So, I didn’t get out the Christmas cards, and I think that the 12 days of Christmas are over.  Oh well, I am a slacker…  To make a mends, I promise all of our aunts/uncles and grandparents that there will be cards and picture of the girls in the mail shortly.

Thank goodness for blogs.  Ugh, wait never mind, this blog is being written in February!

The Christmas season has become a blur.  I guess that is what happens when you have kids!  It all started simply enough.  Sometime shortly before Thanksgiving, Rachel wanted to go eat at the Galleria.  For those not in Houston, the Galleria is a really swanky mall that is lined with top end stuff (Gucci, Tiffany’s – you get the picture) and a big skating rink.  Anyway, on our way to the restaurant we came across a group of carolers and then the humongous Christmas tree that was in the center of the ice skating ring.  After dinner, we picked up some really nice Christmas ornaments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All of that Christmas spirit translated into Bryan insisting that we put up the Christmas tree before Thanksgiving.  I must confess, I hate putting up a fake Christmas tree.  It is kind of like eating jolly rancher candy instead of M&Ms..Anyway, Bryan and Rachel were very excited so up went the tree, because I didn’t want Rachel to have lasting memories of her mom being a grouch at Christmas!

 

Then it was Thanksgiving and a brief visit with family in Kentucky.  It was a nice time and our families gave us Christmas gifts.  Of course, I hadn’t even been shopping yet.

Then the fun began. and the exhaustion.  and the exhaustion.  I mean, this was a tough season.  Personally, all of the holiday celebrating on top of our daily routines was almost too much for me.  One day I contemplated hiding in my closet and taking a nap, but realized my work and responsibilities would be double once I was discovered.

Sorry for that digression.  Back to the whirlwind festivities!  In order of activity, there was a Christmas party with her gymnastics team, Christmas  family concert, Christmas party at school, and lots of church activities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are fortunate to attend a church that has very thoughtful Advent/Christmas services as well as fun stuff for the kids.  It is pretty cool that all of the kids’ activities are fun AND thoughtful!  Rachel sang with the Children’s choir and rang hand chimes during a church service.  They had new choir robes this year!  That day for church, she wore the really pretty white dress that Aunt Margaret bought her this summer.

The church had many other fun things  for the kids (and everyone else), they have “journey to the baby”.  This is a few weeks before Christmas and recreates the village of Bethlehem.  There are lots of neat things – the kids pay taxes to the Roman soliders, meet the Wise Men, there is “Harold the Harking Angel”, a ring toss where the kids can earn coins for prizes, real snow for making snow angels, and a real baby and mom and daddy in the chapel – hence, “journey to the baby”.

The next weekend, there was caroling to homes of church members that are not able to attend Sunday services.  That was a lot of fun.  Bryan took the baby for the afternoon, so I didn’t have to cart her around all afternoon.  Bryan is pretty awesome that way 🙂

 

Then Christmas steamrolled our way.  Again, the church had a very moving Christmas Eve service.  Silly me didn’t realize that childcare was available, so I kept the baby with me.  She was pretty squirmy, but otherwise not too bad.  After about 1 hour and 15 minutes, I waited with Sarah Amelia in the foyer.

Rachel had some very last

minute requests for Santa, which Santa didn’t accommodate.  But, overall, I think that everyone was happy.  Santa brought Rachel a “lump of coal”.  I got so tickled, because Rachel put the lump of coal in the floor beside Sarah’s

crib but finally admitted that she put it there.  She said “of course it wasn’t for me”!  LOL.

AND –  In case you haven’t gotten enough of our Christmas spirit, here is a clip of my child prodigy playing “O Come All Ye Faithful”!  (Since this is a blog for family and friends, I am assuming you will only have the kindest thoughts of her sincere playing ability.  In order to film her, I did have to bribe her with extra candy) – click the link –  IMG_3648

Below are some pictures of Christmas festivities at the Kee’s – only two months past the actual holiday!

 

 

 Sarah being festive!

!Enough partying!