Instafriday!

It was the instafriday before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. For daddy had taken the kids out to breakfast, with plans for adventure and Christmastime cheer, and mommy was content all alone on the couch drinking coffee and reading - um what's that I hear?

Mommy's alone? in her jammies? drinking coffee and updating her blog?

Merry Christmas to ME!

My girlfriend made the kids homemade playdoh with glitter in it - it is seriously the most amazing playdoh I have ever seen! It is so soft and pretty and molds great :) Thanks Kiki!

The kids had a cold for a few days so we stayed inside most of the time. But kids can get stir crazy - as can mommies - so we went for a walk through the field behind our house. Noah made his Christmas deliveries in his UPS costume from when he was 3, and Faithy took her giant elephant for a ride.

Two kids with colds means lots of bed head, blow up mattresses, and eating whatever I can get them to eat. My husband thinks that they will have great memories of this kind of stuff when they grow up - I do to. Man I love my kiddos!!

Again during pre-christmas sick week 2011, I was looking for things to do indoors with the kids. My sister-in-law Amy had a great idea for me - making snowmen out of marshmallows and various candies I could find around the house. It was perfect!! I set up a little snowman making station and made the sample snowman so they would get the gist of what to do (or maybe I just wanted to make one!) They had fun and enjoyed the treat after. Thanks Amy!

Noah's

Faithy's

We have an awesome kids play place near us that hosted a Christmas Tea in their princess castle room. Noah has always wanted to go into the castle room but it's for parties and such so we never went in. He was so excited to go in - and then of course disappointed that it didn't have stairs to a second level and the big doors didn't really open. But, he got to dress up like a knight, Faith was a princess, they decorated cookies, ate pizza, met Santa, sang songs and had a great time.

Faithy learning how to curtsy like a princess

Noah showing his knightly muscles (he was 1 of about 5 knights)

Always hugging.

Faith's blow up mattress was an early Christmas present from Jenny - because what little girl doesn't want a princess bed in which to be served when she isn't feeling well?

I have great memories of my mom making a dozen different cookies and treats around Christmas time and delivering them to our neighbors on pretty platters. It doesn't seem like that is done anymore! So this year, Darren and I made up cookies, fudge, peanut brittle and candied pecans and packaged them up all pretty for our neighbors. I never want to become so self-focused that I forget to connect with the community around me and bless those people that God has put in my life!

Faithy playing with Noah's playdoh transformers set. It's so funny to watch how girls with older brothers turn out differently than girls with older sisters.

For God so LOVED the world that he gave his one and only SON, that whoever BELIEVES in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to SAVE the world through him. John 3:16, 17

Thankful for Immanuel, "God WITH us", this Christmas!

GOD'S BLESSINGS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!