magical moments

If you know me at all, you know that I am
an absolute Christmas freak!
I love everything about the holidays...everything.
I get so excited for Christmas Eve that sometimes
still can't sleep the night before. So many FUN traditions,
the EXCITEMENT of the kids, being with family...
makes me smile just thinking about it all.
This year we started a new tradition:
Twinkie the Elf came to stay with us for about 2 weeks.
She came straight from the North Pole, full of magic and trickeries. Every night Twinkie would return to the North Pole and give Santa a report of how our family was doing. She would magically appear in a new place every morning. And of course, her trickeries were the best part! One morning she turned all the chairs upstairs upside down. Another day the kids awoke to find Twinkie had written her name on their arms while they slept. She made messes, left mirror messages, and finished her stay by taking a small object from each child and molding it into a bowl of jello. Pretty sure Twinkie will be returning next year.

...the sisters...

...the brothers...

...the mom & dad...

...waiting for the Christmas Eve program...
what better to do than torture Brit?

playing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"

singing "He's too Fat for the Chimney"

playing "Let it Snow"

playing "Carol of the Bells"

singing "Up on the Housetop"

all the cuzzins!

love this look of pure JOY!

phew...Santa remembered what I wanted...

...and Santa brought things I didn't even know I wanted!

That's right! Jace is Iron Man!

the word "cool" pretty much described everything for Carter

Maddy regifted this from her white elephant exchange
the possibilities for this gift are endless...

"Yes! A Zhu-Zhu pet!"

"Knuffle Bunny Two!"...a favorite series of stories.
Christmas was heavenly. I loved it from beginning to end. Well....
maybe the end, not so much. I'm always sad to see December end.
But I am grateful for family and the many blessings we share.