference between Christmas time and Christmas day.

This advent calendar was given to us the first year of our marriage by my mother. She made it to replicate the one I used growing up - which still hangs in her home. Not only did she make one for us but for all of my seven siblings. Now I know where I get it from. Making all my Christmas gifts this year really helped me to appreciate all the handmade gifts and lovelies I have received growing up and still get. Thank you mom.

We spent a lovely evening with the Christensen family an had a small program and gift exchange. The gifts we were giving were sent off to Tacoma but we gave our gifts to mom and dad but for some reason I don't have pictures of either. We gave Mom a box of about 100 cards or so (all made by myself) because she is always sending cards and we gave Russ dad a homemade magnet that said "there is always room for more meat in the freezer." Kinda an inside joke. We received some awesome loot from Russ brother and his wife. An FHE grab bag and William for Chutes and Ladders. I got a fragrance plug in that smells so good and Russ got a wind up flashlight. And we got a gift card to Macaroni grill. All of these things make me very happy.

The only pics I got of the night were Russ and I in our matchy shirts and...William in his Santa costume that my mother made him when he was two. He insisted on wearing it and we brought another shirt in case this got to uncomfortable (it had to be uncomfortable) but he never complained.

Mostly is was just great to get together with the family. And I am wishing I had taken more pictures.