It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas...

Well, we've been to see Santa (picture will be posted as soon as Hank gets our scanner hooked up... and it's worth the wait, I promise! :)). We've got the tree up, and we've even started wrapping our presents.

Yesterday, Hank took the kids to see the Alabaster parade while I had a meeting for the off season volleyball club team I will be coaching with one of my favorite people, Jennifer! They had a blast and came home with a ton of candy... I guess I can just add that to the ton of leftover Halloween candy we have! Or I could just throw it all away! They watched the parade with their cousins Luke & Sierra, my mom, and my sister Jennie. Tres told me that Santa was riding a motorcycle this year. While I was out by myself, I went and got Hank's Christmas present! I can't wait to give it to him! I don't know why I'm so excited, but I am!

The boys and I made a Christmas chain yesterday, or an advent chain. Using construction paper and glue, we made a chain counting down the days until Christmas. The boys LOVE tearing one off every day! And I think it's making me more excited too as the days progress. We will be spending Christmas night at my parent's house and opening there. I'm excited to see them that morning! I just have to smile when I think about it, cause I know Tres will have questions, and funny comments... and I know Bryant will be full of laughter and fun too! This will be the first Christmas that he actually understands what's going on!

This morning at church, the Missionettes had a reward ceremony. Tres is a rainbow and he got his vest and patches! He was so proud, and I was too. I couldn't help but tear up just a little to see how big he is getting! He even recited the Rainbow motto into the microphone! This is before church started in his Rainbow's class.

Then we came home and took our annual family Christmas picture that will be distributed to family and close friends along with a Christmas letter! This is one from the batch that was pretty good, but not the one we used. I'll post that one when it's cropped and cleaned up and I have our letter written. Does anyone else do this? It's something I really look forward to every year. I have one from every year since we've been married framed and I pull them all out at Christmas. I love to look back!