Christmas Festivities

All of our month-long fun Christmas traditions and activities lead up to the main events:  family get-togethers and Santa's arrival.   Our annual Christmas at Nana and Poppy's house was wonderful, as usual.  I cannot believe how these kids change from year to year.  We will have two babies to add to the group next Christmas, which will be crazy but so exciting.

These two are my pride and joy.  Oh, how God blessed us with the sweetness of all things girl and rowdiness of all things boy.  I am so thankful!

A few days later, our Christmas Eve traditions took us to Auburn (again) for Christmas with my White and Hughes extended families.  It is such a long day, but I so love being with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  I love that my children get to experience that as well.

Santa's arrival brought insane excitement to our house.  Santa left a few bites of his cookies, and we found Canaan eating the leftovers.  That's our boy. Hadley loved the Frozen dress Santa brought her. I loved how sweet and excited she was about every single gift.  It was as if every present was exactly what she had wanted her entire life.  I wished it could have gone on for much longer than it did.  Santa does not overdo at our house....at all.

Santa went with boy toys such as tools and drills this Christmas.  Canaan loved ripping in to his packages and needed no help.

After the excitement of opening our presents, we donned our Holiday attire to head to our Stinson family.  A delicious breakfast at Ma and Papa's and presents galore at Granna and Grandads awaited us.  

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!  What a wonderful year 2014 has been to us.  Can't wait to see what 2015 holds!

Christmas Card Pictures

I asked my precious friend, Lacey, if she would snap some Christmas card pictures for us this year.  She was more than willing to help us out, as she always is.  We met up with her on Glasgow's square and took advantage of the Christmas decorations on display there.

I thought she captured the kid's personalities just perfectly.  One second sweetness, the next naughtiness.  With Canaan, that's for sure true.  It's amazing how totally different two children can be, but how fiercely and passionately you can love them both.  I never understood that until Canaan came along.

A five and two year old Christmas is the best yet!  Haven't I said that every year?  Well, I really mean it this year.  Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

All Aboard the Polar Express

Our second year at Polar Express was even more magical than last year.  Canaan couldn't stop talking about the choo-choo train and Hadley wanted hot chocolate and cookies for days before going.  Being able to do anything non-basketball in the middle of a week, during basketball season, is a rarity.  So the fact that we can make this work makes it even more special to me. 

      We broke out our matching jammies for such a special Christmas festivity as this.  It really is so nice that the public library offers this free activity at the historic train station.  Since I love anything historical, I get completely giddy over this event.  I totally should have lived when horses, buggies, and trains were the main modes of transportation.

Just like last year, cousin Levi joined in on the fun.  Next Christmas, his little brother will be with us too!  The kids enjoyed sweet treats from Bowling Green's most popular bakery, Riley's.

We were able to talk Hadley in to taking a picture with the train conductor, but Canaan was just not feeling it.  They really do a fantastic job of making this experience seem so real.  We patiently waited for our ALL ABOARD announcement and got our tickets punched before boarding.

As you walk out of the train station to board the train, snow blowing wildly only adds to the excitement of the evening.  Even though it is a snow machine, it makes the whole experience so much more fun.  The oohs and aahs of children and adults alike is contagious.

The kids listened ever so intently at a local radio station's disc jockey's rousing rendition of Polar Express.  We were super impressed that Canaan sat still and listened to the story.  There's a first time for everything.  It really is so sweet to watch all the kids hang on the reader's every word.

Just like last year, Santa Claus made an appearance in the very last train car before we exited the train.  He handed out a jingle bell to all the kids.  Canaan doesn't take to strangers very well at this point in his life.  So he wasn't impressed with the whole Santa thing.  Hadley was in Heaven, though.

We had such an awesome time at Polar Express and can't wait to book our tickets for next year!  All Aboard!