Holiday Happenings...

We were very fortunate this year. We got to celebrate Christmas not once, not twice, not even three times, but four!

Last week, we had Christmas at the Urbans' house. The kids were so excited when Santa came and left presents out in Mama and Papa's yard. It was so extremely cold outside..it's amazing that Santa's reindeer could fly! Mama and Papa also got a surprise from all of us kids, when they opened up a trip to Hawaii. Aloha, Mama and Papa!

We spent Christmas Eve in Olmitz, Kansas on the farm. At one point, there were 29 people celebrating the holiday together. We enjoyed time with Brandon's family, especially his grandparents, and we definitely enjoyed that good old farm cookin'!

On Christmas day, we traveled home and celebrated with Megan and Barry and Isaac. Isaac appeared to enjoy his first Christmas thoroughly, and Ben and Grace helped him open his presents, too.

Yesterday, my mom and dad came over and we celebrated once again. Santa had come to our house in the morning and the kids had woken up at 4:45 a.m. We talked them into staying in bed (our bed!) until at least 6, but they never did go back to sleep. It was amazing that they lasted until Nana and Papa came at 1:00 p.m. When we opened the new Nintendo Wii, all four of us got our second wind. In fact, Brandon stayed up until midnight playing Guitar Hero. Ben had played Mario Baseball for awhile, I had played Harry Potter, and Grace (and all of us) practiced vocals on Disney Sing It.

Needless to say, we have had a wonderful Christmas, and we're looking forward to a fantastic new year as well...for there is still so much to come!!! Wishing you the best!

Pajama Party

Megan and Barry had a date tonight. They got to go to Walmart together while WE got to babysit! We got the better end of the deal. After catching a few minutes of Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, singing "Do you know the muffin man" and playing peek-a-boo, Isaac put on his jammies...so Ben and Grace did too. "Pajama Party!!!!"

Holiday Party

Brandon and I hosted the Thomas and Betts holiday party. Since I was on "bed rest", I didn't have to...I mean get to...help as much. Thank goodness for Costco, for Brandon and his mom, and for holiday decorations. We had a great time and the evening was a success. Here are some pics.

Is this heaven?

Apparently, this is what heaven looks like at Lawrence Heights Christian Church. It's believable, until you see that my child is an angel! Ben and Grace had their annual Christmas program at church this weekend, and just like it has done in years past, things went surprisingly well! Ben even remembered his lines once he found the microphone. (There was a what-seemed-like-forever-moment when he couldn't locate a mic so he refused to start the scene for everyone else)

As you can see from the pictures, Ben played an angel. I was worried when his halo kept breaking during practices...seemed a bit ironic to me, but he actually played the part well. Grace played a shepherd, although she knew everyone else's solos by heart and would have done well in the lead!!! Here is a good picture of Grace as she struggles to untangle her staff from another shepherd's!


What else? I am at home resting this week, which I'm finding it more difficult to do! Why is it when I can't rest, I want to, and when I'm supposed to, I can't? But for the baby's sake, I am spending a few days at home. We have a sonogram scheduled for Monday and that will hopefully tell us that things are A-OK! The baby has been moving non-stop. She is probably bored from my inactivity. Brandon has been so helpful..doing laundry, making breakfast, lunch, and dinner, taking the kids to and from school, and answering my every whim. We also have the Thomas and Betts holiday party at our house this weekend, so he has been preparing for that as well. Parents and friends have been a big help as well.

This weekend, I am singing in the church Cantata. It's 200 pages of non-stop singing. We'll perform it at a retirement community and then in church on Sunday. I wonder if anyone will notice if I sit down during the songs? No, I'm sure it will go smoothly, even if I am a nervous wreck!

Tomorrow, I have an ornament exchange with Megan, Julia, and Keri. We were supposed to go to Paisano's, but since I'm "resting", I think dinner might come to me! My friends are awesome!!

A Christmas Card

Ben and Grace have a Christmas program tonight at church. Here they are getting ready for it and posing in front of their own tree.