Christmas Happenings and such

Wowza.

That's the longest blogging break I've taken in a while.

It's a crazy time-

we've sped right into Christmas gathering/concert/party/present swap hyper-drive. Yes, yes we have.

Have you?

I am this {   } close to finishing all of the Christmas shopping.

After today, I plan to be this close: {}

as in pretty much done.

I wanted to post some pics of a few of the gatherings/concerts/parties/present swaps that we've attended/hosted/swapped at thus far.

Enjoy.

***

12.3.11

Our annual ladies ornament swap.
I look forward to this every year-
good friends, mounds of yumminess, and dirty Santa.
What better way to spend a Saturday morning?
So glad our pastor's wife was able to come.
She's been out of church since April battling cancer and it was amazing to have her back with us.
Love you Brenda.

12.10.11

The children's choir at church does a precious musical program every year which tells the story of Jesus' birth. And really, is there anything cuter than seeing little ones acting out the nativity in full costume?

That lil' wiseman in the middle is mine.

12.16.11

We went to a live nativity at a church near our school with all 3 kiddos.

They loved the donkey and this little nativity that we were given by members of the church.

After meeting up with hubs parents to pass off MM, we took the older two kiddos to see A Christmas Story at the Bama Theatre. This is one of the quintessential Christmas movies and seeing it live (especially when you know most of the actors) was a treat. I snapped this on my phone and I know it's hard to see, but this is the scene when Ralphie comes down the stairs in the bunny pjs.

12.17.11

We had a 'Tacky Christmas' party at our house.

Have you been to one of these?

I went to the thrift store to pick out my attire and hubs went to Belk.

That's right.

He was in brankspankin new clothes and I was in something that's been around since 1983.

My sincerest apologies if you happen to own the sweater hubs is sporting.

It really is quite lovely,

just not on a man.

His brother came in the same thing.

Awesome.

Here's our youth minister and his wife and their 2 girlys.

Yes, Kathryn is freakishly skinny to have just birthed a babe.

She and Jonathan both raided their moms closets and came out with very similar vests.

Cute.

Our friends Brittany and John Paul and their cutie-patootie-non-tacky baby girl, Turner McCartney

My lil dude sported a moustache all night.

He was also armed for most of the night.

We ate lots of yummy goodness and played a rousing game of Scene it-

12.18.11

Our church choir combined with members of the church where we are currently having services for the Christmas cantata this year. Was that confusing enough? (For more info on my church and why we're having services in another building, go HERE.) It was beautiful. Gorgeous music followed by a fellowship with both congregations after the service.

12.19.11

"Comfortable Christmas" at my hubs parents house.

As in, dress comfortably, which hubs took to the extreme.

Knowing hubs would be dressed down,

his brother chose to do the opposite, and so-

they looked like this:

The rule for gifts this year was to wrap up items from your home that you wouldn't mind not having anymore and that's what we played dirty santa with this year.

Hubs opened a box of Poly-grip and several old pie pans.

Sorry he's half dressed here.

His uncle opened several framed pictures from our house that hubs brother had stolen a couple days prior while at our tacky party.

There was also a can of Resolve in there.

Can't forget about the Resolve.

Hubs grandmother opened a pair of Flash undies.

Hubs mom opened a VCR/DVD combo from our house that no longer works.

We also threw in a VHS tape and a DVD as a bonus gift.

After hubs gave his first gift to his grandfather, (no, we didn't exactly play by the rules) he was free to open another.

It was a doozy.

Before you see the whole thing, don't be alarmed.

It's just acrylic paint.

Because who wouldn't want to open a pair of poopy undies?

Kudos to hubs aunt who worked her magic and made it so, ummm,

realistic.

Here's just one of the many pics I had to steal back.

You know, since they were mine anyway.

The kids got real presents.

Barbies and costumes galore.

I'm so glad I have new Barbies to play with!

I mean 'they'.

I'm so glad they have new Barbies to play with...

and here's E in her new costume, complete with crown and wand.

