Christmas Eve 2012

On Christmas Eve, Paul and I both worked.  Paul got out at 1130 and took the kids home.  I got out at one and was able to get home while the kids were napping.  We all got around and headed to the 5 o'clock service at church.  They must have been behind schedule(there were 4 services) because it didn't start until 520.  

The kids got a little antsy in the lobby. (Colin was a little grumpy)

Happier!

They liked the reindeer decor

After church, we headed over to Tara's for dinner and to decorate cookies.  It was fun to do this all together with a bunch of people.  

Audrey LOVES to paint and that includes "painting" cookies

Everyone busy at work

The finished product

We're continuing on the Christmas eve tradition of opening a pair of pajamas.  I decided to add in a Christmas book also.  I was able to get them to smile for nice pictures when I was bribing them with their presents.  

Presents!

I tried to get a pic with the kids but it didn't go very well.

We're not very photogenic

After the kids went to bed and Santa came....(and grandma, and grandpa, and mimi, and papa, and Aunt Jen, and Aunt Tina, and Uncle Adam).  The tree fills up quickly when the gifts from EVERYONE are under it.  

Christmas-time Festivities

I haven't been keeping up lately because we have been SOO busy with Christmas festivities.  We had one weekend where we had 4 Christmas parties in 5 days.  It was crazy, but we've been having a lot of fun.  

The kids ready to go to daycare for their Christmas party

Santa came to visit at daycare

I made these Santa hat desserts for one of the parties we went to.  We had a progressive dinner with a bunch of our neighbors at our end of the development. 

We decorated for Christmas.  This is what our penguins looked like most of the time.  It was so windy this year and they were constantly being blown over and decapitated.   

Dessert candies for neighbor gifts.  Colin helped me make them

They were yummy

The kids on stage for the kids' Christmas program at church

Zoo Lights! 

 Decorating the Christmas tree

They made these ornaments at church.  I love this picture of Audrey

 Gingerbread house!

 Playing in the snow

Frosty the Snowman!

 Making Christmas cookies with Uncle Billy and Courtney

Elf On A Shelf

We did the Elf on a Shelf again this year.  Our elf is Christopher Popinkins.  He comes with a book that tells the story about how he is in town from the North Pole.  He is keeping an eye on the kids to report back to Santa.  He moves around the house at night while everyone is sleeping.  Sometimes he gets into trouble.  

Here's a few pictures of what our elf was up to this season. 

He also dyed the milk purple, toilet papered the bathroom, got into the m&m's, drank the kids' capri sun and many other things. I didn't always remember to take pictures of him.  

When he was getting ready to head back to the North Pole he left the kids a letter.  Colin wanted to leave him a few m&m's for his trip back to Santa.  

The kids didn't really know what to think of him.  They loved looking around the house to find him.  However, they definitely did not want him in their room.  They got freaked out by the idea that he could come  in there while they were sleeping.  We let them know that there was a rule that he couldn't go in their rooms.  

November Catch-up!

Picnic in the tent in Colin's room

Carol and Bill came out for Thanksgiving.  We went skiing. Audrey's first time up the chair lift.

Thanksgiving! 

Simba got the leftovers

Go Blue!

 Playing with Grandpa 

She LOVES to paint!