Today turned into a busy day!
Daddy took the day off from work to give himself and us a very nice 3-day weekend together!
We started the day out by doing some last-minute Christmas shopping - more specifically the kids buying presents for each other and then Ivy buying some gifts for her Daddy and her Mommy. (BIG NOTE to self: Definitely plan this day for any day BUT the day before Christmas! :-) )As a side story, because our lives seem to be SO CRAZY with still adjusting to job changes, our Christmas activities, small group nights, and what not before Christmas AND still needing to set aside a day to shop for the kids AND because it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to get ANYTHING done let alone Christmas shopping for Nate done while caring for 3 little kids (and being able to keep Nate's gifts a surprise without him prying what he's getting out of Ivy), Nathan and I decided many weeks ago to postpone our shopping and gift exchange for each other until some time in January. (ANOTHER BIG NOTE to self: Start Christmas shopping for Nathan in the Fall!) Well, Ivy heard her Daddy teasing Mommy that because she was bad this year, she wasn't going to get ANYTHING for Christmas. SO, what does Ivy do? Ivy decided that she was going to get her piggy bank, take it with her shopping, and buy her Mommy and Daddy some Christmas presents. So sweet and so caring!
BUT, do you see whose piggy bank she got?!?! :0)Early in the afternoon, we mixed up the batter for Jesus' birthday cupcakes.
We made reindeer cupcakes this year.
Letty was our "supervisor!"Because we were running out of time in the afternoon, Daddy ended up taking Ivy and Owen shopping in the afternoon to pick out gifts for both Mommy and Daddy. (We were suppose to trade turns with the kids but that didn't happen!) Apparently, Ivy knew just what she wanted to get for both of us. AND, when she went to the store for Daddy's gift, she got help from a store clerk and had Daddy go off to some other place in the store so that she could shop...the clerk told Daddy that she knew just what she wanted to get! AND, the store even wrapped the gift for her too so Daddy didn't know what he was getting AT ALL! A true surprise for Daddy - I love it! :-)
Later, we got the kids bathed and ready for bed because YOU KNOW WHO might be stopping by later!
As we were looking at all of the Christmas cards we got from everyone this Christmas season, getting our bedtime snacks and drinks ready, and picking out some Christmas books to read before bed, we heard a bell jingling and a voice getting closer and closer and closer. Here that voice was saying, "Ho Ho Ho! Merrrrrry Christmas!" and that bell and voice was coming right to our front door. Who could it be????
IT'S SANTA!!!!!!
And he came to give this good girl a present...
...a pink rabbit (so that her other pink bunny could have a friend)! Ivy named this pink rabbit "Emily")!
"Emily" even SMELLS like Santa! In case you were wondering, yes, Ivy is SMELLING her new pink rabbit from Santa. (She is just like her Daddy - they have to smell EVERYTHING!) :o)AND, he came to give this good boy a gift...
...a Curious George Christmas movie!AND, he gave this good girl a gift...pajamas!
Of course, Santa needed to see how Betsy the Fox (Ivy's present that she got from Santa last year) was doing before he left!
Merry Christmas, Santa! Thanks for stopping by!
Once Santa left, Mommy and Daddy helped Ivy and Owen wrap the gifts they picked out for one another.
Then, they were allowed to exchange and open those gifts. Ivy got to open her gift from Owen first.
Owen picked out this pinkish hat that actually fits Ivy's head and it has a picture of an ice cream cone with sprinkles on it! Perfect!
"Thank you, Owen, for my present!"Then, it was Owen's turn to unwrap his gift from Ivy.
Ivy got him a "boooooo" (a cow)...
...and a baby horse.
Immediately after opening his gifts and without ANY hesitation, Owen ran to the toy room and brought out the box that has all of the plastic animals and people the kids have to play with...
...to get that weird-looking guy. Why? So that the guy could ride on the backs of the cow and horse. :-)
"Thank you, Ivy, for my presents - they're the BEST!"
Letty was saying, "Hey, what about me?" (Sorry, Letty, we left you out this year since you really wouldn't know what was going on anyways! Next year though!)
After our gift exchange, it was time for the kids to get all snug in their beds. BUT FIRST, we had to leave the cookies and milk out for Santa. This year, Ivy thought that Santa needed to eat his cookies and drink his milk in front of the TV, in case he wanted to watch it; by the books, in case he wanted to read them; and by the nativity scene, in case he wanted to look at it.
And, of course, Ivy had to leave a note for Santa.
Enjoy, Santa!
Before bed, we re-read the beginning of the Christmas story found in Luke 1:26-56 and reviewed our memory verse found at John 3:16.For nothing is impossible with God. ~Luke 1:37
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