Post Christmas Stuff

This crystal vase was my mothers which she received as a wedding present. When I was a kid she would fill it with live holly and a red bow every Christmas, I called it her holly vase. When she gave me the vase it I wanted to use it for Christmas and a couple of times I've had live holly in it. This year I used some red and green balls and it fit perfectly on a black shelf which hangs in my living room. I received so many compliments on this simple arrangement as well as I simply enjoyed having the "Holly Vase" out for Christmas. Thanks to my mom for the vase as well as the memories that come with it. My brother Muggy fell off a ladder and received a compound fracture. These were taken in the hospital after his surgery. He won't be running any marathons for a while and has to stay off his leg for 3 to 4 months. Sorry about that Mugg but I did realize you have nice legs! Well at least one. Evelyn decided she was going to get every piece of candy off the gingerbread tree the night before they left. There is plate of gingerbread boys she and Jilly decorated that afternoon. I packed them up and told her they were to share with her friends so she took them home.

Chuck and I received a visit from Mary & Kara Thompson. The Thompsons made a calendar with pictures from our nursery, the nursery Christmas party and of course the Thompson family. When the came over Kara and the girls played around on the stairs for a while. All three girls love to pose for pictures. A special thanks to Mary for the wonderful calendar, Chuck and I have it hanging in our office where we see it every day!

Ben and I had a discussion over this, he won and ended up taking all of the Lego home with him. Michelle, I did keep a couple of your sets, the castle and ice cream shop. I wanted to keep it because it's something great to have when we have kids over to the house. I guess for now I'll just have to offer my younger friends the Zome Tools, Michelle's last two sets of Lego and the X-Box for entertainment. He went through all the boxes, building several cars, space ships then took the all home. Dan, he took yours as well, if you want it you'll have to get it from him.

Here we are making gingerbread boys and girls. Evelyn talked and talked about this activity for weeks before we ever finished them. In fact we didn't get them made til after Christmas. The girls ate as much as they decorated. You can see in the bottom of the second photo some of the gingerbread boys and girls they decorated. I gave them each a small bowl of candy and helped them with the colored sugar but they put on all the candy themselves.

I think it was the last Friday night that Evelyn was not going to bed until she had more spaghetti. Apparently she didn't get enough to eat at dinner so I got out the leftovers and as Sam Rhaman says, "pounded it down."

Jilly had to sit at the island with her Poo place mat too but wouldn't eat anything instead she pulled funny faces until Evelyn was ready to go to bed with her.

The girls are so happy in the morning and this morning they hopped in bed with Shaunie. Evelyn really has a wild head of hair in the morning because she has to have it out of a ponytail so she can twist her fingers through it at night.

Evelyn and I had a contest to see who could make the most bubbles on our hands with soap; she won.

Evelyn came to me to tell me Drampa was asleep on the down stairs couch. I told her she could wake him up. She is more timid than Jill and she jsut stood by him whispering ,"Drampa, Drampa..." Jill climbed right on him and shouted, "Wake up Drampa!" Chuck just smiled but was up for dinner in no time.

This is the morning they left for home. I was preparing my Sunbeam lesson and made crowns for the girls which said, I Am a Child of God. Then I gave them the lesson since they would miss church. Jilly thought the were princess crowns but I think Evelyn understood them.