Christmas Eve

While our Christmas Eve didn't go as planned, we tried to make the best of it.  It's been raining non-stop for days, and we knew more was coming.  All day I watched the basement carefully, waiting for water to start coming in, as usual.  We planned to leave for Indiana when Jeremy got home from in the afternoon, but just as he got home the water started coming in.  We knew we wouldn't be leaving for a while, we just weren't sure how long of a while...

Jeremy started pumping water and watching the weather maps and ground water readings online.  It looked like we were going to get 2-3 more inches in the night.  We couldn't leave the house, knowing we could have water coming in more and more, and we knew the next day it would be snowing and maybe not safe to travel.  We also didn't want to spend Christmas Day in the car.

We decided to enjoy the evening as much as we could while the pump ran.  I made dinner, and even though I'd tried to empty the 'fridge of groceries, I managed to scrounge up ham, buttered potatoes, stir-fried green beans, and the easiest pumpkin cake ever.  (Seriously, mix a can of pumpkin mix and a box of yellow cake mix and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  It's actually quite moist and yummy!)  After dinner the kids watched Polar Express while I continued packing and Jeremy continued pumping water and going inside and out in the miserable rain.

It came to bedtime.  Do you tuck the kids in on Christmas Eve, not knowing if you're leaving soon or staying?  We were conflicted!  So, we let them open gifts from each other!

Annah's biggest wish for Christmas was that she wanted a puppy.  We had many talks about how that wasn't best for our family and wasn't going to happen, but still I was afraid her little heart would be broken on Christmas morning.  The kids had all shopped for each other at the little $1 shop when we visited Santa in Arrowsmith.  Sylvia and Caeden found this little stuffed doggie in a doghouse for Annah, and she loves it.  They told her, "See?  You did get a dog for Christmas!"

Annah and Caeden gave Sylvia a little notebook "diary."  Perfect for the girl who constantly has a notebook and is scribbling or doodling something in it!

Annah and Sylvia gave Caeden a Spiderman puzzle.  Yep, super excited!

Caeden bought his daddy an ice scraper for his car.

Annah and Sylvia each made gifts that had their pictures on them for Mommy and Daddy !

We kept our tradition of giving the kids one gift "from us" on Christmas Eve.  This year they got PJ's...already washed, of course, so they could put them right on!

They loved them!

I've never seen kids so excited about jammies!

They must have thanked us over a dozen times, in their most sincere and dramatic voices.  :)

Jeremy got to a point where he felt the water would stop coming in, and we decided to leave.  The kids went upstairs to watch claymation Christmas movies on our bed while we loaded the car and got the house ready for us to leave.

It was after 10pm when we finally left, and after 4am Christmas morning when we arrived at my parents' house.  It rained the whole way, and we were so exhausted.  The kids slept fairly well, and Jeremy even let me stay awake and tell him annoying stories to help him stay awake.  He had to stop a few times and get out to get a rush of cold air to wake him.  It was rough going, but thankfully, we didn't hit ice until a few miles before Mom's & Dad's.  Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas!

I'm sorry; I didn't get any paper Christmas Cards sent this year.  Please accept this digital card as our greeting to you, our friends and family we treasure so much!

We pray that your holiday season is full of warmth and blessings, and most of all, that you enjoy a relationship with Emmanuel, God with us, who is the reason we celebrate, and the Meaning of Life!
We love each one of you, and thank God for your presence in our lives!

(click on photo to see it larger)

Bethlehem Star

Annah and Sylvia were part of the Christmas musical, Bethlehem Star, that our church did together with another.  The pastors of the other church wrote the entire musical, and the kids learned the whole thing in 5 days!  It was a lot of practice time all at once, but it turned out really well, and they enjoyed it.

Annah played the part of a paparazzo, and looked so adorable in her costume.  She loved every part of the process and performance.

I didn't get many pictures of the show, because I had spent all day away from home (at the doctor and pharmacy, once I was diagnosed with strep throat, yay) and didn't get to charge my camera battery.  It ran out a few minutes into the show.  I didn't get a single picture of Sylvia. 

Sylvia was so precious as a shepherd.  She had on little leather pants, a vest, was barefoot, and had a dirty, smudged face.  She didn't smile the whole time she was on stage, I don't think, but said she was nervous.  She did enjoy being in the show though.  All the kids did a great job, and it was a cute show.

Rats & Crabs

Caeden and I were in the car today, and he was antsy as always. 

He said to me, "Mommy, I have so much energy, feel like I have rats and crabs all over me, biting me every hour of every day of my life, and I can't hold still, and I'm so scared!  I just have too much energy, and I can't hold still!  I have too much energy!"

I said to him, "Well, Caeden, I think that must be what it feels like to be a boy."

1st Lost Tooth!

Back in September, when the kids went to the dentist, Caeden was so surprised when the dentist pointed out that his bottom front two teeth were loose.  He started working on wiggling them right away.

