Our Christmas [part 3]

continuing our family Christmas posts...

We wrapped up the Christmas festivities with our traditional Christmas dinner.

 
Christmas dishes and Christmas crackers are a must

Menu:  Chicken Delicious, wild rice, green bean casserole, and banana bread for dessert

still in our pajamas and telling jokes from the crackers

Everyone in my family likes eggnog, but me.  Yuck!  (verdict still out on  Miss Joy)

What a wonderful Christmas we have had as a family.  It's always kind of fun to start the holiday season off a little early!

 

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Our Christmas [part 1]

Our Christmas [part 2]

Our Christmas [part 2]

continuing our family Christmas posts...

The girls woke up promptly at 7AM.

 

Boy, were they surprised!

 

 

 

Na, Pops, Aunt Dorothy, and Aunt Ann gave the girls a battery powered John Deere Gator.  The girls rode around the yard all morning...in their Christmas pajamas no less!

Thanks again, y'all!  The girls absolutely love it!

Baby's First Christmas

traditional Christmas breakfast

 

I found these gorgeous, hand-made, Barbie ball gowns on eBay for next to nothing.  The girls think they are wonderful, but they have driven me crazy with all the wardrobe changes.

They each got one of the sisters from the new movie Frozen.

 

 

 

The main reason AG wanted a Barbie Dream House was for the elevator.  Both girls have worn this pulley thingy out sending their dolls up and down...up and down...up and down!

 

Edy has done every one's hair and make-up--even daddy's!

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Coming Soon:  Our Christmas [part 3]

For Our Christmas [part 1] click HERE

Our Christmas [part 1]

This is a good ole' post for the family.  Enjoy y'all!

Since we do a lot of traveling around Chrismas, we celebrated our family Christmas today.  We pretended it was Christmas Eve last night which means Graham and I had our traditional Christmas Eve fight putting stuff together.  I think we finished everything up around 2AM.  Whew!  It was so worth it to see the elated faces of my sweet girls.

AG has begged for a Barbie Dream House and we were thrilled to be able to make her  wish come true.  I'm so thankful for the Black Friday deal--originally $180 and I got it for $110!

Poor Joy didn't get much!  She has SO many hand-me-down toys it's ridiculous!  We got her a little train ball popper!  She's wasn't amused! ;)

Edy made her requests known months and months ago: hair salon and "dark-skin Barbie".  

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Up next:  Christmas morning!

Christmas Card 2013

I LOVE sending and receiving Christmas cards.  It's one of my favorite holiday traditions.  In years past, I have ordered between 75-100 cards with some kind of sweet holiday discount!  Postage is always high, but that's just part of it.  This year, we've been cutting back--on everything.  Phone plans, TV, extra spending--it's all been downsized.  With that, I only ordered 20 cards.  TWENTY!!!  I can't tell you how hard this has been for me.  Silly? Maybe.  But I want to send to everyone who sends to me...and more!

This year, I got a little bit of a discount with Snapfish.  And since I can't send to everyone, I'm glad I can share it with you here on the blog.

 [front]
The scanner enhanced the colors a bit too much.

[back]

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Click HERE to view our Christmas cards from years past.

2013 Gingerbread House

 One of our favorite Christmas traditions...

I've unlocked the secret to easy gingerbread decorating...

Pillsbury Easy Frost:  No-Fuss Frosting

I frost.  They decorate.

 

 

 

 

 

Santa Pic 2013

photo by Confetti Photography

Our 2013 SANTA pic, everybody!! 

Everyone is looking at the camera and noone is crying.  My, oh, my.  It's a Christmas miracle!  Joy has a handful of Edy's hair, but Edy kept her eyes on the camera and managed to put on a little smile--what a trooper!

My Christmas desktop background.

2009 still makes me laugh so hard!  AG looks so terrified and who could blame her--that's one creepy Santa!

Christmas Home Tour 2013

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!

It's time for my 2013 Christmas Home tour!  I am excited to show y'all around my home all decked out and ready for Christmas!

*For the newcomers to Our Joy...His Glory--WELCOME!  I hope you enjoy looking around the blog.

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!"  I love all of the fun--the decorations, the home tours, the parties, the giving.  Most importantly, we celebrate a Savior--that's what makes this time of year so wonderful.  In John 1: 1-5, 14 we are told that...

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

John tells us that the Eternal Son of God--the second person of the Trinity equal in person to God the Father left the riches of heaven and came to earth to dwell among us.  

He stepped down into this dark and dead world to bring light and life.  

Jesus is SO much more than a baby in a barn or the son of a carpenter.  He is our Creator King who came to bring us life by giving up his own.

Thank you, Charles Wesley, for these wonderful words...

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

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For more Christmas fun around our house, check out these posts:

The girls' Christmas tree

My Christmas mantel

My Flocked Christmas Tree

Elf on the Shelf ideas

Linking up:  It's Overflowing