And Giving A Nod, Up The Chimney He Rose

Well, Santa Clause came to town. He left in his wake a houseful of busy and bubbly kids, little drifts of Christmas snow, and way too many sweets. It was, in every sense, merry and bright. We officially kicked off the season of celebrating several weeks ago when Opa and "Guppy" came to town. (I'm not sure how Suzanne really feels about Emma's new nickname for her, but so far it has stuck.)
Opa heard about this new game for Wii, and the idea was golden. The boys were thrilled, and since the arrival of the Tony Hawk skateboard, our gameroom has served as host to teams of neighborhood boys. I know y'all are dying to know, so I'll readily reveal that I too can ride the board. I can even "grind". I'm way cool.

The boys aren't the only ones prepared to impress their friends. :) Buzz and I got a great big popcorn machine because we love to host game nights. This will be a big hit, and lends itself well to the whole "our-house-is-like-a-three-ring-circus" theme we have going on a daily basis!

On Christmas Eve, we invited Nana, Papa, and Oma to join us for dinner after church. By early afternoon, the weather started turning cold and S*N*O*W began to fall, so we put out the call for everyone to head over early. It was spontaneous and fun, and our casual dinner of deli meats and cheeses was delicious.

According to the news, this was our first white Christmas since the year 1926! I grew up in the north, and have always missed the snow at Christmas time. This was the most amazing gift EVER, and I will forever in my heart know that God sent extra snowflakes just for me. :) There was a regular blizzard by the time Nana and Papa headed back to the farm, and it took them twice as long as usual to make the drive. Everyone eventually arrived safely home, and we spent the remainder of the night rushing to the window to admire the accumulating piles of snow.

Hannah got a Snuggli, and we all took turns stealing it from her. Honestly, anyone who makes fun of these has never actually worn one. They are divine! It's like wrapping up in a soft, fluffy hug, but still being able to use your arms. (I can't decide whether to delete that last sentence.)

Oma wasn't the only one wrapping up for fun. Buzz got a zero degree mummy bag for future scout camp outs. He is notoriously cold when we camp. No more. He is probably the only Texan with Alaskan camping gear, but "cold" should no longer be on his list of camping complaints!

One of my favorite pictures. Three reasons I had for feeling merry.

Plus one more!

And yet another! Buzz loves Charlie Brown and Snoopy, so Hannah found a Charlie Brown tree for him. These two give me a hard time about my flair for excess when it comes to holiday decorations. They say this tree is more their speed. They are two of a kind!

Hayden's new favorite shirt.

My Mom had a quilt rack made for me by a man in our church. My 2010 resolution is to FINISH some quilts to hang on it.

Snow was still falling by the time little ones were nestled snug, with visions of sugar plums. Thankfully, there was a marathon of White Christmas running on TV, because a certain Buzzard had a few chores ahead of him. The three little words that strike panic and fear in the hearts of fathers everywhere at half past late o'clock on Christmas Eve.

It made us realize that it's so fun when the kids reach an age where assembling the present is in and of itself part of the gift! Hooray for Legos!

But, some things were worth the extra effort. :)

My annual tradition is to trap the entire family on the staircase for photos on Christmas morning before anyone can go look under the tree. We love the staircase photo. Really, we do.

Oma came Christmas morning to make our traditional egg pancakes. They were awesome! This is our favorite meal of all time, and it somehow tastes even better on Christmas.

I did something new this year. I hung each of our stockings on our breakfast chairs, so everyone came to the table and did stockings before we ate. Stockings are always a big deal on Christmas morning. This year we all got new stockings with our names on them. This is a tradition Buzz grew up with, and every year he has asked for matching socks. (Hope you loved them, dear!)

Everything about Christmas this year was wonderfully joyful. I loved the time spent connecting with those I cherish, celebrating the birth of the One I love most!

....And we heard him exclaim as he flew out of sight, "Blessed Christmas for all, and for all, a good night!"