Christmas 2011

Throughout December, we used this beautiful advent circle which we bought from the Voskamp family over at Holy Experience. We used it every night along with a Jesse Tree devotional, which really helped solidify the meaning of the season with the kids. I'm sure we'll use it every year.

Christmas Eve

But we did track Santa online on Christmas Eve too. I maybe should take Santa out of the equation altogether, but there are some fun little Santa things we like to do the night of Christmas Eve. I think it's okay since they are entrenched in the real meaning every other night of December.

Opening ONE gift on Christmas Eve...a family tradition. It's always so stressful to figure out which one they should open that night. Nothing too big, but also nothing too disappointing like socks or anything.

On our way to a candle lighting service.

Wella.

Cookies for Santa. We kind gave him a lot.

Stockings filled to the brim.

Santa's footprint and Rudolph's hoofprint in the fireplace ashes,

Santa's letter to the kids. He always reminds them that the real reason he celebrates Christmas is because of Jesus' birthday. :)

Christmas morning.

Claire got this new reading chair to go UNDER her new bed. (More on the new beds later).

Sam made this little gnome house and the people for Wella.

Grandma and Grandpa's house

The "dad corner" of the room.

Aunt Rebecca.

Grandpa Norton.

Matt's brother, David, got a letter jacket for Christmas so the other Harris men had to go dig out there own old jackets for a photo shoot.

Grandpa's is a little snug these days. Heehee.

The beautiful bird.

The cookbook.

The gravy.

The chef...grandma of course!

The carver. Aunt Sarah.

Grandma Evie (who Claire is named after) gave Claire lots of love.

Christmas night

Grammy and Grandad's house in Kansas

Grandkids.

With the grand dogs: Harley and Beast.

Aunt Katie and Uncle Chance! The cousins love these guys so much because they are the cool, hip, young married people who have things like video games, dogs, candy, motorcycles, etc. They are also just pretty cool and fun in general. :) Sam sat this close to Chance, (when he wasn't on top of him) pretty much the whole time.

New sleds. I'm not going to say anything. You shouldn't either.

Playing battleship with Ms Cathy, the International Student who lives with my parents right now. She's great and taught me how to cook a big Chinese food feast on New Years Eve.

Twins...thanks Grammy!

Grandad worn out after putting in huge full days of entertaining grandkids every day we were there.

Beast.

Sam on his new skateboard at the skateboard park in Wichita. He begged to go every day,  and the weather was awesome so we went!

Matt and I also "celebrated" 10 years of marriage on December 29th. Well, we didn't do anything yet, but we said "Happy Anniversary" to each other! Matt's trying to get me to do a hotel night somewhere this month, but leaving all three kids seems like such a hastle! I guess I should....

...since it has been 10 years and we DO spend every waking moment with these guys. :)