Christmas Prep

Benjamin modeling a cute pilgrim hat he made at preschool.....

We've had a lot of fun getting ready for Christmas this month. We started by putting a tree and our nativity scene up in the basement. The kids did great at helping put the ornaments on and were so excited!

They were so cute decorating in their Christmas jammies that their Grandma gave them.

Benjamin was excited to be the one to put the angel on the manger this year. They have also been taking turns putting our advent calendar together and counting down the days until Christmas.

Anna really loves our nativity set. She plays with it almost every time we go in the basement.

They were excited when I explained to them about their baby ornaments that has their birth info on the baby booties for each kid.

Benjamin helping feed Collin. They are so cute with their baby brother! And Collin is so cute with them. I love that he says their names (or at least tries to)....."Nana!" and "Be-ah-mah!"

We got our first big snow last week and the kids were so excited to get out there and play in it! (We actually already got another big storm today!) When it snowed for the first time (just a light covering) and then melted away the next day, Anna sadly exclaimed "That means it's not Christmas anymore?!?!"

She's not going to throw that big snow ball at me, is she?!?! ;)

The almost five year-old was after me too!

It's okay though b/c Benjamin saved the big ones for his Daddy!

Got him!

Ah, oh! My turn!

So much fun!

We had fun making our annual ginger bread house and having Anna help us for the first time.....

I got the kids some ornaments to decorate this year. They were so cute, diligently coloring them in.....

the finished product.....

Dave filled a bowl with snow and brought it in for the kids to play in one morning. It was the first time Collin had played in snow. At first he didn't like it. But once I grabbed some kitchen toys for them to play in it with, he really got into it!

He kept eating the snow too!

Benjamin has a new spider-man costume and Collin and Anna drive him crazy b/c they are very interested in the mask and he doesn't much like to share. Collin looks so cute playing with it, though.....

My parents got a new Christmas tree and offered us their old one. The kids did great putting this one together with us too. It's next to our stairs and Dave would lift them up on the steps so they could put ornaments on the top. They are too adorable!!!

We had Christmas clothes on for church, so we posed with our new tree and got a family picture. Dave wanted me to include this bad take. Collin was looking at me and so Benjamin pushed Collin's head to face the camera (see the hand) and Collin for some reason actually smiled while being shoved. :)

Here's the good take!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the Christmas season and enjoying celebrating all the joy of Jesus' birth with your families!