A Week, Briefly (Christmas)



We baked and baked and baked on Saturday.  Eventually Dad helped the girls deliver the treats to friends and neighbors on Christmas Eve.  I stayed home to help J11 finish her Christmas presents because her projects had met with one too many crises.

And E14 built this super cool fort out of chairs and blankets.

We couldn't get a picture of the whole thing--believe me, we tried!  Here is E14 standing next to the very edge of her structure. 

On Sunday we had our church Christmas observance. 

There was much dancing and making merry all week long.

We baked sugar cookies.


Lots of 'em.

There were sweet quiet moments.

I finally finished the ornaments for the kids commemorating the move to our new house last Christmas.

We decorated the sugar cookies.

The kids spent a lot of time putting each sprinkle in just the right place.

We had our traditional reenactment of The First Christmas.  E14 played the innkeeper, a shepherd, and a wise man.  M12 and J11 were wise men.  S12 played wicked King Herod.  A7 was Mary and I3 was Joseph.  H5 was the angel of the Lord.  Dad was the donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem.  I was narrator and picture-taker.  I cried as I read the sacred words . . . even though I read them many times each year.

Christmas Day held more joy than ever.  My favorite moments were the ones where the kids shared themselves, rather than things, with us and with each other.  One of my favorite gifts was this one from A7.

And another favorite was this one from J11.  Can you see my pregnant belly? :)

After the Christmas hullaballoo was over, we settled into game playing (we got a few new family board games), beautifying (the older girls got jewelry, make up, and hair accessories), and talent-developing.  Here are A7 and H5 holding their new dollies and the pillows they made themselves with their new sewing kits. 

The week has been truly joyful. 

I wish the same for all.

Comments

  1. DianaDecember 28, 2014 at 12:29 PM

    What a lovely Christmas, and what a lovely family! You are doing an awesome job!! Merry Christmas from Arizona,
    Diana

    ReplyDelete
  2. TristanDecember 30, 2014 at 8:14 AM

    Wonderful! I love seeing all the pictures, makes your family come alive for me. :) Have a happy new year!

    ReplyDelete

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