Christmas Eve

This year, Emily sang on Christmas Eve with the choristers.  We came home and had our Christmas dinner and Emily ran around the house putting baby Jesus back into all of our nativity sets.  She hid baby Jesus at the beginning of Advent because we are supposed to be "waiting" for Him to come.  So what a joyful night it was to celebrate His birth!

We also opened our stockings and christmas presents on Christmas Eve because we would be travelling to North Carolina on Christmas day to visit Pop Pop and family.  Chris always stuffs the stockings and I'd say he did very well getting Lia a Hello Kitty coloring book and stickers!

Unfortunately, if you are the designated stocking stuffer, either your stocking doesn't get stuffed or you have to stuff your own.  Chris chose to stuff his own.  The kids are anxiously looking to see what Daddy got himself:  chocolate covered almonds!  Might as well get yourself the good stuff!

And walkie talkies!

Tuba Christmas

We met Stan and Peg for brunch at La Madeline and got to enjoy the Tuba Christmas concert in the park afterwards.  There had to have been about 200 tuba and euphonium players (of all ages!) there to participate.  What a treat.

The kids, literally, spent the entire concert on these bicycle statues.

Note the different colored socks... this is Lia's trademark style.

And another one of my clever window reflection shots...

 What a magnificent tree!

Carols and Lessons

Emily had a solo part this year for our church's annual production of Carol's and Lessons.  She is the second soloist in Gaudete.  This video doesn't do her justice... but it will give you an idea.   I like her little military exit too.  Yea Emily!

David's Bedroom Window

December 16, 2011

Bethlehem City

We visited our friends Lowell and Cynthia the second weekend in December.  Baby Jude continues to be the sweetest, happiest baby ever.  He is crawling all over the place.  Emily fell in love with him all over again.

We headed out to Burnet to visit Main Street Bethlehem, where we were able to experience what it would have been like for Mary and Joseph, in the first century, to arrive in the crowded city of  Bethlehem where there was no room at the inn.  Unfortunately, we had to wait for almost 2 hours to get in... and it was very cold!

So we bundled up and stood in line.  These ginormous (Emily's favorite word) blue bonnets were fun.

The kids got to drink hot chocolate.

We hung out... and shivered...

But once we made it inside the gates, it was all worth it!  Here is Emly at the well.  We were able to visit the jail, the cloth dyer, the jewelry maker, a traditional Jewish home, the very full inn...

Everything was lit by torch and candle-light.  Roman soldiers were everywhere.  Lia thought it was a little bit scary!

The candle-maker...

And real camels!  As we made our way through Bethlehem we could see the star of David and as we made our exit we walked by the cave where Mary and Joseph were huddled with baby Jesus.  There was such a crowd of people around that I couldn't get a picture of the live Nativity but it was beautiful and we were able to enjoy hot chocolate again before we headed back to Austin.  I hope we can go back again!

Christmas Card

The Methodist church near our house has a beautiful Christmas tree in its lobby.  My hopes were to get a picture of all three kids together... but they didn't cooperate as a group.  Luckily, they were pretty smiley on their own so I took the best and made a collage.  This is the first Christmas that I have been ahead of the game.  Last year, my Christmas cards went out as a Valentine greeting.  Maybe I'm getting better?

St. Nicholas Day

St. Nicholas day was such a hit last year that the kids didn't need much encouragement to put their shoes out before they went to bed.  Lia put out two different shoes... isn't she silly?  If you look closely, David wrote a letter to Santa and left it in the fireplace. 

The next morning, December 6th, the kids were very excited to see what St. Nicholas left for them.  Here they are checking out their loot!

Lia loves the chocolate coins and they all love hearing the story about how St. Nicholas secretly dropped gold coins down the chimney of a poor family so the daughters could have dowries and marry.

St. Nicholas of Myra, Pray for us!