Christmas Card

I know it is late, but I finally had a chance to figure out how to export it. It does have annoying lines in it that I can't get rid of. When it crops pictures, it leaves the very right edge of the picture. I have not figured out how to fix that yet. I am still pleased with how it turned out!

Christmas Christmas Christmas!

Last night was the Christmas Pagent. It never really feels like Christmas to me until the pagent. Luckily or new church (did I mention it already? Church of the Resurrection, we love it) has the pagent on Christmas Eve. I always grew up with the pagent on Christmas Eve, I have been to churches that have it the Sunday before, and it never feels right to me. Last night was the pagent. Julianna was one of the Wise People, there was three of them (of course) and they were the narrators. One of the other Wise People was Sara Beth, who is my mom's cousin's daughter. We came to this church because we had heard what a fantastic church it was from my Nana, and we knew that Lorie (Mom's cousin) was a parishoner. It just happened to turn out that Ali, Julianna and Sara Beth just love each other. Alison was a townsperson, she played the bells during "Hark! The herald". Here are some pictures. These are actually from the rehearsal Monday night. You may notice that Ali looks a little pale, she was sick.

From left to right, this is Julianna, Sara Beth and Kaelyn.

Here is Ali and Sara Beth on Christmas Eve. Julie mentioned the other day that in a picture from looking for Christmas trees she thought Ali looked just like my cousin Kristina. I said "Maybe that is who I have been thinking of. I know she looks like someone but I can't figure out who." Looking at this picture, I can totally see it.

And our church on Christmas Eve, doesn't it look fantasticly pretty? The candles in all of the windows were amazing.

I was able to snap these after Santa came but before the girls got up. I heard a noise which woke me up, probably Santa taking off. I know you are insanely jealous of our homemade stockings from Nana. Mine is far left, and of course the oldest. I don't know if poor Nana realized she was starting a tradition, but she made Ali one when she was born, Lily and Mia theirs when then were born, and when we moved out here I asked if she could make Jeff and Julianna one. Julianna loved hers so much she slept with it when she first got it!! Jeff was floored by his. He clearly didn't realize how talented Nana is at not only knitting but also at finding cool stuff (ie Patriots stuff)!

Although I would have liked to take a picture with the tree lit up, I coldn't plug it in with all of those presents underneath!

Now I am going to *TRY* to add a video from the pagent rehearsal. I am not promising anything.

Christmas Show

The girls had their annual elementary school Christmas Show (the first for them) this pasty week.The entire school participates, each grade at a certain level. The younger ones sing along with some of the songs, the older ones sing more songs, and the 4th and 5th graders act and dance also. The pictures are pretty self-explanatory. However, in this first picture, Ali had just walked in, sat down in front of the entire auditorium and decided to fix her hair. For those of you who were around when she was little, she fixed her hair ala "Strawberry Shortcake Shampoo". If you don't know what "Strawberry Shortcake Shampoo" is, ask my step-father Doug.

Ali and her good friend Elijah.

What a fantastic picture of a beaming Julianna. She had just walked in and spotted us.

This is Bayley, one the the girls' bestest friends. Bayley's mom Tabatha is the president of the PTA, but more, she watches the girls after school. Bayley is their special 5th grade friend, and they love her. As a 5th grader, Baylet acted in the show.


This is C.J., Bayley's little brother. He is a kindergartner, so where he was sitting wasn't quite as bright. He is autistic (fortunately very high functioning), and the girls absolutely love helping him out. They are fantastic with him, and he loves them.

Christmas Tree!

On Saturday we headed out to get our Christmas tree. I have not ever had a real one (allergies) so this was all pretty new to me! Here is Jeff leading us in.

The girls looking around.

What's out there?

The girls looking for the perfect one

Wishful thinking...

It's contagious!

Watching them chainsaw the end off.

Ready to go!!!

And for the decorating.....