Making Spirits Bright- Christmas 2009

Christmas this year was better than ever with my sweet cubs! We kicked off the month by going to the Christmas Tree farm with Grammy, Pops, Jay, Jenny, and Blake to pick out a real Christmas tree. We found the perfect tree and brought it home for the boys to decorate. This year we had 2 big trees (a mommy tree, and the fun tree) plus the boys very own little tree for their room. The boys loved helping decorate all the trees and helped make paper chains for the fun tree. We made cookies, and sang Christmas carols ("Oh Christmas Tree" was a favorite this year...next year we'll learn all the words to it). The boys helped daddy put up our usual red and white lights outside while mommy decked the halls inside. The boys got a new snow globe from Grammy and Pops which they loved shaking (yikes!) and winding up. Another favorite was their new nativity scene with the light up star that sang "Away in a Manger"...the boys would press the button and sing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"...another Christmas Carol to learn for next year. Oh, and I can't forget to mention our friend Buddy that showed up after Thanksgiving...Buddy is our "Elf on a Shelf" that showed up to keep an eye on Grant and Reid. The boys grew to love Buddy; although when he first showed up I wasn't so sure how it would go over since Reid kept kicking Buddy and knocking him off the rocking horse. Every night after their prayers the boys would whisper to Buddy what they wished Santa would bring them, and they would try to convince Buddy that they had been good little boys :) Well turned out they must have made the "nice list" because Santa brought Grant his "Big Mack Truck" and Reid's "Pink heart purse" that they wished for.

This year was a White Christmas, which was absolutely gorgeous! I never managed to get the boys out to play in the snow before it melted, but I did get a few quick snapshots. They loved the snow and keep telling me it's going to snow again and that it will be Christmas again...so I guess "snow" = Christmas :) Another big hit this year was the Vandergriffs "Present Christmas Tree". Reid caught a glimpse of this wonderful, festive piece of yard art at the Vandergriff house, and was obsessed with it the rest of the month. Every day on the way to or from school he wanted to know if the "Present Christmas Tree out my window mommy?" It became a game...whose window would the Present Christmas Tree be out...we would have to turn around and do another drive by so it could be out Grants window too....the joys they bring!

I know there is so much I'm forgetting to mention, and as I typed I know there are pictures I'm leaving out, but I guess this is why you need to blog every day...right Erin?! :)

My Snow Cubs

Drinking Hot Cocoa....a new obsession after our visit to Britton and Miss Mauri's house

Mommy's tree

The snow globe from Grammy and Pops...you can almost see all the finger prints on it

"Twinkle twinkle little star...."

One of Grant's favorite gifts from the O'Dwyers..."to infinity and beyond"

Christmas at the Nicholsons...playing peekaboo with Papa

Grant and Cousin Colin on their scooters from Grammy and Pops

All the cousins...I love this one

The famous "Pink heart purse"

Merry Christmas! (try to ignore the wood panelling)

Making cookies for Santa