All Things Christmas

Our Christmas was a whirlwind as usual. Despite our efforts to try to keep things less busy we were still exhausted by the time it was all over.

This is the Friday before Christmas. Every year we get a magazine from World Vision where you can order farm animals, food, clean drinking water, or medicine for a needy families in Africa. One night, sometime before Christmas, the kids were acting like spoiled brats, so we got out the World Vision magazine to show them pictures of kids who don't have food, warm clothes, medicine when they're sick, etc, to help them appreciate all of the blessings they have in their lives. There was a picture of one little boy who was sick and didn't have medicine and Lydia asked me about him every night. "Why that little boy don't have medicine?" On Friday I was getting things ready to go to my mom and dad's and I found her on the couch looking at the picture of the sick little boy with no medicine. So, we stopped what we were doing, got on World Vision's website and ordered the little boy some medicine.

We spent the night at my parent's house Friday night and had our Christmas with them on Saturday. Kirby was taking video, but I really didn't even get the still camera out, too much going on I guess. This is the one picture I ended up getting, Kirby and Clae playing Clae's new guitar from Aunt Sissy and Uncle Brandon.

We went to my grandparent's Saturday night and then went to Christmas Eve service at our church. Lydia fell asleep while we were at church, but Clae was still going strong when we got home. A little before 11:00 Kirby and I were waiting for him to fall asleep so we could wrap the last of their presents, we thought he was sound asleep until he came riding his new scooter out to the living room! He did go to sleep shortly after that.
Our Christmas at home Sunday morning.

I told Clae to SMILE, he informed me, "this IS a smile!" Ok.

Lydia got this "rope" also known as a robe.

Before church Christmas morning. I don't know what I'm gonna have to do to get that kid to be NORMAL in pictures!

All the kids minus Lydia at Nanny and Papa's Sunday afternoon.

I don't know why she refused to join the other kids. She needs a girl cousin to play with! (or I guess a sister, yikes!)

I guess that's it. My picture taking was very random, there's just too much going on to try to be on top of taking pictures. The kids, once again, got SO many gifts this year. We try to keep it very simple at home, but the grandparents haven't quite gotten on board with us yet! We really try to use this time to teach our kids about having a spirit of gratitude and to be thankful for all that they are given. And of course to teach them about the Giver of all gifts, Jesus.

Happy New Year to all!