Christmas {at home}

Christmas came early around our house!  We typically celebrate as a family before we travel to our parents' for all of the other Christmas fun.

*Lots of pics and commentary--I know my family members will appreciate it!  

Last night, we had dinner and drove around and looked at Christmas lights.  We got home, cleaned up, settled down, and Graham read the Christmas story from the gospel of Luke to the girls.

[Christmas "gabbies" of years past and last night.]

I have a happy/sad relationship with these three photos.  Although the have grown and changed--they've also grown and changed.  

Graham and I have so much fun preparing for Christmas morning.  Don't you just love making your kids smile!?!  We try to get them some things they ask for--we can't get them everything, but we try to do our best.  This year, AG requested an American Girl Doll.  She gets the magazines in the mail and looks at it so intently.  She wanted a doll that had her skin color, eye color, and her hair type.  I would have loved to have gotten her that doll, but they were way out of our budget.  I found the "knock-off" version at Target (Our Generation) and I tried to get one that looked the most like her.  The doll is really well made, has cute accessories (she loves the accessories for the dolls), and books.  I was really pleased when they arrived and I hoped my little observant 5-year-old wouldn't mind that it wasn't exactly an American Girl doll.  We went ahead and got one for Edy too.  The girls are just too close and we wanted them to be able to play "dolls" together. (A few weeks ago, we saw the "knock-off" version at Wal-Mart and AG asked, "Is that an American Girl Doll?"  I replied, "What do you think?"  She said, "It looks like one!" I went on to talk to her about how it's just a doll.  If she likes it, does it really matter if it's a name brand item?  I don't want my girls to get too wrapped up in brands...especially this early!)

 

For the last few months, Edy Rose has consistently asked for a "pink musicbox"--easy enough.

Along with the doll, we got AG some LEGOS 

And the verdict...They LOVED everything.  I'm glad my children are so thankful.

Big hit!

 

Oh!  I must add, I got both dolls and these carrying cases for the price of one American Girl Doll!  Maybe one day in the future, the girls can have a more expensive doll.  We'll see how they do with these first!

 

 

Additionally, we got the girls some stamp markers, sketch pads, water paints, a couple of board games,  and a new DVD player.  We also got AG Bible and carrying case.

Graham and I exchanged a few gifts.

I gave him a couple of t-shirts (the John Calvin shirt and Martin Luther shirt he's wearing in the pic), some coffee, and some goodies in his stocking.  He got me a new camera strap that I picked out on etsy.com and Becoming Sister Wives (don't judge!). 

*If I haven't mentioned it before--I'm so intrigued by polygamy.  For whatever reason, it baffles me. I love the Sister Wives show on TLC and I've read a few books and watched several documentaries on the FLDS/Yearning for Zion polygamist cult.  Trust me...I'm not signing up!*

 

 

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas morning.  I'm looking forward to reading my book this afternoon, enjoying Christmas dinner with my little family tonight, worshiping our Lord and Savior tomorrow with my church family, and traveling to visit family next week!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!