Snow

We've been hoping for a great snow fall for Christmas.  We had a few fresh inches Christmas Eve for a beautiful "white Christmas," and we were thankful for another 15" on the 2nd day of Christmas!

Everyone was outside in our winter wonderland in one capacity or another - The bigger kids (and Mike) took turns shoveling around the clock to try to maintain the driveway and sidewalks and ice rink.  The girls ventured across the park to play on "snow mountain" (a snow plow pile), the littles had a sled ride and ate snow, snow fort construction was begun, and several tested out our ice rink. 

This was Dukes' first big snow fall.  He loved it! (as did Kota!)  He did keep taking off his mittens, thankfully it wasn't too cold.   It's hard to eat snow with mitten hands!

Christmas Morning

Gaude! Gaude! Emmanuel!
Rejoice!  Rejoice!  God with Us!

We have the blessing of celebrating the birth of Christ each Christmas - the greatest gift ever!

We start our celebration with the Advent season, lighting the Advent candles each Sunday and hanging a new ornament on our Jesse Tree each evening.  We prepared for the big celebration crafting gifts, decorating and baking (cookies, fudge, Wintry Mix, and candies), and delivered treats to our neighbors.  Christmas Eve we worshiped at Christmas Vigil at our Parish.  The kids followed Saint Nicholas on the NORAD Santa Tracker, we read the Luke 2 Christmas story (with kids playing roles), sang carols, hung up stockings, and left cookies and reindeer food.

Christmas morning, the kids woke to much excitement to celebrate Christmas!  Saint Nicholas had arrived during the night - the stocking were filled and gifts were overflowing from under our tree (thanks to family generously sending gifts!).  We began with opening the first gift of Christmas: Jesus!  The kids unwrapped Jesus' from each of our six nativity sets.  We prayed.  And the kids tore through their stockings (play-doh, hot wheels, pens, socks, undies, crayons, coloring books, Lego mini figures).  Before starting with the gifts under the tree, we sat at the table to eat our Christmas morning breakfast of cinnamon rolls and egg and bacon casserole.  With kids taking turns being "Santa," gifts were passed out and opened one at a time - a few gifts x 12 adds up!  Wow!  (Lego sets, Duplo, Ice Skates, Magic Cards, new books, Hawaiian Ice maker, shoes, pretty dresses, building sets)
Christmas evening we enjoyed a feast, hung the final Jesse Tree ornament, celebrated with cake and sang "Happy Birthday."

Merry Christmas 2018!