Christmas Tree found

At Home Depot.

No traipsing through the forest looking for the least scraggly tree to cut down.

(see last year's post)

No, sir.

We got one of those farm grown and groomed fir ones that are shipped in from some place no where near Alabama.

 

 

 

 

 Could be our prettiest Christmas tree ever.

 

Lots of Gifts!

How thankful I am!

To be able to give gifts to our children.

To be spoiled with gifts from our loving families.

Christmas morning was filled with squeals of delight.

Dylan wanted to wear everything immediately.

"i put it own"

At one point he had on about 5 shirts plus his super and bathing suit.

(the bathing suit was not even new but he just had to wear it)

We were thrilled to receive some hadmade gifts from

Carolyn Lewis Designs.

 

After all the presents were opened.  Abby gave us a fashion show.

My sisters and I used to do this, too, Christmas morning, seeing if everything fit

and trying to decide what to wear to Mimi's house.

The rest of the day was pretty chill.

Abby and Joe were engrossed in their new games while Trek and Dylan ran around crazy.

All in all, a wonderful day.

Thanks to the fam for all the goodies. 

Sorry we couldn't be with you in person but you were with us in our hearts!

Christmas Eve Tradition

Our Christmas Eve tradition is comprised of celebrating the arrival of Jesus

at our church's Christmas Eve service and going out for...

This tradition evolved our first year in Cali.  Trek was born a week before Christmas so we knew we wouldn't be traveling back to Alabama to spend it with our families.  What to do.

The church service was beautiful.  It ended with candlelight being passed from person to person while singing Silent Night (just like back home).  But while we would have eaten a big dinner with some family members in Alabama after church, now we were looking for a restaurant that was open on Christmas Eve, preferably not McDonalds.  We ended up at Chikara's and a tradition was born.

 Christmas Eve 2007

Christmas Eve 2011

Holiday Truck of Forbestown

All dressed up for the holidays!

You can see the pumpkins in the background left over from Halloween.

And Batman needs green lips?  Really?  I didn't know.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

We're going on a Tree Hunt

What a beautiful day!

We're not scared.

(because we have tools and we can pick up large sticks)

We're going on a tree hunt.

Everybody found a different one they liked the best (of course).

There was the tall one with the poof on top like a palm tree in a cedar tree's body.

There was the short fat one.

There was the teeny tiny one.

And there was a rather large normal looking one.

No one could come to an agreement,

so we had to draw straws/sticks.

The large normal looking tree won.

Everybody takes a turn with the saw.

Then we take it home and annihilate it with decorations!

We have the big colored lights this year.  Love it!

No full tree shots yet.  But I'm sure it will work it's way into some other Christmas photos.

Pictures with Santa

The kids have now had their picture taken with Santa twice.

The first time was at Yuba Feather's Holiday Kick-off with a very youthful Santa.

The second time was this past weekend at the Nevada City United Methodist Church during Victorian Christmas with a very authentic-looking Santa.

Trek and Dylan had no qualms about sitting with a strange man that has long hair and beard (take note CB).  This was probably due to the fact that they knew that was who was handing out the candy canes.  Abby was completely mortified. 

Joe was trying to ignore the fellow completely.  Since Joe wouldn't tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas, Jono said the thing he would most like was a hug.  Bless his heart (Joe's or Santa's?)--that Santa gave Joe the biggest bear hug!

Pretty hilarious.  Joe may never go see a Santa again.

Side note:  Santa's elves also made it to Victorian Christmas.

I had a friend ask me why I make my kids take pictures with Santa if we don't "play Santa" at our house.  I had to think about it a little.  We tell our kids the story of St. Nicholas and we still fill up their stockings on Christmas Eve.  We just don't go into elaborate tales of a man far away who is watching everything they do and will come bringing gifts mysteriously in the night.  Our pastor, Maury Robertson, had some words that fit my feelings just perfectly...

"Santa is not real. But Santa is an echo of something that is. Santa arrives from a distant country, filled with love for all the world. He comes bringing justice. (Have you managed to stay off the naughty list?) He brings gifts from a workshop of infinite resources. These gifts are not generic. Santa has a list with our name on it. We whisper the secret desire of our heart and he prepares a gift to match. The veil between presents and Presence is very thin.

In the Christmas movies, belief in Santa transforms sinners into saints."

That's what I want my kids to believe.

That's what I want to, need to, put my faith in.

That sinners can be transformed into saints.

And it's not a fat man in a jolly red suit that is going to do that.

He's just an echo of the real thing--

Jesus

who loved us enough to enter this messed up world that long ago Christmas Eve

so that sinners like me (and you) could be transformed.

May you experience the joy of transformation this Christmas season!

{You can find more of Maury's writings at http://www.rivervalleyyc.org/blog/}

Christmas Playlist {She & Him}

Zooey Deschenel and M Ward form the group She & Him.  Their new Christmas album, A Very She & Him Christmas, is tops on my Christmas playlist this year so far.



What are you listening to this holiday season?