Happy Birthday Jesus!

We made chocolate cupcakes for Jesus' birthday.  We all enjoyed the cake and it helped us remember the reason why we celebrate Christmas.

Christmas with my mom's family and Christmas at home

We had Christmas with all my mom's family on Christmas Eve.  We drove to there and back in one day because we had candlelight communion that night at our church.  We opened gifts with Xavier at home at communion.  So both these celebrations occurred the same day. I only took about four pictures at mom's family celebration.  One was this cute "cheese" face from one of Xavier's cousins.  We got Xavier "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" (my favorite children's book) with a toy caterpillar, playdough toys, a popper, and a kitchen.  Notice our lovely blanket wrapping jobs.  It was such a long day, but it ended well.

Oh and PJ's which we modeled in the rocking chair

Christmas with my parents

We like to spread Christmas out around here.  Share the love.  We had Christmas with my family on the 26th.  We probably would have opened gifts on Christmas evening but J.J. was sick. Poor guy.  He's spent more of his break feeling yucky than well.  My parents made a "traditional" meal of turkey although we discussed that maybe goose was the real traditional dish.  We like to take turns opening gifts so everyone can watch the other people reactions.  It was a fun time.  We got to play more games.  My dad made his famous tapioca pudding.  We all watched Jeopardy. I helped the kids put together and decorate a gingerbread house.  The older girls played in the snow. It was just a nice relaxing day.

More Angry Birds please Uncle Brian

A sippy in our stocking. Hooray!

A Weeble tree house

Cousins in the snow with Grandpa

The finished product

Playing/eating Don't Break the Ice

Big Family Celebration #3

I guess I will go in reverse order (since my husband apparently already downloaded some the pictures off the memory card on his computer and it is with him at work).  Our last big Christmas celebration was with my dad's family.  It was my aunt's year to host, so we made the 6+ hour drive last Thursday to spend a couple days with my family.  We actually headed down a day early.  My sister and brother-in-law live within 30 minutes of my aunt and they agreed to watch Xavier for most of an evening so J.J. and I could have a date.  This was our second date since bringing Xavier home.  Last time we went to football game.  This time we went out to a movie and then had dinner.  It was so nice to just sit and talk!  Friday evening the whole family got together for food and games.  My aunt had a finger food contest and there was so much food!  Xavier even made pigs in a blanket.  Saturday we got together again and, of course, ate some more.  We played more games and just enjoyed each others company.  Xavier had so much fun running around with his cousins.  The event was in a church fellowship hall that doubles as a gym, so there was plenty of open space for running, spinning, jumping, rolling on the floor, all those things that Xavier likes to do.  We headed home early in the afternoon.  Xavier did so well in the car.  I don't know if I've mentioned it, but he usually behaves marvelously in the car.  There have been a few exceptions, but this time he was a trooper.  Once again I hardly got my camera out, but I did snap a few cute pictures of Xavier with his youngest cousin.

Looking very mischievous

I had to crop the photos because the poor kid had an accident and his mother didn't bring him any extra pants so he spent most of the day running around pantless.  I thought I would save him the embarrassment later in life of having diaper pics on the Internet.

Christmas Vacation

So I took a Christmas vacation from the Internet.  Well, not entirely, but I didn't do my usual once a day checking of blogs, Facebook, etc.  I am now hopelessly behind on news and it will take me awhile to get caught up on blogs, but I really enjoyed having J.J. home for two whole weeks!  He headed back to work today and Xavier and I tried to get back into our previous no-Daddy routine.  He has asked about his Daddy so many times today.  Right now we are about to head to a basketball game so we can get in a little more Daddy time today.  In those two weeks we were busy enjoying Christmas cheer and New Year's fun.  I am going to try posting each day this week so I can share some of our favorite new holiday memories.  I hope all your Christmases were merry and bright.  Welcome to 2012!!  (Oh, actually Christmas isn't quite over because we plan to do some celebrating Friday for Russian Christmas Eve.  Anyone have a good recipe for borsch?)

So Long Thanksgiving, Hello Christmas!

Another holiday has come and gone and once again I did not break out the camera a single time.  I even had three chances.  We had Thanksgiving dinner at my parents' church the night before Thanksgiving. Then we had dinner with J.J.'s family and my parents on Thanksgiving day.  Then we had our church dinner last night.  In all that feasting I did not stop and think, "Hmm, this is our first Thanksgiving as a family.  Just maybe I should take a picture to commemorate this occasion".   I did stop to be thankful though.  I am not the best at reflecting or soaking in the moments.  We used to hear about "ah, ha" moments in education all the time, but those are few and far between for me.  If I was truly honest I am pretty much a live on the surface kind of person.  There were moments this past week that made me stop and think though.  I am so thankful to be a mommy.  Xavier is one fantastic little boy.  I thought about where we were a year ago and it amazes me to be here with a little boy draped across my lap telling me about "buttons" and "dogs" while I type.  So I was thankful and I am thankful and I, hopefully, will continue to be thankful.  Can you really document that with a photograph?  That sounds like a good excuse.  Now I have started off the Christmas season with a bang of success in the photography department.  Enjoy and welcome to the season of joy.

 

Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts

Helping Daddy put the tree together

Best gift is already under the tree

Hanging ornaments

Helping Daddy put the angel on top of the tree

Eating a cookie after some hard work decorating

"I love you" and other miracles

Our Orphan Sunday event was a success!  It was an emotional day for me.  I had invested some time and prayer and (why can't I stop) worry into this day, but it seemed to go off without any hitches.  We had a good size crowd for something that had never been done before.  The chili and stew was yummy and it was a gorgeous day outside.  Several people had questions for our speaker and she did a fantastic job giving them information about all the services her agency provides.  It was interesting for me to hear about the projects closer to home because we spent our time focused on the international side of things.  That was miracle number one.  Now we are getting so much rain that water has pooled in our backyard and it is running down the edge of the street.  That is miracle number two.  And, after 5 months with us Xavier will now say "I love you".  We've been saying it from day one and we kept hoping he would reply, but some things just take time.  We actually are a little sneaky, but if we whisper "I love you" he will usually whisper back.  Best words ever!!