Christmas Day 2012

Matthew, Natalie, and Lucas-Christmas 2012 

Our family Christmas this year was so much fun!  We started with Christmas Eve, and Derrick and the boys went to Omi and Opa's for lunch and gifts with Derrick's family.  I was home with Natalie, who had a yucky cough and a super high fever-come to find out a few days later, she had the croup.  Yuck! Nonetheless, we divided and conquered, making it to each family celebration with the boys so they wouldn't miss out on all the fun.  

Lucas, me and Matthew ready for Christmas Eve service.  

They went to Omi and Opa's, and each came home very excited about their Diary of A Wimpy Kid pjs and new Star Wars Jenga games.  After they got home, it was time to get them ready to participate in the Christmas Eve service at our new church-Living Word.  In case you hadn't heard, Derrick got a call to Living Word Lutheran Church in Galena, OH-about 35 minutes away.  We're super excited about it!  And as are the members-the music director had asked if the boys wanted to participate with the other kids in reading the Christmas story from Luke 2.  So, we practiced the night before and Monday night they were ready to go.  Derrick stayed home with Natalie while I took the boys-I REALLY didn't want to miss out on it!  The service was wonderful, and the boys did fantastic!

Love the owl hat!

Tuesday morning, Derrick and I were actually up well before the kids!  I put together a Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole, some cinnamon rolls, and some fruit Christmas trees.  We had coffee and chit chatted, waiting for them to wake up.  Lucas was up first-and what a bummer because he waited at least another half an hour for Matthew to join him!  We started with stockings, and they were "excited" to get the "usual"--toothpaste, deodarant, books, headphones, and other practical things in their stockings.  We took a slight break for breakfast-and by this time Natalie had woken up.  After her stocking was opened, we started handing out gifts to everyone-one at a time.  

Matthew and Lucas excited for their Kindle Fires.

The boys got a lot of clothes-which they desperately needed-and also some video games.  Their most "exciting" gift was a Kindle Fire, right next to their Skylanders Giants game for the XBox.  Both of these things were on their "wish list", and we delivered!  Natalie was kind of dragging behind, taking time between opening gifts to wipe her ever running nose!  The opening went on until around 1:00.  We stopped for lunch-homemade pizzas-and by now Natalie had fizzled for a nap.  The boys were busy enjoying their Kindle Fires and trying out all their new video games they got.  

My parents stopped by later that day to see what the kids had received.  Also, Natalie wasn't done opening-because she had been napping-so they got to watch her open her fun gifts.  She was very excited about her Cinderella dress, her Tinkerbell costume, and her magnetic dress up dolls.  Her big gift was a V-Tech Inno Tab...in selfish hopefulness that I'll somehow regain my iPad back.  

Performing with their recorders in the talent show.  

Later that evening, I took the boys over to Aunt Nancy and Uncle Kevin's for Christmas with my extended family-and the talent show.  Matthew and Lucas performed their recorders and did a tremendous job.  Uncle Kevin even joined in on Hot Cross Buns, accompanying the boys with his guitar.  The crowning act was Mom and her sisters with a cute dance they had choreographed.  Nothing is ever dull with our family!  

We returned home, ready for bed yet excited about our fun filled day!