Opening Aunt Sarah's Present

I've decided that why have Emily open all of her presents tomorrow on Christmas day?  How can she really enjoy everything to it's fullest?  So a few days ago I thought we should starting opening a little every day.  Sunday night we kicked it off with opening the Cabble's present the Fisher Price Advent Calendar.  Monday Emily opened her Fisher Price Nativity Scene from Jim and I, Tuesday she opened her present from Aunt Sue (Jim's sister) which was a little puppy with bag and then yesterday was Aunt Sarah's present.  

Emily loved her present from Aunt Sarah and her family, a princess baby and some new PJ's.  In the second picture she is telling daddy, "get her out!"

I am not sure what your Christmas traditions are, everyones varies a little and I have loved hearing about Christmas traditions more so after having Emily.  I've been trying to decide this year if we do Santa and how?  I grew up a strong Christian and Santa was not a big deal, he came while we were gone to church on Christmas Eve, but the focus was always the birth of Jesus.  My twin sister Linda doesn't do Santa with her children, they focus on Jesus at Christmas.  We decided to do a little bit of Santa.  So Santa will come tonight while Emily is sleeping and bring her a few presents and fill her stocking.  When Jim grew up Santa sometimes left footprints with black soot from the fireplace near the stockings.  I have a feeling we won't be doing that because of the clean up, but it's a neat, creative idea isn't it.

I just love watching Emily open her presents and just light up with Christmas spirit.  My present is just having her.

Gingerbread House

One of my friends played a great get together making Gingerbread Houses, unfortunately we couldn't attend but she sent the kit home with me.  So yesterday, with Jim's first day of vacation we enjoyed making the Gingerbread house together.  I have to say i think the kits are the way to go, it was so easy.  It was hard for both Jim and I to let Emily put the candy where she wanted, with us being perfectionists, we wanted to control where she put it to make it look nice.  We ended up with a pretty good balance in the end and she had a great time.  It was funny because she kept trying to sneak the candy into her mouth instead of on the house.  Like we didn't see her do it when we were sitting right there.  :)

Weber Christmas Party

Aren't these kids so cute, these are all the kids from Sunday's Christmas party before they opened their presents.  We went to my sister Linda's house to celebrate with my mom's side of the family, it's my mom and her two sister's families.  

Here is Emily and Claire cuddling on the couch.  They are so cute together.

Yeah, Emily was so happy she received this birdie, she has carried it around since she got it on Sunday and sleeps with it too.

After each person opened their present Emily dragged this waste paper basket around and picked up their wrapping paper, she likes to clean like her daddy.  It was very cute and a great job for her.

Emily enjoyed playing with Caleb's camera.

Here is Emily trying out Claire's camera.  I can't wait to see her face when she gets her own digital camera for Christmas from Jane.

Joshua played us some Christmas songs on the piano.

Big brother Caleb played a few songs from memory as well.

Of course Emily had to plan us some songs too!  

The funniest thing happened at the party, we were all sitting in a large circle playing this game to open all of the adult presents.  The kids had been playing with these nerf guns, and Jim had snuck one and was shooting it at Steve.  We'll after a couple one zoomed across the room and hit him in the forehead!  But it stuck and he was next to go get his gift, so he walked up to pick out his gift with the nerf bullet stuck to his forehead.  When he did remove it, it had left a red circle suction cup mark on his head.  That was the hardest I laughed in a long time, and had tears coming out of my eyes.

Christmas Party at John & Lin Armitage's House

Saturday afternoon we drove to Northville for a Christmas party at John & Lin Armitage's house (Jim's step Aunt & Uncle).  They have an awesome party with really good food and cookies.  Emily enjoyed hanging out with Grandma Heiss-Armitage and of course she liked opening her present from John & Lin.  She got a book with puzzle pieces and she loved playing with it at church on Sunday morning.  We had a great time until we left and it took us about an hour and fifthteen minutes to get home because the roads were very icy.

Playing in the Snow

There is snow on my nose! Yeah, Emily was so excited about the snow on Saturday morning, the first real time she has played in snow this winter.

Dad look at my footprints.

Emily and Jim were trying to hide from me, but I found them.

Emily getting ready to throw a snowball at me.

After she threw the snowball, gotcha mom!

Daddy building a baby snowman.

Emily knocking over the baby snowman.

Horsey ride, aren't the trees so pretty in the background!

Emily and I throwing snowballs at Jim.

Snow angels!

Enjoying swinging too, I think Emily missed playing outside!


Saturday morning was the first real snow fall this year, and we went out to play in the snow as it was snowing.  We had a great time, and it wasn't too cold, it would have been better if we had a little bit more snow.  I love how the trees look with a coating of snow on them, it's so pretty.  I hope we have a beautiful white Christmas this week too.

Reindeer Pokey & Craft at Story time

This is Emily doing the Reindeer Pokey at the Christmas story time at Chelsea Library last night.  I thought it was so cute how she told Jim he needed to participate.

Ta daa!

Emily was telling me that she wanted to add a snowman to her craft, Emily decorated a beautiful picture frame with very little help.

Of course seeing I didn't do my hair, wore a t-shirt and hat, we run into lots of people we know and Jim snaps lots of pictures with me in them.  I guess that is what happens when you live in a small town, everywhere you go you run into people you know.

Emily stood in line so patiently as she waited to show Miss Jackie her picture frame and get her gift bag.  Although she was disappointed she didn't get a stamp on her hand like we usually do at story time, she might have preferred that to the candy cane and stuff in the bag.

We had a great time at the Christmas story time with books, songs, craft and Jim was NOT the only dad there!  Emily was so excited that Daddy got to go to story time too (usually it's during the day)!

The Big Box

I was so excited when I saw the mail person dropped off a big box in our garage yesterday with our mail.  I waited until Jim got home for us to open it together because I knew Emily would be VERY excited to see what was in the BIG BOX!  So Jim got home and we carried the big box upstairs, Emily was watching her favorite show Kai-lan and this was more exciting than watching TV!

I am not sure if I captured the excitement well in these photos, but Emily was so excited about the big tower, the popcorn packing stuff, and of course when she opened it and saw candy "CHOCOLATE!  I want to eat it, yum yum yum!"  We said after dinner she could have a piece of chocolate if she ate her meal.  At dinner she told Jim that we made cookies today and Jim asked if he could have one, Emily said "If you are a good boy and eat your dinner you can have one."  Ha ha!