Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a fun one this year! We started the day off with some baking.  Nico helped Ed make chocolate chip cookies for Santa and then helped me bake a Christmas tree birthday cake for Jesus.  This took quote some time with all the decorating and then of course the clean up, but it was fun!

After a little lunch, we headed over to church for the Christmas Eve candlelight service.  We met up with Lisa, David and Dawson there, and of course Nico was thrilled to see his friend.  They were able to go up to the front of the church together when the pastor asked for all the children to come forward. This year Nico was able to hold his own candle at the end of the service.  The best part of the service was when the pastor was asking those in the congregation if they had relationships with Jesus; had accepted him as their Savior.  He then asked for everyone to close their eyes to pray and those who were just saved to raise their hands....Nico tried to raise his hand!  Although he did not completely understand the concept, he did understand that knowing and having a relationship with Jesus is important!  I love this kid, his innocence and his heart.  It will be a glorious day when he does grasp this concept a little more and can dedicate his life to Christ.

After church we came home changed into our Christmas pajamas and then headed out after it was dark to look at Christmas lights. Of course once we came home, it was time to read our traditional Christmas story books to the kids and put cookies and milk out for Santa.  The Night Before Christmas book was given to me by my mom. She read this story, from this exact book, to my brother and I all while we were growing up on every Christmas Eve.  So I feel honored that I can pass down this tradition. 

Daddy and Nico making Santa's cookies.

Nico with Jesus' birthday cake!

Nico and Dawson hanging out before church started.

You can spot Nico and Dawson right smack in the middle of the kids during the Christmas story at church.

The kiddos sportin' their Christmas jammies!

 

Here we all are about to head out to go look at lights.

 

The two books I read to Nico (and now Natalee too) on Christmas Eve

 

Pre-Christmas Visit

For various reasons Gigi is unable to spend Christmas Day with us this year, which we were all sad about; however she, my brother and his wife, Jason and Kaori, came up to see us for a short visit just day before Christmas and left on Christmas Eve to head back to Houston.  we took advantage of the little bit of time we had together and had some fun and made some memories. 

 Gigi, Ed, the kids and I all stopped by one of the areas most favorite places for fried chicken....Babes Chicken House! It is seriously some of the best food in the south.  

 

This is Nico posing with a large toy soldier while we were waiting for a table at Babes.

Gigi and Natalee having a little fun at the house.

That night, Gigi, Nico and I sat actually built a gingerbread train station and train!  It was difficult, but fun and it looked great at the end!

 

Here it is!!!!

 

 

Lisa, David and Dawson came over so the kids could exchange presents while Gigi was in town.  Nico was so excited to give Dawson his present and of course was thrilled to be given presents as well!  As usual, Auntie Lisa spoiled my babies!  She and David are the best!

 

 

 

While Gigi was here I gave her a pair of new Christmas pajamas, so Gigi, the kids and myself all dressed up in our holiday jammies to enjoy the Christmas festivities we were engaged in!  Don't we look cute? 

 

Here are the kids, Uncle Jason and myself.  This is the first time Natalee ever met Jason and Nico hadn't seen him since he was only 5 months old.  So basically it was the first time they were meeting their Uncle Jason.

 

My mom with a first picture of her with her children and grandchildren!



 

Uncle Jason and Nico!

 

The kids and I with Uncle Jason and Aunt Kaori...and Chi-chi

 

Aunt Kaori and Uncle Jason with the kids.

First visit Jason met Natalee

Silly picture of my brother and I with my kids

11 Months

Yesterday Natalee turned 11 months old!!!!  There is so much to say about how incredible she is, how loved she is, how much fun it is to watch her learn and grow, and how precious Nico and Natalee are together.  It seems like she is changing every day.  Natalee is becoming much more vocal and is saying "Mama," "Dada" and "Baba" now...all with meaning.  Through and through she is the sweetest most amazing little girl in the world!  I could go on by saying so much more, but it is  almost 9:00 pm on Christmas Eve and there is so much to blog about, with very little time!

So here are a few pictures of Natale on her 11 month old birthday!  By the way....Daddy was the first one into Natalee's room yesterday morning and so he dressed her for game day!  Go Bears!

Touchdown Bears!

Giving Thanks

I think that typically it is hard for kids to think about giving to others at Christmas time instead of constantly thinking of what they will be getting.  This year I am trying help Nico rememeber that while it is very fun to get presents on Christmas, it is also important to care, think about about and give to others. Today was one example of giving instead getting.  Nico and I baked and decorated Christmas cookies this afternoon and then we took them up the road to the nearby fire house.  Adorned with a Christmas card, we thanks the firefights for all they do and handed them our plate full of oddly shaped and strangly deocrated Christmas cookies. They were appreciative and invited Nico and I in to see the fire truck.  Nico told them he was 4 years old and spelled his name for them proudly; he then climbed up into the fire truck and was able to sit in the big seat for a few minutes before the fire fighters were called to duty.  We had to leave promply, but were able to watch as the fire truck exited the fire house and zoomed down the road with its sirens blarring.

Getting Ready for Christmas

We have been getting ready for Christmas in our household for weeks now!  Excitement has built as it is now only 4 days away.  The Christmas tree went up, then down, then up again!  Yes, you read that right....our tree was pulled down by a certain little 10 month old one evening.  It landed right on her, but thankfully she nor Nico were hurt.  So tree went back up, but looks a little less perfect now since the strings of lights, tinsel and beads got somewhat misplaced and tangled.

The tree after it fell down.

 

The tree after it went back up....too bad I didn't get a picture before the tree fell!

 

The stockings are up which is a huge deal. Four years ago my mom and I together made Nico's and Ed's stockings by needlepoint. This has been a tradition she started for me and my brother when we were small. I have always loved my mother-made stocking and wanted to do the same for my kids. However since having Natalee, I just never was able to find to the time to stitch together a stocking before her first Christmas. So, Gigi stepped up and made Natalee's entire stocking! Yep, she is the best Gigi in the world! So now all of our stockings hang up above the fireplace together. They look beautiful up there, and every time I look at them, I am amazed at how blessed Ed and I are with these two angels.

Nat-Nat's stocking made by Gigi!

Our family stockings all hung up by the chimney with care! Beautiful sight to my eyes.

Natalee looking beautiful as usual.

Natalee checking out the ornaments on the tree....so fascinating!

 

Smile!!!!

 This was at the breakfast with Santa at Primrose. I actually got a picture of both kids smiling, just not looking....Still waiting to see if the school got a better picture than me! I love this Santa though; he is there every year and is so sweet and friendly.

 



Nico is trying to hold Natalee's hand here and also keep her from crawling off.

 

Goofy kids!  I couldn't get both kids looking and smiling if my life counted on it on this day!  This was before heading out to Nico's school party.

Nico's school Christmas party!

This year Nico had an extra visitor at the party. Natalee wanted to be right in the mix with the big kids. She stood at the table and ate right off of her big brother's plate.