Christmas Eve and Day

Christmas Eve was one of the best days of the year. We had a great day of family--just our immediate family. It snowed, no wait, it was a blizzard. We watched The Nativity Story as a family all snuggled up on the couch with a roaring fire. I made Crab Bisque and we went to St. Andrew's UMC for their 6 o'clock candlelight service. My favorite was listening to Cavett belt out "O, Come All Ye Faithful" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain." We came home, opened pajamas, read Luke 2 and put the kids the to bed, while Daddy played Santa Claus.

Christmas morning we danced to "Merry Texas Christmas You All" (a Dadoo favorite), opened stockings, did the Advent calendar (which was a hunt to ffind the Baby Jesus which had been missing out of the nativity scene all season), ate Christmas bread and opened the rest of our gifts, had a snowball fight with the wrapping paper and tried to sled on the icy street. The tragic part was that we had to take them away from all their new toys and pack for Grand Saline and Shreveport. We did both in one day--a mistake. But, that gave us all of Saturday morning to spend with little cousins. It was greeat weekend and one that I will treasure for years to come.

The Granmother Gifts

We made stepping stones as gifts for our grandmother's today. It was a beautiful warm 70 degrees and we enjoyed playing on our playset again. It's only been 5 months....

Crystal Christmas Tree, Take 2

We finally found some ammonia in an off brand of Windex at Target. It wasn't pure, so we used a little extra. Our tree was already cut and ready to go. Cavett mixed up the solution of water, ammonia, salt and blueing and we waited. By the time we got home from Christmas travels it was a fully covered tree and then some. Way cool!!!!

After 3 days:

After 5 days:

Caroling

This evening we went caroling to our neighbors houses on our street and gave them Oreo Truffles. 2 out of 4 were home. We sang Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas, because that is what the kids knew best. Stephen played guitar and the kids fought over the jingle bells. The best part, we were invited to the birthday party of one of the kids at the end of our street who is between the age of Cavett and Kendrick.

Brrrrrrrrr...............

We tried to head to the Gaylord in Grapevine to see ice sculptures from the Grinch, but evidentally it is very popular. We arrived around 3:30 and they were selling tickets for the 7:30 viewing. So, we looked at their beautiful decorations and trains, as well as rode the escalators. After dinner, we drove around old El Dorado in McKinney and looked at some fun Christmas light displays.

Reindeer Visit

We are really trying to down play Santa Claus, but seeing the sights around Allen includes a trip to see Santa's real live reindeer. Really, they are just animals that we typically don't see in a zoo. Interesting hooves they have....

Giving and Christmas Parties

Today we gave Christmas presents to the kids teachers. We gave them, what else but, Christmas Bread! It was also Cavett's school party which I helped with. The first picture is Cavett with his favorite girlfriend, Bella. In the second are his teachers and he is holding up the star ornament we made.

While Cavett was at school, Kendrick and I enjoyed making a batch of Congo Bars.

Sharing and Caring

Advent day #17- Read a Christmas book to a friend and call your Nana.

Nana's birthday was today so we called and sang "Happy Birthday!"

It wasn't a Christmas book, but Cavett did read 5 Silly Monkeys to his brother this morning.

We had Stephen's Office Christmas Party this evening so a new favorite babysitter, Jessica, better known as "LunaMoon" came over. She is a sweet girl who the boys fell in love with at the 24 Hour Fintess Day Care Center. Cavett began calling her by this name and she also called him the same. One day about 4 months later we finally figured out what he really meant by the name. He had been watching Authur and D.W. was talking about tin soldiers, but hers was actually aluminum--or "a loonamoon." We got a good laugh out of that one!

Crystal Christmas Trees

We were supposed to do another fun activity from Family Fun magazine today-growing crystal Christmas Trees. However, I lacked the necessary ingredient of ammonia, so instead the kids painted the annual picture ornament.

Wrapping

Advent day #15- Wrap a present for your brother.

Last week I took Cavett shopping, while Stephen and Kendrick took Grandmama back home. He picked out a toy for his brother and also one for his Daddy. Today we wrapped, although after the first few strips of tape, he was pretty much done with this job.

Preparing and Setting the Scene

Moday's activity was reading Luke 1. We concentrated on the verses where Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel and Mary goes to be with Elizabeth and John the Baptist leaps in her womb. We talked alot about cousins and how this story is Cavett's cousin, Anna Grace's, favorite story and loves to act it out, hoping that it would take on more meaning.

But, what I hope hit home the most was later when we did the science experiment that emphasized that nothing is impossible with God.

"The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:35-37


The experiment was actually in his Bible along side the story.

1. Fill a drinking glass almost to the top with water.

2. Drop a small cork into the glass and make the cork float in the center of the water without touching the glass.


What happens? The cork keeps floating off to the side. It seems impossible to keep it in the center! Now try this!




3. Slowly pour water into the glass until the water rises just above the rim without spilling. The cork will move to where the water is the highest--the center. It wasn't impossible when you knew what to do.








So, when we have God directing out lives and telling us his will, nothing is impossible!

Santa Claus and the Lemme's

Cavett was invited to Max's house Friday night for his birthday. Cavett was very excited, as he has very few friends since moving. His Mom and I met through our blogs about a year ago and we have been "spying" on each other ever since. He birthday party was a success and Cavett even got to sit on Santa's lap.

Side note: We are really trying to completely ignore Santa, but not tell him it is all make-believe yet. However, I am wondering what is going to happen on Christmas morning when there are no presents from Santa. I just don't know if I can bear the sadness.

Last night, Max's family came over for dinner. We had a great time with our new friends and I got to use all my "new-to-me" china and silver. Here's to many more dinners and playdates!

Gingerbread House

I don't make gingerbread houses on my own. I tend to find a place that is hosting and supplying everything we need and that will also clean up the mess after we have destroyed the place with sticky, gloppy sugary stuff. So, when I was flipping through the cooking school brochure at Market Street in McKinney, I found the perfect class.

Surprise!

Advent Day #12- Something fun is happening tonight, wait and see!

It's a party! It's a sleep-over! It's fun! This evening we hosted the first annual "DFW Centenary College Choir Young-ish Alumni Christmas Party" for alumni graduating from 1990-2009. The turn out wasn't as big as I had hoped, but we got to see some of our dearest friends. Cavett got to have his best friend Walker spend the night. He has been asking about this for months now. A dream come true!

Show Kindness and Give Glory

Advent Day #11- "Show kindness to someone at school today and give Him glory." We talked about what this could mean: letting someone go ahead of you in line, sharing your apples in your lunch, etc and how this pleases God. Evidentally none of these things were kosher with Cavett's teacher. At least we tried. He still gave glory to God during the Christmas program this morning though. He wasn't Joseph as he had earlier told me, but he was a great shepherd who knew all of the words to every song. Proud Mom right here!

This would have posted earlier, but I have been having trouble posting the video. I'll keep trying though.

This would have posted earlier, but I just can't seem to upload videos anymore. I'll keep trying though.

Ice Skating

Advent Day#10. We picked Gramdmama up from the airport and went ice skating!