And now I'm caught up on what's been a'happening around these parts lately.

I hope your Christmas season has been full and festive as well!

And FYI, the Witch was just liquidated for the 3rd time this week.

She's still on a Wizard of Oz kick and I love it.

Merry Christmas friends!

weekend recap

Happy Monday everyone! Hope your weekend was fantabulous! Ours definitely was, so.....there's a lot of pics in this weekend recap.

First up, Oliver wrote out his Christmas list Friday night. Eliza was excited about it too.

First up is an AT-AT Walker (Star Wars toy)
Batcave
Lego Star Wars...


Did I mention E likes to climb?
She also wanted to sleep in her brother's bed. Love the look on O's face here.

She likes to wear her brother's shoes too...

Sweet MM in the bed.

silly boy...

Her reading spot

The longest eyelashes ever...

Pop came for a visit and to pick O up so he could spend the night. He, of course, had to read a few books before he left.

The ladies at my church have an ornament swap every year and it was Saturday morning, so...after school on Friday, O and I ran to Target to pick up some ornaments. I also went to Hob Lob that night with all 3 kiddos (because I'm a crazy person) since I hadn't looked there yet, and of course, I found more cute ones. I ended up taking the snowman and the pink one next to it. The rest are going on our tree.

And...here we are at the swap. (before the catfights.... just kidding. But not really)
Sorry Lisa....I couldn't resist this one with you "whipping your hair".

Can't remember what DeJauna is doing here. Maybe telling us about her ornament?

More friends.

Sometimes, just sometimes.... you don't have a box to wrap a gift (or an ornament in) and you have to improvise....
This one is from DeJuana-
Love Jamie's face here...
The ornament was cute- elephant head on one side, and booty on the other.

Someone is camera-ready and someone is not...
Melanie is telling us a story...

And look who wound up with the elephant in the tampon box...
(Our preacher's wife)
And here's everyone. Almost. This picture isn't perfect for 2 reasons....
1. Jennifer Carr isn't in it. We didn't remember to take a group shot until after she'd left. Even tried to flag her down outside.
2. It isn't centered. Too much space beside Kara's elbow.
I made a new Christmas-y headband that morning literally as Jamie, Kara and I were heading out the door from my house. I saw one on Whippycake's website like this and thought it was cute.

My parents bought a new tv and tv stand last week and gave us the entertainment center they weren't going to use anymore. score. Not only is it a gorgeous piece of furniture, but it also has storage at the bottom for toys.

Just had to show a close-up of what was on the tv at the time- Dolly Parton in Hard Candy Christmas.

The cabinet we'd been using in that room is now in the corner of our dining room, and since there's no longer a tv up top, it can hold my sewing machine and cricut machine when they're not in use. Ya know, ...since those things don't really belong on a dining room table anyway. Just pretend you don't see all that stuff on my table, mmmkay? Just focus on the pretty trees and ornaments...

Oliver's choir had their Christmas performance Sunday night. Here's my lovely fam before it started. I might not have mentioned to everyone that I was about to take a picture.

Here's the sweet kiddos...
And my sweet kiddo. Who only sang at the beginning when it was time for his solo. Oy.

Here he is about to sing, "No room.....No room".
Another pic of the kiddos and Bart Tingle's head...

Stable animals...
Sweet angels...

O really got into it when they sang, Come on, ring those bells...
and here's where MM was hanging out during the service. With Mrs. Kay. Some of the older kids read scriptures during the service, but they'll be singing with the adult choir next week too. If you're local, please join us at Alberta Baptist at 6:00 Sunday night for some beautiful music.


I also had a lovely evening with some friends and a very successful shopping trip to Sams and TJMaxx and somehow took no pics. Boo.
And last, but certainly not least, this is what the hubs did while I was having fun at the ornament swap.
He was having a little fun of his own....
It's already caused a bit of a traffic jam.

HEY hi, everybody!
Merry Christmas!