Christmas 2009

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

John Curtis is 3!

Wow! Time really does fly. Taylor made this collage of John Curtis last night and it shows how much he has grown over the last three years.

What a joy this little man is to our family. We are so thankful that God chose to entrust us with his little life. Last year we threw John Curtis a pretty big 2nd birthday party with all of his family there and a lot of friends. This year we decided to go more low key. We had a Polar Express pajama party with just 3 of his friends and their families. It was just right and John Curtis had a great time.





This video cracks me up. It isn't very good quality but the combination of John Curtis burrowing into the pillow and Kaden crying and trying to get away from Santa really captures the moment.

Kindergarten Pajama Day and Christmas Party

We Found Jesus...Or Did He Find Us????

I just wanted to update those of you who have been losing sleep over this. Baby Jesus has been found. Taylor found him in the couch cushions. This is a mystery to me. As it is common for us to lose small toys in our couch, that is one of the first places I looked. Yet I didn't see Baby Jesus. Perhaps only Taylor has eyes to really see Him.

So the family is back together again. All is right with the world....almost.

Notice anyone missing? Yes, there are now only 2 wisemen. However, I'm not going to get hung up on this. The 3rd wiseman isn't integral to the story. After all, the Bible only mentions 3 gifts, not 3 men, and all 3 gifts are there at the manger. See for yourself. Perhaps there were only 2 wisemen. It could be that our nativity is truer to actual events than most (except that the wisemen weren't acutally at the manger, and Mary and Joseph are all clean, and Mary is actually able to stand up, oh...and they're all white). Other than that it is a very accurate retelling. We have a few theories about the missing wiseman. Maybe he wasn't so wise and he is actually the culprit in Jesus going missing (however, I suspect a different "little man" is responsible for the baby's disappearance). Or maybe he is still seeking Him, not realizing he has been returned to the manger.

Or maybe this guy ate him. Just kidding, he's a very nice dinosaur who was just playing with Baby Jesus.

Anyway, Jesus is safely returned and everyone is rejoicing, even Uniqua (no idea how she got incorporated in). And yet I do see Mary's eye occasionally glance longingly over at the race track.

An Early Birthday and Christmas Celebration

We had a fast and furious 24 hour trip to Weatherford and Plano this weekend. I picked Sophie up from school early right when I got off work and then the 4 of us headed to Weatherford. When we got there we ate a quick dinner and had a little birthday party for John Curtis.

Trying to open his present with Sophie always there to help.

Still helping

Why did they just put fire in front of me?

Yummy cupcakes!

After the quick celebration we loaded up and went to see The Princess and the Frog. Sophie has been waiting for this movie to come out for months - the first new Disney princess in years. We weren't disappointed. I think the adults enjoyed it as much as the kids. Although, there are some scary parts. If the "bad guys" in Disney movies usually scare your kids, this one probably will too. Just a word of warning :)

Saturday morning we had a pretend Christmas morning and we got to open all our presents from Grammy, Bumpaw, and DeeDee. The kids were so excited and had everyone up by 7:00.

After all the gifts were opened we got in the car yet again and drove over to my Aunt Edie's new house in Plano for the Bunch family Christmas. And yes, the kids got to open MORE presents.

Sophie handing out the numbers for our gift game

Part of the fam

The kids playing with their new Hungry Hungry Hippos

Whew! So that's it. Around 3:30 we got back in the car and drove the 4 1/2 hours back to San Angelo. It was a lot of driving, but it was worth it. I enjoy time with my family and am thankful we still all get together. We arrived home with a little boy running a fever of 103. (Sorry, Kay, hope Dallas doesn't get it.) He hasn't had fever since 5:00 this morning and after resting all day we're hoping we'll be going to school in the morning (all of us).

Mary at the Racetrack

When Sophie was only a year old her Uncle Erick sent her the Little People Nativity Set. Sophie loves this toy and always looks forward to getting it out each December. So when I saw a Playmobil Nativity Set at Target on Black Friday I had to get it for John Curtis as an early birthday present. He has played with this set non stop - literally. I have never seen him stick with one toy so long and so consistently. He mixes his other toys in with it and has the camel fight the dinosaur or the tow truck tow the gifts away. I have seen some very sweet moments. One day I heard him playing with the wise men. They had gifts in their hands and he said, "Here you go, Baby Jesus. Here's your gift." In that moment I thought he understood the story. However there have also been moments when the wise men have shot the shepherds with their staffs and had an all out gun fight at the manger. But now Baby Jesus is missing. Every night when we did our advent candles he would run to his room and grab Baby Jesus. He often fell asleep clutching the little baby in his hand. So sweet...but one morning he was nowhere to be found. We've looked in the bed, under the bed, moved the bed, no Baby Jesus. I keep thinking it must be symbolism and Jesus will appear in the manger on Christmas morning. Wherever he is, Mary is bored. She doesn't know what to do with herself with no baby to care for. This week I walked in to see what the kids were doing and there she was, zooming around the race track.

Mary taking a spin.

You should see her go!

The shepherd decided to jump in.

Cruising by the manger (with her weapon)...still no Jesus.

A December Weekend

What a full weekend! On Saturday morning we had to go to the mall to exchange some things so we decided to take the kids to see Santa. Sophie was excited, John Curtis said he didn't want to see Santa. As we moved closer in the line Sophie started clinging to me and JC kept trying to back out of the line. We did finally get Sophie to sit on his lap and tell him what she wanted. John Curtis wouldn't even go through the gate - not even with Daddy. He was NOT going near Santa. So we have a lovely picture of Sophie sitting on Santa's lap for Christmas 2009.

I consoled myself with a picture of both of them in front of the huge bear.

Sophie always wants me to keep taking pictures.

Daddy didn't want to be left out.

That evening we met the Barkers downtown at Fuentes for dinner and then went outside to watch the Christmas parade.

Bundled up and ready for the parade to start

Miss Leia was smart and brought glow sticks

John Curtis got in on the fun, too.

Leia and I decided to stay warm in the car.

Here it comes!

John Curtis had a great view.

We gave the boys a turn in the warmth.

Waving at the floats

Sweet friends

Last week we got a package from G-Momma with the kids' Christmas outfits. She did such a good job making Sophie a dress and John Curtis a coordinating shirt with their initials monogrammed.

Sophie's choir got to sing again during the Hanging of the Green service. I didn't get the best shot. Sweet Savannah's bow is in Sophie's face most of the time. Being a fellow bow wearer, we really can't complain. Watch Gracie next to Sophie. The boys keep getting their bells tangled in her hair. Poor thing ends up in tears (but I think that is because her parents were laughing at her in front of me).

Sophie and I ended the weekend going to see the Nutcracker with the Barker and Bennett girls. The Civic Ballet where the girls take put it on. It was fun for them to watch the "big girls". Sophie was mesmerized during the entire first hour. I'm not sure she even blinked. During the second half she got a little tired, but seemed to really enjoy it.

Snow Day

This morning we awoke to a winter wonderland.

Sophie and I had to go to school, but Taylor and John Curtis had some fun playtime outside.

When Sophie got home there was a little bit of snow left so we played one more time.