Christmas Week

Alrighty, I downloaded 106 pictures off my camera, and I think I have added 30 to the blog... so lets see how the week before Christmas went!

I love this guy... we have renamed him Smaug, because he has a cold and has been making this little growly sound, which has perfectly coincided with our introduction to Smaug, the dragon, in The Hobbit.

Last Sunday was our church's cantata... the kids choir, which TW is a part of, sang Away in a Manger!

After church, Daddy snuggled with 4/5's of the kids!

"Look Mama, now I have a beard".

Told you Little Smaug has been sick... even he is getting breathing meds :(

On Tuesday, we met Gramps and Grammy to celebrate Christmas... TW was off playing with a game thingy... fortunately, the cafe was pretty empty, so the kids could wander around without hassling too many people!

On the drive home (it was raining cats and dogs most of that day), we saw this cool cloud!

So, Smauglette has been sleeping in his car seat, which he detests.  So, pitying him, I put him on the incline... he busted through the guards (and yes, he sleeps on his belly, all my kids have, they are not happy any other way)!

J's mom helped us discover a new section of the Air Museum, so on Wednesday, we went to see it.  Mr. E called this jeep a Monster Truck :p

The new section has an area devoted to small town life during WWII...

Here's what I'd look like as a dwarf (possibly a hobbit)... in case you were wondering.  BTW, have you seen the trailer for the new Hobbit movie?  Looks good :)

On Thursday, we headed to Bass Pro Shop.  We looked at bows and arrows, skipped the guns (too crowded), checked out the Santa stuff, popped Berry's elbow out of socket (again), popped it back in, and were back home in time for naps!

Did you know it's officially winter now?  Our calendar did, so we planted our Paper Whites... I'm hoping that this year's trial is a bit more successful!!!

We treated ourselves to a Cuckoo clock... or as Berry says "poo poo clock" :)  LOVE IT!!!

Friday, TW built a boat, and as all sailors know, every ship needs a galley (kitchen, in landlubber speak)!

And, I finally finished the girls' babies' blankets... pink for Berry and blue for Pretty Girl!  They are the same size... though it doesn't look that way in this photo!

Saturday morning, Pretty Girl decided to help Mama and Daddy by changing Baby Smaug :)

Here is Mr. E sporting his very first fat lip... nope, don't know how it got there... just cleaned up the mess; but I know it involved two boys and the bunk bed!

We headed to Sears so Daddy could get a new dress shirt... we had to try on a bunch to find just the right  neck/sleeve ratio... this is how they stayed entertained :)

Christmas Eve we had church, and then Daddy read The Night Before Christmas!

Everyone got new jammies...

... and we pulled out the gifts ;)

And of course, Christmas morning, we tore into the gifts :)

Our traditional (kid) breakfast of oranges and donuts :)

Here is our pastor's son, noticeably impressed with Berry's Baby!

Here is my gift from J and TW :)

TW's big gift :)

In Other News:  Wasn't the week of Christmas enough news???  So thankful for the mercy and grace of a God who would give all so that I, a miserable sinner, could live!!!