Christmas

For Christmas day this year, we celebrated with just our immediate family at our house. We had traveled to Biloxi the week before to celebrate with Barrett's extended family, and then his family came to our house the day after Christmas to exchange gifts. But for Christmas day, it was just the four of us. We had a really nice morning watching the kids open their stockings from Santa and their gifts from us under the Christmas tree. We had just enough time to open gifts and eat some breakfast before getting ready to go to the Waterfront Rescue Mission, which is a local charity, to help deliver meals to shut-ins and those in need. We were issued meals to deliver to three different homes, and we truly were blessed as we had the opportunity to meet some really neat elderly people who had lived in their homes for years and years and had seen the city transform around them. We were glad that the kids could participate as well, and I think it gave them a broader vision of how we can help others around us. After we had delivered the meals, we headed back home to fix our own Christmas dinner. We had a relaxing day and the kids got to play with their new toys. The next day, Grandmamma and Granddaddy, Uncle Tim, Aunt Susanne, and Elijah and Gracie Beth came just for the afternoon so we could exchange gifts. It was so nice of them to drive all that way for just a few hours, but that was just what worked into everyone's schedules, and it was so nice to get to spend that time with them.

Isabelle's favorite gift: play nail polish!


Caleb playing his new Nerf Wii game:


Isabelle's special gift from Grandmamma-the gold cross necklace that she had as a girl:


Caleb's special gift-Grandmamma's rock and gem collection for the future rock scientist (that is what Caleb said he wants to be when he grows up):


Uncle Tim with his nieces and nephews:


Our family Christmas picture:


Isabelle's masterpiece cake using her new Cra'Z'Cookin cake decorating contraption:

December activities

December is always a fast-paced month, but usually filled with similar activities each year. Isabelle saw a visit from Santa at her preschool and performed in their annual Christmas program. We baked some Christmas goodies and made sure that Santa had some yummy treats on his plate on Christmas Eve!
Despite the unusually cold weather we have had this winter here in the sunny state, Caleb and Isabelle had fun building a "fort" with odds and ends branches that they found in the field behind our house. They each had their own sleeping spot and talked about what kind of food they were going to have to find to eat. It was like their very own "Man vs. Wild" episode.

Isabelle with Mrs. Mackin and classmates with Santa:


Isabelle's school Christmas program:



Making some chocolate-covered peanut butter balls:


The Fort: