A Holiday week of Family Fun!

We had a wonderful week having my family here for Christmas. My parents and sister, Jenny, arrived Friday night Dec. 18th. (We missed having Jamie here, she stayed home and worked.) Saturday we didn't do much as I was dealing with a Kidney Stone(so much fun!) Sunday I felt better and we had a beautiful Sunday at Church and home. Jenny asked me to take a few pictures before church of her with the girls. I'm so sad that when we got home I totally spaced getting pics of everyone together in their Christmas best. :(






Monday-Wednesday were spent running around getting last minute Christmas stuff done. We hit Target each day, and the mall twice. Crazy!!! Oh, Jer and I enjoyed seeing the Blindside on Monday evening. Such a nice uplifting movie! The girls were home with the family making cookies.


Tuesday evening Joy, Matt and Harley arrived. It was Joy's birthday so Dad made homemade pizza, delicious. We had a fun evening playing In a Pickle, and Catch Phrase. The cousins were happy to be together!








Wednesday- Mom, Molly,Joy, Matt and I went shopping. Dad took Jen, Kenz, Madi and Harley to Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World. They had they best time. Sat with Santa(Bass has an amazing Santa Land), playing in tents, looking at fish, and just walking around the store for 3 hrs.











Jer stayed home and worked his magic in the kitchen. He cooked up a delicious Pork Roast, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatos, steamed carrots,rolls and other stuff I'm probable leaving out. Mom made a delicious salad. My Aunt and Uncle drove drove over from Odessa, Missouri to spend the evening with us. We had a lovely time, and the food was devine!! Thanks Jer!!! I took picture of the dining table all set, but never took a photo the food.:(
The girls made these darling place cards for all of us.

Dad & his brother, Rex.

Christmas Eve was spent indoors as the Midwest Blizzard of 2009 began to take form. Around 2pm the freezing rain began causing everything to turn into sheets of ice. Kids enjoyed being inside making a darling Gingerbread House.

Jer again worked his magic and made homemade Potato Soup. It was wonderful!!! He had bought Panera Bread bowls for us to have the soup in. It made for a delicious Christmas Eve dinner. ...and again no pics of it. :(


Christmas Jammies were given out

After dinner, Jer read us The Story of our Savior's Birth and the girls(minus Molly who was asleep) acted it out using the Little People Nativity. They gave us some good laughs, which maybe wasn't the reverence I was looking for, but still fun to watch them. The best was Kenzie lying little Mary down and Joseph standing at her legs when the Christ child was going to be born. HA!!!! I told her we didn't need grapics.

We were then entertained by McKenzie's Piano playing and we sang Christmas Carols.

Molly finally awoke from her late nap to enjoy the evening with us.

Girls opened a gift full of fun books


....and then it was The Night Before Christmas and all through the house..... no mouses, or quiet kids(too excited, although they did go to sleep good!) The Blizzard of 2009 was in full force now. It made for a beautiful sight outside, and a cozy night for Santa to come!

There was much debate in the girls deciding which tree Santa should put gifts under. I put up 3 trees on the main floor this year. The entry was my Red, Gold, Crystal tree. Living Room was my Snowman Tree, and the Family room had my red ribbon tree, plus the stockings hung by the fireplace in there. It was decided Santa would use the Living Room and place everything around the Snowman tree. Don't be fooled by the gifts under the entry tree. They are fake. I took empty boxes and wrapped them in beautiful paper. I love the look it gave the entry tree.

I got up in the night to get Madi some cough medicine and took a sneak peak at what Santa had left.

.....I knew the morning light would bring smiles on some little faces!!!

Our Snowy Christmas Day up next!