All Things Christmas!

I love Christmas, I have always loved Christmas, but to see it through the eyes of a child is beautiful!  Ethan really "got it" this year...celebrating the birth of Jesus, the Elf on the Shelf, Santa...he was so excited about everything and wanted to share it and talk about it....it was so much FUN!  So here is our Christmas (whole month of December) in pictures....

 

The Christmas Story at church.

 

Singing at school - Happy Birthday Jesus and We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

 

 Riding the Creekmore Christmas Train.

 

Christmas pajamas....

"You really want me to wear this bow?"

"I just don't think I can do it."

"I'm not kidding!" 

Christmas Morning....

Triceratops (This request was given to Santa last Christmas after he received the T-Rex and the Brachiosaur.) 

Jumping!

 

Or your own personal space to clean out your purse?



 

 Christmas Evening....

 Ethan, the Christmas elf, delivered presents to everyone - with Grammy and Papa.

 

 Every time you take her picture she says cheese...I promise she is not always squinting!

 

The Te family (and Clara the photo bomber). 

Pop and Gigi - the Saturday after Christmas. 

 One more "cheese".

 

 Hey Grammy we are all wearing red, lets take a picture.

 

Showing off the Ninja Turtles in Training.

 Santa!  This picture was taken Christmas Eve morning at the bank. Last Christmas we had pictures taken with Santa 15 times...this Christmas I couldn't get it worked out.  At a fundraiser, Clara wouldn't go near him....Breakfast with Santa at the bank didn't happen...the Christmas parade was postponed and then canceled due to snow and ice.  I wasn't sure we were going to get one this year...nothing like squeezing it in at the last minute. 

 

Snow Day Projects

Snow Days make me think I have time to tackle all kinds of projects that I normally wouldn't be able to accomplish.  I mean I am stuck at home...I need to do something productive...right?  Here is what we accomplished...

 

Decorating the Christmas Tree..

Ethan was such a big helper.  I think he really just wanted to climb the ladder.

 

 Clara either threw the ornament at the tree (hoping it would stay) or she would take off something Ethan had already put on the tree.

 

We finished! 

Bet you can't guess who put this little collection together. 

Felt Christmas Tree for the kids.

 

The front door.  Okay, so I did this by myself during nap time.

Painted our very own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle ornaments.  We made two sets.  One for us and one for the wonderful Chris Mort who introduced us (Ethan) to all that is Ninja Turtles!

 

Yes, my children are in their pajamas in every picture.  We stayed in our jammies all day for three days straight.  We did take baths and put on clean jammies everyday...I promise!

Christmas Train

We took Ethan on the Christmas Train from Van Buren to Winslow and back.  Other than an hour delay in boarding, it was a fun time.

 

 

Snow Daze

We just returned to school from Thanksgiving Break (5 days off)...school for 3 days....and then out for 2 SNOW days.  Technically we only needed one of those days for snow...Thursday was just yucky and wet...no fun stuff.  However, we woke up Friday morning to a Winter Wonderland. 

 

Dressed in our Cuddl Duds (or at least the kids).

Ethan - ready to go! 

Clara (Yes, she is under there.) 

Snow Angel 

Fun with Daddy! 

She was fine until she managed to get her glove off and then it was all over! 

This was a few days later.  The snow wasn't great for making a snow man, but Ethan and Daddy made it work.  I was in charge of hunting down a corn cob pipe (pipe cleaner shaped into a pipe), eyes (buttons), and a nose (baby carrot). 

Thanksgiving 2013

Family get-to-gathers are always fun and now with all the little ones, a little crazy.  I didn't get to mom's with my camera.  Thank goodness for cell phones...or I would have missed these precious shots (thanks honey)!

Thanksgiving Feast

Ethan started his Thanksgiving celebration at school the day before Thanksgiving.  They all had coordinating shirts and headbands.  Each student had their own name - Ethan was Brave Eagle.