Yesterday while I was teaching a piano lesson, and Caeden and Sylvia were upstairs watching a movie, he pulled his first tooth!  He came running downstairs to show me right away! 

This morning, he hopped in bed with me and showed me that the Tooth Fairy brought him 12 quarters.  He was VERY excited!

He looks pretty cute with that little space in his mouth!

Pre-K Family Fun Night

Tonight I took the kids to Caeden's Pre-K "Family Fun Night" at the school.  (Daddy was out of town for work.)
(I know, captions on the pictures seem weird...I added them for a slideshow we're giving Jeremy's parents for their digital photo frame, and accidentally didn't save them without captions for the blog before.)  Anyway...

We had a great time!

Making a wreath...

We had a great time, and are so glad the teachers make the time and effort to do these fun events! 

Christmas Cheer

We don't put up a lot of Christmas decor at our house, but I thought we would share a few of our favorites

(Sorry, I added captions to some photos for a slide show for my in-laws' digital frame, and didn't want to go back and find the original photo.)

My Uncle Earl made this grapevine wreath a few years ago.  I just added the berries, flowers, and bow.  I love having it hanging on our front door...our only outside Christmas decoration.

I made a couple of these Christmas trees 2 years ago during the holiday season.  The other has buttons.  I thought they would be simple, cheap, fun projects the kids could maybe help me with.  It turned out buttons and pins with certain head colors can add up in cost, and it definitely isn't a quick project.  But they do look cute on our mantle.

Caeden gave this nutcracker soldier to his sisters last year for Christmas, and is proud to have him standing on our mantle this year.

Candy Cane Cookies

Jeremy's mom makes these awesome Candy Cane Cookies, and has at least since Jeremy was a kid.  We love them.  However, several years ago, I swore off making them myself, as they are very time-consuming.  So, for the past few years, Jeremy has made them himself!  He asked me last weekend if I would mix up the dough and chill it for him so he could make some to share with his coworkers this week.  I mixed up 4 batches this morning.

The kids get really excited for Daddy to make his Candy Cane Cookies, and really wanted to help.  Daddy let them help for a few minutes before bed, and they were overjoyed.  We're hopeful for leftovers to enjoy! ;)

Santa Claus is coming to town!

The fire department in our little village puts together a really great Santa event each year. 

They make the inside of the firehouse look very festive!

The kids get to decorate their own sugar cookies...

...with as much icing and sprinkles as they can fit on them!

In our town, when the firehouse gets word that Santa and his reindeer have landed nearby, the elves jump in the firetruck to go pick him up.  And they all arrive at the firehouse with a quick siren blare!  This year, Mrs. Claus even came along!

There is a sweet little $1 store set up for kids to buy items.  Annah, Sylvia, and Caeden each took money from their piggy banks and bought gifts for each other, their grandparents, and their daddy.  Some helpers helped them wrap them.

We waited in line for a chance to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what we would like for Christmas.

He patiently chatted with each child.

Caeden is asking Santa for the game, Don't Break the Ice.  Since becoming aware of this wish on Thursday evening, both Mommy and Daddy have taken care of this purchase...oops. ;)

Annah shared with Santa her hope and dream of getting a puppy for Christmas.  She will be one broken-hearted little girl on Christmas morning, I fear, even though we have had many, many talks about why we cannot have a dog.

Sylvia told Santa she didn't know what she wanted for Christmas, and he encouraged her to keep being a good little girl.

The girls thought it was very nice that Mrs. Claus came along, even though Caeden wasn't too interested.

We came home and rested, as we do every Sunday afternoon.  Daddy woke Caeden up at 4:30 and they had some snuggle time on the couch watching football.

We've been watching all our Christmas movies, plus some from Netflix over the past few weeks, including a couple this evening while having popcorn and putting together puzzles.  I'm so thankful for a very relaxing weekend!  We've been wishing for one for a while, and it was SO nice!!!

School Christmas Lunch

For the first time ever, I was able to go to a special holiday lunch for families at the school!  I messed up and missed the Thanksgiving lunch for grades 3-5 with Annah, but Caeden and I were excited to attend the K-2 lunch with Sylvia today!

When we arrived in Sylvia's class during indoor recess, all her classmates were very excited to see Caeden.  He seems to know every kid in the school, and they all know him...Mr. Social, just like his dad!

Sylvia showed us how to go through the cafeteria line, and where to sit.  It was Caeden's first school lunch, and he felt like such a big kid.  We had ham, potatoes and gravy, stuffing, and apple pie.  Yum!

After the K-2 grades were dismissed, Caeden was still eating, so we were able to hang around for a few minutes of the 3-5 lunch and see Annah and her friends arrive for lunch!
Here she is with Maya, Haley, Michaela, and Jada, good friends.