christmas 2011

christmas 2011

School Closed...

I thought it would be fun to surprise Khloe with a sign in her school room! She LOVED it!

These are a few of my favorite things

Emmanuel God with Us

The FIREPLACE

Garland Galore!

The perfect little felt trees

Aren't they HAPPY?

Our skinny Christmas Tree

Hanging in our breakfast nook a series of ornaments hung with twine, white glitter trees, a white glitter pinecone, a ring of silver bells and these ADORABLE red boots (my favorite purchase of the year)

"Lovebirds" thanks to my MILie (Mother-in-Law)

Gift tags turned into what else...GARLAND! Peek a Boo it's me

Every year every child gets new ornament for the tree, a tradition my Mother started with us! This sweet angel was Pia's. BTW I was given ALL of my ornaments when I got married to start my families own tree BEST.Gift.Ever.

Caleb picked Yoda his light saber lights up!

Khloe picked Rudolph the tree behind him lights up!

Our church does an amazing event every Christmas called Celebrate with Family. This is this years ticket.

Advent telling us only one week til Christmas!

LOVE this cork board kitchen mat it makes me smile!

Of course our cookie's for Santa plate and mug!

My Christmas ornament from when I was 10!

Like most people who decorate their house for Christmas, each year I try to add a few more small Christmas decor items to our home. This year I LOVE Christmas trees if I could have little Christmas trees all over I would. Bringing the outdoors in is something I REALLY love. We live in a small house though so I opted to buy smaller decor items. Ornament type things and garlands another thing I am also obsessed with at the moment! My house never quite feels like Christmas when my husband is gone so to put me in the mood I have been watching Christmas movies every night with the kids and decorating the pants off my little house!

The fireplace is quite busy I am afraid when I take everything down it will look like we are moving out. The kids rooms are not decorated at all this year except for the fact that they each wanted some lights hung. They each have one window in their rooms so around the window I have lights and that seems to be enough to warm their hearts! The living room is the craziest and a few things here and their in the bathroom and kitchen.

I went around snapping a few pics of some of my favorite things of Christmas 2011, hope you enjoy as much as we do!

Christmas Program

Caleb enter's stage left

Lined up giving the first of MANY thumbs up!

Cheesing for the camera

Caleb and David ROCKED the show!

It was so great to be together at Caleb's Christmas Praise Program. I had a bit of a headache but we all made it and Caleb shined like a star! They sang several songs with motions and Caleb did them all and sang with pride it was great. After almost every song he took a bow and gave Kyan and I a very enthusiastic thumbs up, yes he was the ONLY one doing this.

Each child's class walked out with their teacher and when Caleb walked out and saw that Daddy was their his mouth dropped and he said,"Daddy!" He then proceeded to tell the boy and girl in front and behind him that, "Hey, my Dad is here!" Proud Papa moment for sure. He even told me after how happy he was that Daddy was there.

Later that might we celebrated with watching Kung Fu Panda 2 and getting Yolotti. Here are a few pics and a short encore video!

Glory to God in the highest and on earth Peace and Goodwill to all Men!

Found this little gem last year on youtube and I JUST LOVE it! I literally cry and laugh every time when I watch it!

Advent Calendars

Nativity Manger Advent... add a person every day

Pia LOVES chocolate and Christmas

CJ LOVES chocolate and Christmas

Khloe LOVES chocolate and Christmas

...hung by the stockings with care. In hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be there!

My Mother got these for my sisters and I as children and I have kept the tradition for my children as well. I must say they love chocolate before breakfast!

We also had a teddy bear advent calendar growing up that moved from room to room until finally Christmas day it was in the living room under the tree. My Aunt made it I believe. I think it got ruined in the basement my mother said but non the less advent is a very important part of our Christmas tradition! I love that these little things have become just as important to my children as they are to me. The LOVE is in the details!

PINSTASH is back!

Pinstash is our Christmas Elf. I bought him on recommendation of a friend when my oldest daughter Khloe was 4. His box said "The Newest favorite Christmas Tradition" why wouldn't I have bought him, I love traditions old and new.

Since the day he first arrived Pinstash has been the newest favorite tradition the kids love him I love him and though my husband thinks he's a little well "off" to be politicly correct we all really do LOVE him and enjoy the Christmas mischief he brings.

I hope you have fun Christmas traditions of your own if you don't you should it's never to late to start. It will bring out the kid in all of you and keep happy memories warm and close to your heart forever. I promise you won't regret it if you do and I promise you will if you don't.