Christmas at Home

I know it's already the new year and I'm still wrapping up Christmas (haha!! no pun intended :) Our Holidays were super full with Christmas parties, Christmas performances, seeing Christmas lights, making cookies, giving gifts, the list could go on and on!!! Here are some pics of the last middle part of December (the first was filled with the Wizard of Oz and the last part we were in TX--pics to come soon :)

Emma with Mrs. Patti (one of her teachers) at their Christmas party.
Emma helping some of her classmates do bags of food for Santa's reindeer.

Ty's Mother's Day Out had a Christmas program and Ty had a SPEAKING PART!!! It was something we worked on everyday for weeks and I have to say he did an AWESOME job!!! He was so excited about his big day!! He picked out his own clothes (which he pretty much does everyday) which were black shoes, jeans, white shirt with tie, and a black velvet blazer. He wanted his hair in a faux-hawk ....he had a very rock star look going that day :)

Ty saying his lines.

Ty with his teachers, Mrs. Gina, and Ms. Amber

One of our traditions is to load up in the car with jammies on and hot chocolate in hand to go see Christmas lights!!! This year we went through our City's "Southaven Lights" which we all loved again, and then we went to see the house with about 100 blow ups!!! We had so much fun!!

Another tradition is making gingerbread houses. This year Grami sent us a beautiful house to decorate, but due to a minor mishap, we could not use the house. We used the icing and decorations, but we improvised with graham crackers for the house!! The kids had so much fun making their own houses and decorating them the way they wanted too. Em's even had a light post and mailbox!!

Em decorating hers.

We LOVE making cookies for Santa!!! Usually we are rushed at night to get them done and then get in bed, but this year our church didn't have a Christmas Eve service, so we had more time that day. So we made our cookies earlier in the day and got to enjoy it more. Here Em is licking her fingers after she finished decorating!!

Ty eating one of the one's he decorated!

Emma and Ty both decorating!

Before we set out Santa's cookies and tea (our Santa doesn't like milk :) we throw out reindeer food. The kids had both made some at school and we had tons of it. One problem this year was trying to get it onto the roof. Jeff had me cracking up, b/c he would stand behind Emma and when she threw hers he would throw some at the same time so she would hear it hit the roof. She had no idea she wasn't making it to the roof and so Jeff solved our big dilemma of getting it on top :) We'll have to be really creative next year if we're in a giant high rise!!

Ty spreading some food on the ground.

Putting some on top of the sign :)

Emma and Ty with their elves (Emily and Tyler) before they had to go back with Santa.

Christmas morning, EARLY (like 1 or 2) before we went to bed and before the kids were up!

Seeing what Santa brought!

Emma emptying her stocking!

Ty riding his new bike!!

Em and Ty blowing out our "Happy Birthday JESUS" dessert!! We did this on Christmas day.