December - Pre-Christmas

As is the case for most people, December was a VERY busy month. Fun, but EXTREMELY busy! Here's an abbreviated look at the events BEFORE Christmas:

We started off the month with decorating of the tree. Needless to say ... having an 18 month old AND a Christmas tree in the house made for an interesting experience. She was fascinated by the lights and probably redecorated the tree a dozen times, but I wouldn't have it any other way.


Did you notice that I said ... an 18 month old? Guess what that means? MISS EME GETS TO GO TO NURSERY! WAHOO! Thankfully she LOVES it! She has the cutest Nursery leader - Miss Julie - and Eme actually gets mad when we come to take her home. I can't believe my baby is getting so big! It kind of makes me sad, but it's also fun to see her grow, too!


Next up ... Greg's work Christmas party and a visit with Santa. This is always an exciting event. The same Santa (the REAL one) comes to the party every year and he is AMAZING! The kids get to ask him questions and he always knows just what to say. We were excited to see what Eme's reaction to him would be. She watched him intently ... from afar, but once it was her turn she pretended like he didn't exist. She didn't cry, but she didn't make eye contact either. So fun! Thanks Santa!



Mixed in with all this fun we had Josh's birthday party, an indoor camping party (see previous post). I don't know if the boys had as much fun as I did planning it, but I hope so.

And then of course, what would December be without school programs. Josh's cute teacher, Mrs. Turnbeaugh, arranged for her class to go and sing at two care centers, complete with costumes and everything. Josh and his best buddy Jake were both excited to get the part of reindeer. It was a very sweet program and hopefully brought a little joy to the residents of the care center.


Next up ... our annual gingerbread making fun! This year was extra special because Nana, Papa Jim and Grandma Murph were all here. I'm sure that more candy was eaten than was actually used to decorate the houses, but that's part of the fun, right?



Another exciting event for us at Christmastime is going to see Kate in the Nutcracker. This year was especially fun because she got the part of party girl ... a role she has wanted FOREVER! She and the other dancers worked very hard since September and it paid off. Great job sis! You were awesome!


Last, but CERTAINLY not least ... Josh man's birthday! A birthday 4 days before Christmas can be kind of crazy, but we always try to make it feel like a special day. It worked out that Nana, Papa Jim and Grandma were still here so we played all day long. We opened presents, went out to breakfast (IHOP per Josh's request), took the kids to Jumpin' Jacks and then went out to dinner, too! (Pizza Factory)

I can't believe that my little man is 8 years old. He is truly one of a kind! He is 100% boy, but he has a VERY tender heart and is the sweetest little guy I know. We love you Joshy! We absolutely cannot imagine our family without you! We are VERY proud of you and hope you'll never forget that!


So there you have it ... a brief look at the first 21 days of December. It makes me tired just writing about it. But it was alot of fun, too! Check back for Christmas and baptism pictures. For now, I need to let my little typing fingers rest.