An Adorable Christmas

After the decorating was done, we started the rest of our Christmas festivities with Rachael's preschool Christmas concert.  As you can see, she got a little case of stage fright!  She was quickly rescued by her teacher and thankfully her tears dried up!  She stayed in her teacher's lap for the rest of the concert, and afterwards was just fine and dandy! 

The very next day, the kindergarten classes at Gracie's school had their Christmas concert, and each class had their own song to sing.  Gracie's group sang "Santa Bingo" -- that's Gracie proudly holding up the second 'A'.  If you aren't familiar with this tune, think B-I-N-G-O, only with S-A-N-T-A.  There was a man with a long white beard, and Santa was his name-o!  All of the music was very cute!

Daddy got to come home early on Christmas Eve, and not long after he got in we had a visit from Papa.  Later, after the church services were over, we spent the rest of Christmas Eve with Chris' parents, and Christmas morning we got to experience the joy of the girls waking up and making their run to the tree to see what Santa brought!  (My favorite part was after all the gifts had been opened, Rachael pulled out a tub of blocks that they've had forever and started playing with them!)  After that, we went to Grandma and Grandpa's for a delicious Christmas dinner, made it home for naptime, and then had a visit from Nana and Grandpa Ken!

This was the first year we actually really did Santa with the girls (even Grace), so we're still learning!  Santa forgot batteries for the little Dirt Devil that Rachael got, and Grace is wondering how I'm going to be able to go to Target and exchange the princess tent that Santa brought them... What can I say?  I'm a novice!

We have been blessed every year as a family, but this year did feel a little extra special as we celebrated in our home! 

We hope you enjoyed your Christmas, especially those of you who were able to have a white one!! 

Home for the Holidays

See that? It's our first Christmas tree in our new home! The day after he got back from his latest trip to Texas, Chris put it up with Rachael while I was at a doctor's appointment! Before we picked up Gracie at school, we took a trip with Rachael to get some decorations, then after getting Grace, we had the girls pick out which star we would put on top. (They picked the same one!) Then while Rachael was napping, Chris and Grace did some decorating!

Today, after the rain finally stopped, Chris was busy outside. Not mowing this time, though! We have deer courtesy of his parents, and Gracie and her friend, Noah, named them all...

Meet Princess, Austin, Rudolph and Kiki!

The girls are big fans of their Frosty, greeting folks as they come to our door!

Earlier this week, the girls cooperated just long enough for one of our friends to take some amazing pictures of them! He did an excellent job with them, and I can't wait to put these up, give them to Chris to put up at work, use them for gifts, etc., etc.!

Hope your holidays are starting out happy!

Christmas '08

In spite of a one-armed man for most of the holiday, as well as two coughing little girls, we managed to have a full Christmas! The picture on the left was taken in the nursery before the early Christmas Eve service. Chris' parents, aunt, and his sister and brother-in-law took Grace in with them while Rachael and I worked the nursery. Don't the girls look adorable in those dresses? They were made with lots of love by Miss Anita, a family friend who has known me since I was in preschool! They are precious dresses, and the girls loved them!

After the early service, the girls went to Grandma and Grandpa's while Mommy and Daddy got to enjoy the 6:00 service. Then we all gathered together to open gifts. Rachael really got into opening the presents, and Grace was incredibly appreciative and enthusiastic about each gift she opened! It was as if every gift was the best! gift! ever!

Grace and Rachael getting some help from Daddy as they open their first gift of the night!

Gracie showing off her new baby doll...

Rachael looking lovingly at hers...

On Sunday, we all went to Lion Country Safari -- it was a lot of fun! We got a van so we could all ride together, and I think the girls were most excited to be in a vehicle without any kind of car seat -- especially Rachael, who didn't want to sit still through most of it! I'll admit that it did make me a little nervous, but thankfully you drive very slowly through their preserve! I don't know if I could've handled going in our own vehicle! The thought of the animals getting this close would've made me nervous!

Those horns!!
This fella was tapping at the window!

The signs at the park say "Rhinos always have the right of way!"
YA THINK?!?

The park also has a few rides that the girls were able to go on. Grace and Rachael both wanted to go on the flying elephants, so Aunt Lisa went with Grace while I went with Rachael. The merry-go-round suited Grace, but Rachael had no interest in it. She did, however, enjoy the ferris wheel! She was looking all around, looking over the edge, she had no fear!! Grace passed on that one, she would barely even look up at us to wave! All in all, it was a lot of fun! It was Grandma's great idea -- I'd never even heard of it until she brought it up, and it was great to go with Aunt Lisa and Uncle Darryl as well! The girls were able to spend a good bit of time with them this time around, and they really had such a good time with both of them!

The Christmas spirit rolled right into Monday, when Grace and Rachael finally got to open their big gift from the grandparents -- a new kitchen! And not just any kitchen, THIS kitchen! (Click on the link, really! Check it out!!) That isn't the kitchen they opened on Christmas Eve. What they opened on Christmas Eve was one I'd settled for when we weren't able to get the one I'd originally wanted. That one was sold out everywhere by the time we went shopping (and somebody -- ::cough::Chris::cough:: -- didn't want to get it when I saw it when we were out together one night, even after the associate told me it was the last one and they weren't getting anymore in), so I settled for one that was nice... but not what I had in mind.

The day after Christmas I went shopping with a friend. She needed to stop at Sam's at the end of our trip, so I tagged along. There amidst the post-Christmas sale items was the Step 2 LifeStyle Grand Walk-In Kitchen. Original Price: $238 and change. Sale price: $99 and change. The kitchen we'd gotten was $97 -- and just didn't compare to the kitchen I was staring at! After drooling over the sale price for a little bit, and after some serious thought as to how the girls' room would have to be rearranged, I called Chris and told him about it, and he said to go ahead and get it. With a LOT of help from my shopping buddy (and her husband, who came to our place with a dolly and straps to get the gigantic box up the stairs!), it was MINE! Well, the girls' really...


