Thanksgiving & Pre-Christmas Festivities!!!

12-27-08

I will soon be uploading the myriad of actual Christmas pictures, so I decided I better hurry up and get these on here first! There will also be some cute videos within the next two postings. I hope everyone had a safe, blessed Christmas!

The following pictures were our original attempts for our Christmas card pic; after over 45 frames, we opted for the individual pics! I just thought I would include some of our test shots to show the ease of a normal family photo with three young children.

Notice that either Bella or my mouth is typically ruining the shot!

The final countdown!!! Only two months left here (Now only a few weeks)!

This was Justus' very first Christmas program. This was at our church and I got tons of calls afterward saying he stole the show! He did a wonderful job and I hope to post some video from this soon!

This was the Christmas play at his school and he was a little shepherd. At the end of the program, he stepped to the end of the stage and I could hear him asking, "Where is my mom?" (after he began to see several other parents we know). I kept trying to wave to him, but he never saw that I was on the second row right in front of him. :(

Nani took care of some "crowd control" with Pierce in the back.

He did really well too!

We went with Nani one night to go look at Christmas lights and the kids loved it!

Nani and Justus cracking up in the back.

Pierce with so many teeth showing!

I look at these and I cannot believe she is only two (almost three)!

His teeth were SO blue in this pic; he had just finished his blueberries.

The following were taken during Justus and Bella's Christmas parties at school.

Daddy was at Little B's party in the beginning while I was at J's; then we switched!

These were the wreath cookies I decorated for Justus' party.

Here is Justus enjoying the cookies!

This was our day to decorate the Christmas tree. This year was the first time I opted to use only the unbreakable ornaments.... I am SO glad that decision was made!

Bella getting ready to decorate.

All of them wanted to sit on the ornament box, so I grabbed a rare shot of all three!

Bella was crazy for the disco balls!

Another disco ball!

Now, this was the best part of letting the kids decorate the tree. Each time the older two put an ornament on the tree, Pierce pulled it off and took off running! He had a place he was trying to stash all of the ornaments. At one point Justus got so frustrated and said, "I have been working so hard all day on this tree!" Oh, it made me laugh.

Me trying to capture the little ornament man!

Their finished product (without the lights showing).

My husband working hard so we could have lights this year, yeah!!!!

Justus pointing to the guitar he wants for Christmas (with drums of course) and giving his huge smile afterward!

Pierce carrying his Aquaphor while waiting on Daddy to come home from work.

Daddy is home!!!! Time to turn on the lights for the first time!

Footie Jammies & boots, there are few things more silly...

We finally put lights on our giant "Christmas Tree" for the first time and the kids LOVED the lights every night this year!!!

I have been working with Pierce to teach him how to be gentle and loving with babies in light of the upcoming birth. He has been SO sweet to the baby dolls; hopefully it is indicative of his behavior with his baby sister.

This was just before we hopped on Santa's sled.

Always with the music...

Sweet moments...

A new adjusment for us.... moving the boys together in preparation for the new baby girl.

This was their first night in the same room...

Scene 1: Mommy lays Pierce down and Justus wants to say "goodnight".

Scene 2: Justus is being sweet, but Piercey is tired and ready for sleep.

Scene 3: Justus goes back to bed and now Pierce is sad and wide awake....

Scene 4: Pierce wants to talk and Justus wants to sleep...

Scene 5: Justus is happy to share his room with his baby brother.

(After a few weeks of sharing rooms, bedtime is normal, Pierce's morning nap is great again, but the afternoon nap for everyone is still very frustrating because Pierce sees Justus in the daylight and always wants to talk...)

The babes were given a smores set at Thanksgiving from Uncle Austin and Aunt Carrie so we decided it would be a Daddy project! Everyone was ecstatic!

Pierce enjoyed his mess!

As good as they were, they don't hold a candle to campfire smores. I found out after this that this was Gary's very first smore! Now I have to take him camping for smores!!! :)

Our second holiday project was the Gingerbread house from Grandma. I was in charge of this one...

Who needs to wait to take it out of the box?

Bella preferred the sprinkles... she poured them all out and wanted to eat them all!

Our finished product... yes, thank you Lord I am not a contractor!!! It was rough, but they could care less! :)

Pierce trying to eat the gingerbread...

This was the first time Pierce learned to climb on the window seat. He immediately stood up and started dancing on the seat!

This was our Thanksgiving visit to my grandparents' house.

Where else would they be but the piano?

My mom got to come in for a visit and we had a great time.... wish I had taken more pics!!!

Bella giving Oma sweet hugs... (Random side note: Bella went on her first out of town trip without us to Oma's the week before this.)

Justus, Opa, and Kiss

These were pics from our Thanksgiving Day celebration at Nani's! In the pic L to R, bottom to top... Nani, Carrie, Gary, and Gary L (Gary's Dad)

Nani and Pierce...

Grandad and Pierce having fun!!!

Nani and Justus having fun!

The first gift of the season!

Nani gave them a sweet porcelain gingerbread house that plays the "Sugarplum Fairies". They LOVE it!!!

Daddy and his sweet Bella!

Yes, I was there too! My sweet J-man and myself!

Aunt Carrie and Pierce laughing it up!

Sweet smiles....