December Catch Up!! (Hurry, don't miss it...)

Ok, quick synopsis of Decemeber.
Christmas tree hunting -great fun!
Broken Digital Camera - not so fun!
Sonogram of the new baby - awesome, everything looks perfect (I think its a girl...nothing to base it on, but mothers intuition?)
Christmas party after Christmas party - great time with family and friends
Brynn's first time iceskating - she cried almost the entire time
Christmas Eve Eve - fun with the Mittelstadts
Christmas Eve - amazing church service and fun with the Andre's
Christmas morning - family time, then more family time
Christmas day and dinner - (we got a new digital camera - YEAH!!!!!) family time with the Nelsons
2 more Extended family dinners - everyone got the privilidge of sharing christmas with us this year...
Today - Cannon hurt his cute little pudgy ring finger, so sad...
Tomorrow - New Years Eve party with friends
New Years Day - Brunch with more friends
Friday - Leave for Hawaii

I will stop there. I am so blessed and excited about this upcoming year. The trip with family to Hawaii, a new baby coming to meet us, Brynn starting preschool, Cannon mastering sleeping in a "real" bed. So much to look forward to. I pray that you all have a full, exciting and blessed New Year as well.

Christmas Blessing

Our family received the most wonderful surprise in the mail a few days ago. During this season, the kids and I love getting the mail, because of all the Christmas cards, pictures, and newsletters. They love opening the mailbox, and finding all the letters, and I love opening the letters and catching up with all of my friends. We got an unusual letter, with a blurred postmark, and no return address that felt especially heavy. I was excited to open it and expected the possibilities of multiple pictures, or a thick letter from friends. Instead, and to my absolute amazement, was an unsigned Christmas card, with two very generous gift cards inside. What an amazing thing to find! I called Rich, and we both talked about who in the world would think of us for such a great gift. We are completely stumped, and utterly grateful for such a fun and thoughtful anonymous gift. I am still smiling about it! Merry Christmas!!!!

Happy Holidays

Ok, so I know that there is controversy about the whole "Happy Holidays" vs "Merry Christmas" thing. I went out to dinner with friends a few nights ago, and they were saying that they have to be careful about what they say to people at the workplace. Oh my....I feel sad about it. It is the most joyous time of year, and not because of the presents and holiday bustle. This cartoon made me laugh in a "oh my" sort of way...

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

Hee Hee

Thought this one was funny too!

Broken Camera

I am sure glad that Christmas is coming. Our digital camera broke, and I have been dropping hints like crazy to my mom that a new camera would be a great present.
Rich is back from Juarez. He had an amazing time, and can't stop talking about the ministry and opportunities that he had down there. I don't know what is more of a miracle: that we survived the 5 days without him, or that he didn't get an unhappy tummy with all the spice and different foods down there....
The kids are enjoying their time running around the our Christmas decorated house, and I am enjoying all the ornaments that I find scattered around. I am so "lucky" to get to redecorate my tree every night...
No new pics to post, due to broken camera (another huge hint for mom) but here is a funny cartoon.

Oh Christmas Tree

Picking out the perfect tree has never been so fun. Not only did we manage to all agree on a tree only 20 minutes after arrival, but we also didn't have to carry any children as we traversed among the millions of trees.

Brynn chose all the little ones to love,

Cannon gathered sticks (for goodness knows what reason),

Treks bounced around, and Rich and I just had a great time.

Success!

December 1st!!!!

Well for all you planners, and even more for those of you who don't, only 24 more days until Christmas! We got a jump start on the Santa experience for the kids this year. Cannon had his 18 month pictures taken, and while we were waiting to view and agonize over which ones to get, and which ones to discard, we went to get both kids some lap time with Santa. He's different this year, and that is a fact in itself that I am sorry to know. Why should I know which guy usually plays Santa, and if there is a new one or not. I am officially a holiday mom.
Cannon wasn't his usual chipper self for the entire morning, and we all suffered. Brynn was happy to go and be out and about, as usual, but I think that Cannon would have rather stayed at home curled into a ball under his crib. He was that fun to be with.
We couldn't get a smile out of him for his photo session with the photographer, and it just got worse as we dragged out our time at Coddingtown. He was in full blown tears, mouth open, wailing on Santa's lap, and after a short trip on the holiday choo-choo train, it was temper tantrum time. Fun, fun. The "elf" taking the Santa picture tried to get me to buy the one that was taken in a split second between sobs, but I laughed so hard at the crying one, that I had to get it. Enjoy!