So Monday, yet another amazing friend came to assist me with rearranging the girls' room as well as the assembly. The girls spent the rest of the day playing in their kitchen, only stopping for dinner with Lisa and Darryl, then they were back at it! Here's a glimpse:




If you didn't click the link, it even comes with a table and chair set, as well as a small stool! And tons of accessories! It's amazing! The girls were so enthralled with it, Chris and I got a ton of cleaning done without interruption! And did I mention it was originally $238 and I found it on sale for $99??

Hope that everyone had a great Christmas, and we wish you a very Happy New Year!

On My Christmas Vacation...

'Twas three days before Christmas, and all through the house...

At the end of last week -- the day Chris had his surgery, actually -- Rachael spiked a pretty decent fever of 103.5. The next day, it reached 104.8 -- which is .2 degrees away from a trip to the hospital. Thankfully, we have an amazing pediatrician and he did a thorough exam and the culprit appeared to be a very minor ear infection. Her body must've just been fighting hard! She very unhappily received a shot, and woke up the next morning a completely different little girl! Unfortunately, that same morning Grace woke up with a slight fever.

On Sunday morning, Chris was still a little out of it (which is understandable considering all of the medication he still has in his system) and the girls were both a little off (Grace developed a persistent cough), so we didn't make it to church in the morning. And this morning, the above pictures were taken. Neither girl has had a fever, but they were both just a little pooped.

Good thing it's Christmas break! We're praying that both girls are back to themselves quickly so they can enjoy the holiday, especially since they haven't seen Aunt Lisa and Uncle Darryl since last October!

As for Chris, he was able to go into work and is set up with physical therapy twice this week and two times next week. The first visit they day after surgery went very well, and the therapist was very encouraged with how well he was already doing! Yay!

Here's a quick picture of Nurse Rachael feeding Daddy some Fruity Cheerios yesterday:

Hopefully we'll have some much happier pictures to share in a few days! Until then...

We wish all of our family and friends a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

December = Busy!

Last weekend wasn't busy enough for us. This past weekend, Grace and Rachael got to go to a "Night Out" at the church while Chris and I met up with some friends from our Sunday school class to buy gifts for our "adopted" family. (Each Christmas, Sunday school classes at the church help a family in need with Christmas gifts for the kids.) Saturday, we went to a little friend's first birthday party in the morning, then came home to eat lunch, rest, and then the girls headed to Grandma and Grandpa's so Mommy and Daddy could go to their Sunday school class Christmas party -- we had to get there early to set up and we knew we'd be there later to break down, so it was wonderful to know that we could relax and take our time! (Thanks to Brian for the following pictures!)

Grace at the birthday party, wearing her little ladybug hat, in honor of the birthday girl!

Rachael, apparently doing her best Elvis impersonation...

Mommy & Daddy at the Christmas Party!

Then on Sunday, we came home from church, got changed, and left for Sea World. We wanted to go see all their Christmas lights and do the whole Polar Express Experience and we needed to do it before Chris' shoulder surgery (this Thursday), so yesterday it was. Grace was so excited that we were staying at Sea World until dark! The girls got to meet Santa Claus, and this was Rachael's first experience with him -- at first she was a little shy, but she ended up giving him a high-five on our way out!

This is Rachael checking out the steel drums as we went into the kids' area. She would hit them a couple of times, and then inspect the sticks to see if she could figure out how they were working! :-)


Daddy caught this next one as we were waiting in line for Jazzy Jellies -- it's one of those rides where you can make the car spin around as it goes up in the air. Rachael looks a little intimidated, doesn't she? I was surprised at her hesitancy considering she's been on it before. Once on the ride, though, Rachael was totally relaxed -- even looking out over the top to see below us! Grace loves the rides, too, but she seems to get a little more anxious about the heights! I think Rachael will be the one going with me on roller coasters!

Me and the girls waiting for the snow to start.

Daddy with Gracie and only Gracie, because Rachael wouldn't get out of my lap!
The closest these girls will come to snow for a while!!
Rachael wasn't fooled -- as soon as it started coming down she yelled, "Bubbles!"

Please keep Chris in your prayers this Thursday! We are praying that what they find is easy to fix and that he'll be out of the sling in about a week! That would be a great Christmas present!!

The Christmas Spirit

Nothing can scare the Grinch out of you faster than preschoolers singing Christmas songs! We were treated to it twice in one week.

Here's Grace as we went on our way to her VPK Christmas program last week. Each of the VPK classes sang three songs, and in between each one they "skated" around the sanctuary. Grace skated, smiled, and sang. And for those of you that encountered the Rachael of Thanksgiving Week, I know you will be shocked to hear that she sat through the entire performance without a whimper!! It was wonderful! The only time she made noise was to shout out to her big sister! So sweet!

Then this past Sunday, the children's choirs at church had their concert. I actually have video of that, and I may try to upload it. Grace sang her heart out, every word was clearly enunciated. Many thanks go to Miss Shannon for bringing about this change!

Here are Grace and Faith before the concert. It doesn't get any cuter than this:

Rachael was in the nursery during the performance, but afterwards she came out to visit with Grace and her friends. She was fascinated by one of the trees in the church, and had to touch almost every ornament within her reach -- she was covered in glitter when she was done!

And this picture is to produce evidence of Rachael being Daddy's Little Girl. Like Chris, she doesn't seem to get cold very easily. It was VERY cold Sunday night, and as soon as she got outside she took her little jacket off!

Hope your holiday season has begun well!