Christmas Carousel

     This weekend was certainly a ride, not sure that a Carousel describes it too well, I think maybe it was more like a roller coaster.  It was jam packed with fun and excitement; here, there, and everywhere!
     Saturday morning we were up early and headed out a little after 8am to pick up my brother(Denton) and niece(Caroline) and head to my friend Christina's house for Breakfast with Santa.  We had a great time and the kids(big and small) really enjoyed seeing Santa, well except for John Mac and Braedon(Christina's son).  After breakfast we headed to the local nursing home so Edi and Caroline could meet up with their Church Youth Handbell Choir; they played some beautiful songs for the people at the center.  Amelia wanted to play so bad, but you have to be in Kindergarten, so next year she will be able to participate.  When we left the center we headed home to take Denton and Caroline home and then dropped Daniel and John Mac off at home.  The girls and I went and picked up Mrs. Jennifer and Wyatt and headed to Mrs. Sandi's house to make Christmas cookies.  We all had a blast getting messy.  Then it was home for a couple of hours until we headed out again to Daniel's parent's house for Christmas with his Mom's family.  The children enjoy playing together so much when we are all together, which only happens a couple of times a year unfortunately.
     On Sunday we were up and at 'em again.  First it was church. Then lunch at my parent's house with my Dad's family.  Again there are lots of children playing together, the noise level is unreal at times.   We didn't get home until 4:30pm and then we had to be at church for the Joy Gift program where Edi played handbells again.
     It was a wonderful weekend where we celebrated Christmas and remembered the Reason for the Season.

Breakfast with Santa

 John Mac wrestling the Reindeer

The Get Away!

Santa is a little stunned looking!

Denton and Caroline with Santa

Me and Christina with Santa

The Nursing Home

Playing Handbells

Making Cookies at Mrs. Sandi's House

Mrs. Jennifer helping Amelia

Mrs. Sandi and the Kids

Radcliffe Christmas Celebration

John Mac REALLY Enjoys taking off Granddaddy's Hat!

Lee Family Christmas

 Addie

Amity with Baker and John Mac, they are 6 weeks apart in age,
it was so much fun watching them together this year!

Aunt Mary Nell, Aunt Margie, and my Dad
The Three Lee Children

Joy Gift Program

Let the Christmas Fun Begin!

     Gracious, we've been busy and we've only just begun!  Between parties, shopping, creating, and wrapping, it's been a little crazy around here.  I try to get the bulk of my shopping done before Thanksgiving and this year I pretty much did except for last minute things and name drawing gifts that didn't get drawn until Thanksgiving and the first part of December.  I also try to get all of my Annie Mac Creations orders done by Dec. 15 and I did that.  I then spend the remainder of my days making things for the kids, a few gifts, baking, and doing crafts and things with the kids.  Tomorrow starts the beginning of all of our family get togethers and we are really excited.  Here's a peak at what we've been up to the past couple of weeks.

Decorating the Tree

 Edi's Class Party, Decorating a Gingerbread House

Amelia's Meeting Santa at her Karate Studio

Chillin'

Amelia Sings at the Christmas Tree Lighting

     This past Friday night Amelia along with her Preschool sang 5 songs at the local Christmas Tree Lighting.  It's always so cute to hear 3 and 4 year olds sing ans sometimes yell their songs.  They did a great job.  I thought I videoed the entire thing, but Saturday morning when Amelia asked to watch it, I realized that I had only gotten the last few seconds, my gloved hands must have hit the wrong button, we both cried.  Now I have to see if someone else with a child standing near her recorded it and can make me a copy.  It was a great start to our Joyful Christmas Season.

Amelia and a friend from Preschool dancing.

Daddy Dent and Mommy Jane with Amelia

Winter White in Early December

     Well, yesterday we got a little snow here.  It fell off and on starting around 2:30pm until well after dark.  By about 7:30pm last night enough had fallen that we were able to make snow cream.  I scooped the top layer off all the play toys we have on our back deck and made a batch while the girls were getting their bath.  It was a little icy, but still Yummy!  The snow was so pretty coming down, I'm so glad we got to see it fall during the day.   
     Yesterday was a quite day around the house.  I caught up on loading pictures onto Facebook and we started our decorating.  We are going low key and sparse with our decorations this year.  John Mac is into everything and I just don't feel like fighting him over all my collections of nice stuff, so this year; no Baldwin Brass Ornaments on their special trees, no angel collection, and no Christmas tree collection.  I will put out the Nativity Scene, my Christmas plates in the kitchen, a few other things here and there, and put up some outdoor decorations.  As I've been entering this post he's already broken one ornament and we just started putting them on the tree this afternoon.  He's a pistol, but he's my pistol and most of the time I'm laughing at his adventures.
     This morning we went to church and enjoyed a nice sermon from a visiting pastor.  This afternnon Daniel helped a couple of Scouts with a Scout project, I've been cooking for our Sunday School Class Christmas Party tonight, and the girls have been decorating the tree.  After they go to bed I will finish the parts of the tree they couldn't reach and probably do a little ornament rearranging.  The Christmas Season is upon us and I am so thankful for all the wonderful people in my life.

A Little Visitor

     On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving my beautiful cousin Sarah brought her handsome new son Hudson out to my mom's house for a visit.  He was 3 weeks old and this was mine and kids first time meeting the cute little guy.  My cousin is so funny; she has always been a little jumpy around really small children and all through her pregnancy she worried that she might not be the best at taking care of such a little human, well she worried for nothing.  I could tell in just the few hours that we were together that she is already an awesome mom.  She was so attentive to his needs and very relaxed.  I was able to capture a few cute pictures of the kids with our new baby cousin Hudson.

Welcome to the World Hudson, We Love You Very Much!!!

Sarah, You are a Beautiful and Wonderfully Awesome MOM, Love You!!!