Kicking off the Holiday season with one of our very favorite traditions...Bell ringing for The Salvation Army!! Our kiddo's preschool always signs up and invites their families to take an hour slot. Downtown is always bopping with something. This night it was the Kris Kringle Market and so the sidewalks and side streets were packed with people shopping and eating from local vendors with their tents set up outside. Everyone is so friendly and you can almost taste the Holiday cheer! Then there are our children, ringing their bells, wearing tiny aprons, and singing their hearts out to their 3 favorite Christmas carols. My FAVORITE!!! And no one could really resist these 3 munchkins anyways so lots of money donated. It was a great night!
When the next family took over, across the street we went to deliver each of the kid's Christmas Wish Lists! Their letter that they each got back reassured them that Santa and his Elves have been working hard and to keep making good choices to stay on the Nice List. We really love that Santa!
Our first Christmas tree. Yep, you read correctly. Our FIRST tree because this year there was a SECOND tree. Oy vey.
But here she is in her all her glory looking and smelling oh, so beautiful.
Lights went up!
Ornaments went up!
Traditional family pictures while decorating the tree. Check.
But then life happened.
Spive was in town from China so the boys met up in Lansing for the day.
Dinner at Auntie Megs and Uncle Chad's.
Work week underway....
And on Thursday morning I woke up. The lights and ornaments were literally dropping of the tree. Between then and now the tree hadn't been watered once. Not once! I called Ben in tears on my way to work. Who lets their Christmas tree die??? We watered and waited 24 hours. No water was being soaked up. So, at 6:30 Friday morning, Ben got out the saw, and sawed off the trunk hoping this fresh cut would soak up the water and spring the tree back to life. We waited another 24 hours. Still a full tree holder full of water, more bristles on the ground, and more droopy branches. I called Lowe's and they were so kind to give us a new tree! Ben and I took off the lights, ornaments, put the tree outside, vacuumed and then up went the new tree. Silver lining in all of it...After seeing Auntie Meg's tree with the white lights our kids decided they liked that look better than our rainbow lights which is GREAT by us, so this time the white lights went up!
Polar Express Event at our Library! Between decorating cookies, listening to a reading of the Polar Express, playing Elf games to become a Certified Elf, visiting Santa...It's always a good time.
The highlight though is taking a ride on the "Polar Express". They decorate up these trolleys to take us around downtown to see the Bright, Light Show. This year Ellie was so excited to sing Carols with the high school singers on the trolley. However, this year there were none during our ride. My highlight that was her and I decided to sing our own Carols and by the midway point, we had the whole trolley singing along with us. She was even taking requests!
Sweet Drew, hanging his little ornaments on his tiny tree...
This year we decided to skip Santa at the Library event and take a trip to the Rochester Village Mall to visit him instead. Ben waited in line while the kids and I waited in the van watching a movie. To me, it worked out perfect. :)
Luke was excited to tell Santa what he wanted, Ellie wasn't so sure but quickly warmed up, and Drew thought he was excited but became super shy.
I am pretty sure this was the real Santa though because after some peeking around my shoulder and gentle words from the Big Guy, Drew was good to go!
Ben snapped the progression of Drew coming out of his shell and I love his little face in all of them.
Success!!!
That Monday night, our Music teacher invited all of us to go Caroling in the neighborhood next to our school downtown. Ellie was all about it. She took her job so seriously it really gave me a glimpse into how she probably is as a student. She knew most songs by heart. However, she held the typed lyrics and read it word for word because she wanted to get it just right. You can see her below in the pink hat. My sweet girl. Luke however, sang at the top of his lungs (pictured in the middle with his hand up) and I never knew where he was at. Drew, yes STILL in a stroller, because I was riding solo that night and it went till 8 which is past his bedtime and I can't carry him for to long anymore.
Hot Cocoa for everyone back in the cafeteria afterwards!
It was a fun and long last week of school. We had piles of stuff laid out every night by the door for all 5 of us! Staff party items, white elephant gifts, ugly sweaters, skit costumes, party donations, teacher gifts, other staff gifts, student gifts, thank you notes, on top of the regular homework folders, backpacks, blankie, books, planners, snacks, lunches, water bottles, recess gear, oh my goodness. We did it though and HELLLOOOO to our Holiday break!
Saturday night we attended our Christmas service at Kensington. We were so lucky that Megan, Chad, Harlow, Mom and Stan could join us!
Dropping Drew off...
And then taking him back out so we could go sneak on Harlow to see how she was doing. It was her first time in the nursery and she did great! Not one tear shed. We even snapped a pic of our big girl!
Once I peeled myself away from admiring my sweet, little niece I met up with everyone in the auditorium. Ready for service!
My favorite part...The candle lighting! Look at that angel face...
Then dinner at Bahama Breeze!
Longest wait ever for food so we all went a little nutty and just had a great time!
Sunday morning, cookie time!!
Ben snapped this pic without me knowing and I love it! My little babes!!!
Monday morning (Christmas Eve Day!), Ellie and Luke started tracking Santa on the other side of the world where he was already starting his adventure. They even took out their World Map place mat to find the country he was in. I love their little feet dangling next to each other in this pic!
And in this pic...Ellie had just woken up and being not a morning person, like her mama, I love her crinkled, tired face and bed head. She is my sweetheart.
Cookies are cooled from yesterday and tonight we must leave cookies for Santa, so it is decorating time!
All 3 of them worked so hard at their cookies it made me so proud. Drew even decorated his tree cookies by putting one sprinkle at a time for each "ornament". Talk about fine motor skills!
And he is totally rocking the apron. :)
And here we are Christmas Eve! Which cookies should we leave for Santa??
Cookies and milk out...Now time to write Santa a little note!
How Drew signs his name. 😍
And his fireworks to Santa...
Ellie's note...
Luke writing his note...
Reindeer food!
And ending the night with Dad reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Sweet Ellie was so tired she is cuddled on my lap listening from there.
" And to all a goodnight."
Tomorrow is the big day...We celebrate Jesus' birth!
