Merry Christmas

It is hard to believe Christmas has already come and gone for 2016.  We sure had a lot of fun this year!  All of the girls were back to full health and the week leading up to the big day offered Tierney plenty of chances to take some naps (on her own) to get rested up for all of the action.

 Our celebrations started on Christmas Eve day with the tradition of opening up a gift for the girls.  The older two now know what to expect from this gift - a new movie and pajamas - but they were very eager to discover the exact contents.

 Ezri was thrilled to find a new Thomas movie she had been really hoping for inside.

Alora was happy with the new matching pajamas for herself and her sisters.

 And Tierney... She was just happy with the box!

 Christmas Eve afternoon, we headed to Op and Oma's to celebrate with them and Aunt Becky.  It was a relaxed day of slowly opening gifts, which allowed the girls to play with their new things throughout the day.

 Tierney was especially excited about her new Thomas books and kinetic sand.

 Ezri was super excited to get her very own sewing kit!

 And Alora got her much desired "fairy book", a new notebook to write and draw and create in.

 Alora also enjoyed some time playing Chutes and Ladders with Opa and Aunt Becky.

 On our way home, Christmas Eve night, we stopped at the house up the road to watch the light show and enjoy the music.  At home, we tucked Tierney into bed while the older two made their letters for Santa and set out cookies and milk.

 After we got Ezri and Alora snuggled into bed, the gifts arrived under the tree in anticipation of an early and exciting Christmas morning.

 We actually had to wake Ezri up at 7:30 because she was still asleep, but the other two were up and ready to go, Alora by 5;30!  They were thrilled to find that Santa had drunk all of the milk and eaten a cookie plus a bite of another.

We started with stockings...

 And then tore into the gifts under the tree.  Ezri was very excited to give Mommy the gift she had bought a few weeks back while in Bronners - an "I Love You Mom" ornament that was personalized.

 Mommy may have teared up a little bit when she saw it...

 Ezri was also very excited to give Daddy his gift, which she had also purchased at Bronners, a Yoda coffee mug.

 Daddy loved it!

 The girls took turns tearing into their gifts and finding all sorts of fun new things.

 After all of the gifts had been opened, there was one more surprise.  The girls and Daddy each got a card with clues leading to a final gift.  Tierney got started with her treasure hunt first.

 She ended up finding her gift in the bathtub!

 A new shopping cart!!!

 It was a big hit.

 Alora's hunt led her around the house...

 And ended in the nursery with a big gift in the crib,

 A barn!

 She had been asking for much of the year for a barn and was very happy!

 Ezri had to work a little harder for her gift

 And finally found it upstairs in Daddy and Mommy's closet

 Three boxes of new doll house accessories and people.

 The camping set was her favorite.

 While the younger two played with their new treasures, Ezri helped Daddy read his clues.  Daddy had to work the hardest to find his gift.

 He ended up downstairs, where a very large package was hidden.  The girls may have been as excited as he was to see what was inside.

 A new topper for his new truck!

 Mommy got to open the final gift from Daddy.

 A new pearl ring! (Again, Mommy may have cried a bit)

 After all of the gift opening, we got ready for church and headed out.  After church, during which the girls all sat with us, we returned home for a very quiet and restful day of playing and relaxing together.  It was a perfect Christmas for our family!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

Christmas is just around the corner, and as is usual, we are full of action and adventure here.  We've marked another month coming...

 

In the past weeks, our yard has transformed from grassy to feet deep in snow.  The first real snow had the girls itching to go outside and play, and as it was wet snow, it was a perfect day for snowmen.  The girls played in the yard between our house and our neighbor Mr. Barney for some time, rolling snow balls.  Later, I noticed two snowmen being built right by Barney's house.  Ezri had made them, and said they were her and Mr. Barney!

This sweet kid is growing into a compassionate and people sensitive person, and she wanted to do something nice for Barney on her own accord.  We smiled later when we saw Barney leave his house with a camera to take a picture of the snowmen she had built.  While he didn't know then it was supposed to be him and Ezri, he clearly appreciated the gesture, and it made her just glow!

 Meanwhile, Alora was happy to just play with the big snow fort that she had helped build

 And Tierney was thrilled to eat the snow while she left piles for Barney on his grill.

 A few days later, that first snow was covered by more and more over the span of several days. The local school has now had three snow days, and winter has barely begun!  We've had over 2 feet fall already and have spent countless hours clearing our driveway and our roof to keep ice from damming up and causing leaks.  It looks like we'll have a white Christmas this year!

 The snow, after 2 days of continuous fall, was so deep we had to shovel out truck beds.  And have done so again since.

All of that snow meant Mr. Barney was soon out with his loader, scooping snow into hills in his and our yards to keep it from piling up along the roadside.  The girls love the hills he makes and found their way out to sled down one (and eat more snow).

 Last week, we had a much quieter week as a virus of some sort floated through the kids, starting with Ezri and ending with Tierney, who is still struggling with it.  One afternoon, as her turn arrived to feel yucky, she fell asleep on the kitchen floor while I made dinner because she simply couldn't cope with any other option, melting down into tears and tantrums over every little thing.

 Our week wrapped up with a little holiday baking, mostly Mom doing the work, but the girls got to help with some Christmas cookies in between not feeling well.

 They especially enjoyed decorating the cookies, the older two stuck with it through their whole tray and were very proud of their creations.  I let them choose which cookies we would give away to neighbors and they were happy to hand pick who got which ones they had made.

Ezri accomplished a big task during her time of being down on the couch not feeling well.  She received a fleece square blanket to tie and make last Christmas and had worked on it a little here and there throughout the year.  She finished the last two rows last week and was so excited!  She has since been taking that blanket all around the house with her, and into bed.  It was a big task, and she did it all on her own, so the sense of pride and accomplishment was even sweeter to see.

Saturday, with the girls feeling much better, they wanted to deliver the goodies we had to our neighbors - homemade cookies and candies, notes, and bundles of wrapping paper our church had handed out for giving away.  Mr. Barney and Pamaw and Mr. Danny, got special deliveries from these sweethearts.  Another neighbor got a bundle of wrapping paper dropped off, and one more plate and wrapping paper bundle was reserved for Miss Tina and her family (Barb's farm family).

It was quite adorable to watch them head off to make their deliveries, no fears at all, only excitement to spread some happiness to people they adore in our neighborhood.  I love their giving hearts!

 

With Christmas just around the corner, we still had to sneak in our photos of the girls in their Christmas dresses too...

And then, Sunday brought the children's part of the church service.  This year, Ezri decided she wanted someone else to have the chance to be Mary since she did it last year.  So, Alora decided she would like the part.

 While Ezri stood in as an angel.

Tierney, back to feeling not very cheerful or cooperative, decided she would much rather sit with Daddy and Mommy and be held the whole service, so she did not have any stage presence this year, but that's ok!  I know she's an angel at heart :)