Dashing Thru the Snow/Dirt

we had lots of fun as a family getting ready for christmas!  emerson's preschool put on a play called
'the littlest christmas tree' down at the church.  she was a bird that helped decorate the little tree and loved singing the songs at home.  she was a bit shy on stage but still sang and did her part.  good job emerson! so cute...

we made some nice 'lumps of coal' for our neighbors and friends this year.  they were sugar cookies dyed black and we didn't have to use cookie cutters or sprinkles.  the kids got to form all the lumps themselves and i frosted them.  they delivered all the packages with our holiday card.

santa (the boys say it was his helper because it was NOT a real beard)...came to the orchard house over at the slope.  we looked at lights and then stood in the bitter cold for a bit to see him.  everyone was excited.  i can never capture good santa clause pictures.  all 3 kids that could talk suddenly changed their christmas list that nite :)  oh well, santa had the old one from a few weeks before he was working from!

and then we have christmas eve!  a beautiful, CLEAR day with not a lot on the schedule. it was great!  the treats were all made.  the gifts were pretty much all done and wrapped.  no office.  no cleaning.  the boys went with ben to town and to move the cows at the grass.  the girls and i delivered another neighbor gift and worked on a few more homemade items.  we wrapped our sibling gifts.  we even went sledding behind the 4wheeler in the snow/dirt that was left on the driveway!!!  the kids delivered ben's hometeaching gifts while i made cheese fondue and then we were off to the israelsen's for a fondue dinner and fun little get together. the hauk's were there as well, and we enjoyed a few hours there.  we talked about what we were grateful for and enjoyed being with friends. thank you.  that nite, we put out some cookies and eggnog for old claus and carrots for the reindeer.  we opened our sibling gifts and the things the kids had made for us at school.  the nite before for fhe, we had read and done an activity with the nativity, so it was off to bed for everyone...except mr. bentley kept getting up while everyone slept.  poor santa almost didn't make it and mom had to sleep in his bed with him half the nite to get him settled down.  he was pretty excited, much to his dad's demise!!! :)