Christmas Preparations

We did the typical day after Thanksgiving Christmas decorations since we are home this year. The kids really got into it and had a lot of fun. They especially enjoyed the manger scene. Benjamin is holding baby Jesus, which Anna now walks around cradling!


Benjamin did a good job putting the angel on the manger.


Anna likes to become a "shirt monster." She puts her shirt over her head like this, waddles around and declares, "Shirt Monster!!!"

Collin falling asleep making eye movements and smiles.........

Cute little ear.

Sweet baby hand.

Thinking hard.....

I've caught him looking at his hands a few times......

Anna can't hardly walk through the hallway without stopping to play with the manger.

I took this picture of Dave and gave him a hard time that he didn't smile very big......

so this was his response......

Benjamin and Anna watching a new movie in their rocking chairs (which they love!)......

We started the tree in the afternoon, but only had one strand of lights that worked. So we ran out and got more and after Anna went to bed, Benjamin and I had a lot of fun putting the ornaments on the tree. He was so cute with how much he loved it. He told me, "I love doing this. I haven't got to do it in a long time!"

He saw me moving some of the ornaments he put on the tree up higher. After he asked me what I was doing, I explained that I had to move some of the special ones that were breakable up higher where Anna couldn't reach them. Without saying anything, he pushed his stool over and climbed up. I asked what he was doing and he said he needed to put this breakable ornament up high away from Anna. I felt so bad, the poor guy reached over to put it on the tree and dropped and broke it. :( He handled it pretty well and Daddy was able to glue it back together. In the end, he was so proud of his tree and how nice it looked!

I got to add another "Baby's First Christmas" ornament to our tree this year! They have the kids name, birth date, and birthstone on them............

I was so tickled to get the kids matching Christmas jammies! Dave suggested I have them wear them and get the pictures I wanted in case they aren't in the posing mood Christmas morning. The each did great individually, but Anna was a fussy pants during the group shot.......

The only good ones I was able to get was this one of them both saying, "Snow"............

and of them kissing Collin...........

Oh well! They can't be perfect all the time! :) They were so excited to have matching snowman jammies though!

After I showed this picture to Dave he said, "It's a drunken, Christmas Mardi Gras."

I think this is one of my favorite pictures of Benjamin ever!

Collin is so good-natured through everything!

Daddy held the Santa hat over his head too..........

Stretch!!!!

Collin decided to wear a football outfit to cheer for Uncle Buh today.

Dave and I have noticed that Collin has really started to turn into his own self recently. We're excited to watch his looks and personality form!

I couldn't help looking up pictures of Benjamin in this outfit since I remember him wearing it a lot. Seems like a lifetime ago that Benjamin was this size.....

Collin again........

and Benjamin again......

I've been calling Collin my monkey, so I couldn't resist getting him this monkey coat. Dave was out putting Christmas lights on the house today, so I bundled up Collin in his coat to go out and see Daddy. It was funny, we wished Dave had the camera on the roof b/c Collin looked up and locked eyes w/ Dave! Dave said his eyes looked so blue and just popped out there!

Anna's hair has grown quite a bit. She's so funny and comes running out into the living room after a bath and says, "It's wet!!!"