Wow backtracking big time now! Sorry!! But gotta share the Advent themed wonderful that was our days up to our second Christmas in Minnesota.

December 14-19

Another weekend begins in Advent. The 14th was the day before our Christmas program (you can see pictures from that HERE). So it was also our final practice. It went pretty well and it was Emanuel’s good behaviour at this practice that earned him the part of Joesph in the end of the program!

We survived practice and the weather was nice enough for the big kids to head outside for a bit.

We have had some VERY cold days. Echo chose to stay in and snuggle with Fat Sheep… or as she now call it – Sheep Fat.

Even better… another batch of boxes came from Gammie with most of the last of the Christmas goodies and included were some books that were in the box  for right now… not only Christmas themed BUT also a book read by Gammie (recorded) for us to listen to! Loved it!! 

Of course Sunday was the Christmas program (mentioned above). Baba had a game to go to (football) so it was our 7 plus Nana. I think it went well. Just WATCHING wore out Echo.

And I think we  turned out quite handsome with the 4 plus myself in black and Echo in white!! Photo op!

Monday was right back to reading and Christmas fun. We were spoiled when Grandma visited months ago, she brought us a couple CANADIAN Christmas books that we have enjoyed and illustrated a page for after reading. Porcupine in a Pine Tree had a little toy porcupine that came with it.

Of course we had to journal about the program. This was the first program Trinity has ever REALLY been a part of.

On Tuesday we read a more religious Christmas book.

And Emanuel made up a favourite off of Art for Kids from last year… make your own 3D paper reindeer.

Oh, and one more artistic rendering with the help of Art for Kids by the boys.

We moved into movies on Wednesday. I am glad we now own many of the traditional Christmas classics… Rudolf, Frosty, Polar Express… of course the twins had to announce at great length that they HAVE seen all of these… well, YES, but that is what makes them part of our Advent tradition sillies! 

Echo and Emanuel brought out the Nativity scene. I can’t remember if we bought these before or after Trinity was born but they are still a family favourite! 

Thursday was full of card making…

And storytelling…

Emanuel rounded off the evening with his Tiger Cub Scout Christmas party… in full outfit! He had so much fun and renewed his interest in doing even more. 

And we are well into the week!

Gotta craft a little too right?

Here I go jumping ahead again… but last year we were not settled in a church and missed out on this most fundamental Sunday School experience so we were doubly excited to be involved this year. Anyway… The program was in place of the sermon this Sunday (15th) and was a play about the stars deciding who would light the way in the front for Baby Jesus’ birth.

All these close ups are from practice before service

The twins each had a speaking part and all 4 learned the music… in the end, Emanuel had behaved so well during practice that he got to be Joseph!!! I totally wish I had known how to zoom in on the cell phone to take better pictures but Ken got a whole bunch of video and I took some pictures with the camera when he was done with it as well.

We had to have them dressed in the same colour top and bottom so it was black all the way. With Echo in her pretty white dress thanks to Grandma when she and Grandpa Mike came through over Easter I figured a nice group picture in front of our amazing tree was in order.

I am seriously overwhelmed by how wonderful people are to SEND our kids so many presents this year. It has made our lack of extra funds for presents a non issue for the Canadian Christmas (which is what we call our morning present opening with anything mailed to us and from Ken and myself directly as the rest is done in the afternoon once Joe and Faithe and their kids are here… so basically what we would do at our own home before heading to the grandparents’ for Christmas day).

I finally got to wear my LBD. I absolutely love it. My mother in law has some eye for pretty outfits because she was the one that spotted this one!

Baba had a friend ask him to go to the football game so we had Nana as our visitor. She brought Echo at service time so we didn’t have to chase her around while we ran through practice.

There is nothing more Christmas-y to me than a church pageant and this one was cute! I was glad I was able to help out a bit… I was in charge of changing Mary and Joseph out of their star costumes and into their manger outfits and send them up the aisle at the end. Fun!

Of course we wore our Echo out in the end. But she majorly loved the dress!