Twas the Day Before Christmas...

It is Christmas Eve morning. It is about 9 degrees outside and there is a blanket of snow covering our part of Colorado. Despite the cold, the sun is shining brightly against a brilliant blue sky and I'm thinking sledding and building a snowman is on the agenda for the day. But for right now, Brooklyn is tucked into bed, Ethan is playing happily upstairs with Daddy and I've just finished a glorious second cup of coffee. It has been such a busy December, that it is nice to just bask in relative quietness and reflect on all of the fun things we've been up to.

From making cookies, to shopping for Esmeralda (our little 6 year-old Christmas Child in Nogales, Mexico), to decorating "Squirrel" (that is what Ethan decided to name our fake tree), to hosting a fun Christmas party with friends, to going to WinterFest 09, to having holiday-style girl time with my best friend, Nicole, to attending holiday parties, classroom celebrations, church performances, and cookie exchanges...it has been a great month. We've also tried to celebrate Advent as a family and had many nice nights reflecting on the birth of our Savior. Ethan has especially gotten into Advent...even crying hysterically on a few nights we tried to send him to bed without having our devotion (which resulted in an impromptu Advent celebration...mostly just allowing Ethan to blow out the candle, which is clearly his favorite part!) Of course, I never take pictures of everything like a good blogger would. And, I dropped our camera a few weeks ago and the pictures just haven't been the same. Still, these memories are beautifully engraved in my mind and they are moments I will treasure.

Here are a few pictures from when I actually remembered to get out the camera...

Winter Fest 09

Trying to look happy despite how freezing it was!

Ethan making a craft, with help from Daddy

The finished Masterpiece

Brooklyn, all nice and cozy
(Too bad they don't make these for adults!)

After spending hours last year picking ornaments off the floor, I tried to teach Ethan to "Look with your eyes, not with your hands." I have to give him credit for trying...

But his toddler-ish curiousity got the best of him!

One of many cookie-making adventures

Well, I guess it is officially time to start the day. Since it is not likely I'll get around to posting for a few days, may your Christmas be blessed as we celebrate one of the greatest days in history!