Its Christmas Time!

It was such a blessing to have Mom and Aunt Janice(no pictures of her this year) join us again for our family Christmas Eve celebration. Nora and Sara decided to bury her in all the Christmas stuffed animals.

Our cute little "hand out the presents elves" As you may notice in the background Emily is having the time of her life!

Before we open presents on Christmas Eve, we do a family humanitarian project. This year was newborn kits. It breaks my heart to know that baby's are wrapped in banana leaves and newspaper in some parts of the world. So we completed 14 kits. When Nora asked what I was doing, I explained that I was making baby blankets for babies that didn't have a grandma to make them one. She liked that explanation. This was especially meaningful for me, since we are adding 2 new grandchildren this year. Neither of which will lack for blankets, clothes, diapers or food. Nora and Sara passed out the items, while the rest bagged the kits.

This is what makes Christmas fun for me. Are they just the cutest things you have ever seen?

Our annual Nativity Puppet Show gets better every year. Sara decided she didn't want to do 2 puppets at a time, so Sam helped. The girls know the story. Saras line was the Angel saying "Fear Not", Nora added the "in the city of David part", with Sara concluding with, "Jesus is Born."  And that is what the season is all about. What a gift was given us thousands of years ago. I am grateful for the time to stop and ponder.

Nora's Hair style

Emily's friend Katie was over for a visit, when the girls were here. Nora likes to play beauty parlor, only if she is the beautician! So I was real surprised to come into the room and discover this darling hair style, and that Nora sat still long enough to have Katie do it.

We have a Nora Smile

Just wanted to show smiling faces and New Jammies!! Are they the cutest!

Announcement !!!!

I can finally announce!!! Grandchild number 4 will arrive in July.

It was difficult to get the girls to stand still, and be able to read their shirts! Nora's says "I am going to be a big sister AGAIN"

Sara's says"I am going to be a MIDDLE Child"

Baby is due first part of July. "Nora's world" has more details and funny stories. It has been hard not to say anything, especially since Holly has been so sick. So Congratulations to the Roseners!

Decorating the Christmas Trees

Our Family gathered to decorate the 2 Family Christmas Trees. Having Grandchildren participate adds a whole new demention to the experienceThis is the tree in the living room, it is a fake pre-lit tree (thank you to whoever thought of that concept) The ornaments are breakable, and they all have stories. They are from significant events in our lives, and travels we have taken. The children...ie Brad and Emily, seem to have a contest as to who can bring back the ugliest one. So far the bright pink one with the red tassel from China is the winner. But close behind is the felt King Henry from England.
This is the tree hanging in the hall. The origins date back to our home in Riverside, which was to small to have a traditional tree. So we hung the first ones from lattice, in the front entry way. It is the perfect tree when small children are around. It couldn't be knocked over, and the kids couldn't get to it. We used to have a real tree (branches cut off) placed in the lattice, but one year we got a spark, and decided to go with fake garland, (burn a candle for scent)

We have tall children, so by the time they were teens they were tall enough to help decorate the tree. Brads wife Katie, and Wesley's girlfriend Dana needed a stool to stand on to put the ornaments up. Nora and Sara were not satisfied to just hand the ornaments to people, they were boosted up to help. This tree has ornaments that the kids have made, ornaments that were gifts, or the result of ornament exchange parties. Each has a story, that seems to get better each year!

We don't have a picture of the finished product, I think Holly does on Nora's blog. It is so full, and pretty. we have to be careful to put the longer ornaments in the middle so we can get the doors to the closet, Grandma room, and bath room open.

You can see Nora getting a boost from Sam to put on an ornament

Katie is on a stool, or she is now as tall as Wesley!

I am the one that sits and untangles the ornaments from each other. Grandpa this year was the story teller to the grandchildren. It is always a fun evening.

"Wood day" with Grandpa

Nora requested a Wood Day with grandpa, we really weren't sure what it was she wanted to do. You remember last year she requested a tool set. So Grandpa was ready to "graduate" to real tools. He went to Lowe's a purchased a "Real" hammer and a box of nails. The hammer was the smallest he could find. They pounded nails into wood to spell Nora's name. She got really good at hammering them in straight, and being able to take them out as well. After playing with grandma, Sara realized that Nora was doing something else, and went to find Nora and grandpa, of course anything Nora can do Sara can do just as well...just ask her. Before long Sara was attempting the hammer thing to. We send the "creations" home with the creators...Sam and Holly are thrilled (not). We still have creations of Brad, Wes, Emily and Holly as a result of their spending time with their grandfather in the garage, having a "wood day".

Slumber Party at Grandma and Grandpas

We have a once a month slumber party with the girls. They get to have a bath in the big tub. They get to play wack the suds (Picture of Sara) which results in a mess for grandma to clean up, but the girls andgrandpa laugh hysterically. This month there were new, warm, fuzzy and matching pajamas! Sara kept looking at me and saying. "Grandma, Nora and Sara have matching pajamas". She said it so seriously, that it really was funny. At bedtime, after prayer, grandma gets to tell stories, and sing songs until they go to sleep. This night the scripture story was the Birth of Baby Jesus story, and after I said we could sing some Christmas songs about baby Jesus. Sara wanted to sing Jingle Bells, and Once there was a Snowman. Neither of which are conclusive to going to sleep. Sara has outgrown the Elmo bed, so they were both on the queen sized air mattress. They have also out grown the crib sized blankets, so one of my next projects are a couple of tied quilts for grandmas house. I found the perfect fabric. Flannel that says "I love Grandma" Andy asked where the I love Grandpa fabric was, they were out! and the sale is only once a year. Maybe next year.

We Have News

I can finally post the news.....Brad and Katie are expecting a baby in June!!. They have wanted (and rightfully so) to make their own announcements. They have found cute ways of doing it. The one to Brads siblings backfired...Nora didn't cooperate. But on thanksgiving day they announced to my extended family. Brad was taking the family picture that day. And when he had everyones attention he said. Smile...everyone say...Katie is pregnant...Then he quickly snapped 4 pictures in sucession. The facial expressions are priceless. I am leaving it to them to put those pictures on their blog. Congratulations. We are so exited. I passed along the family bassinet for them to use, it is now being used by the third generation of Hobbs decendants.

Ok, I am having to much fun with the Christmas cards this year. I loved the pictures April took when we were in Utah, and then I attended a Creative Memories webinar, that showed how to make our own cards with matching stationary. (If you would like the link, let me know) So this is one of the ones I came up with! Now to get Andy to write his funny letter. We haven't sent cards out the past few years, and realize we are loosing contact with old friends. Sorry about the big blank space, it is the empty piece of paper that is part of the letterhead. I didn't know how to crop it. Lots of stuff to learn.