Dec. recap--Part 2 (Ben, Gingerbread house, and concert)

 Benjamin loves to have his picture taken every day.  Usually after I take the pictures he likes to look at it & says, "Awwww..."

 Benjamin "surfing" with the cat.

 Ben's footprint reindeer.

Cowboy Ben riding his cowboy stick-horse.

 His funny face while cutting out sugar cookies.

 showing me his hand.

 Sitting on Daddy's shoulders at Zan'e basketball game.

 This is one way we try to entertain Ben when he is bored at the game.

 "Go Bobcats!"

 Emmalee's gingerbread house she made at the Friday activity at school.

 I asked if she wanted me to make room for it on the shelf for a Christmas decoration.  She said maybe after she shared it with Ben--and of course after they ate some, there wasn't much left.

 the band (both Jr. & Sr. High) playing at one of the basketball games.  Callum is in the middle on the drums.  I videoed this so I didn't get a very good picture.

 The high school band playing at their Christmas concert.

 Zane on the trumpet & Brienna with her flute.

 Zane and Brienna after the concert.

Zane & Brienna playing at the last basketball game (it was a varsity game so Zane wasn't playing) on Friday Dec. 21.  Callum was sitting on the stage with his friend, Weston.

Nativities 2012

 My newest nativity--an early gift from Pamela.

 I think I have 76, but I didn't count again.

 this is hard to see--it's a Precious Moments nativity ornament.

 I like looking at this one at night--all light up.

 Benjamin loves playing with this Little People nativity.  

 my other new nativity that Pamela gave me--snowmen.

the glass one (to the right of the small santa kneeling by baby Jesus) is on a lighted multi-color base.  I also like looking at this one at night with all the lights off except for the Christmas tree.

Dec. recap--part 1

 Emmalee's Gingerbread house (made of graham crackers) that she made at a Friday activity at school.   Ben thought it was awesome too.

 After we took some pictures, we asked her if she wanted to put it on the shelf for a Christmas decoration.  She said that maybe she would after she shared some of the goodies with Benjamin.  Needless to say, there wasn't anything left after they ate "some" goodies.

 Our Christmas stockings--hung "by" (in the same room as) the fireplace.  My mother knitted the stocking.  Mine is the "diet" one (shortest/smallest) & is one of the original.  Ben had just been pulling on his & Emmalee's (the last 2 on the right)

 Early in December, I brought in most of the Christmas totes so we could start decorating.  When I was gone, Zane stacked them as high as he could & took pictures of the kids by them.  (when I came home, they weren't stacked so I only saw this when downloading my pictures).

 Rusty and the youngest ones set up the tree one evening when the rest of us were gone (I don't remember if we were in town or at a game).  So when we were all there, we put the ornaments on the tree.

 Rusty had to include his feet so he'd be in some of the pictures.

 It was Callum's turn to put the angel on the tree this year (more documented proof that he had a turn!)

 Ben's last year to wear his light-up Santa hat.

 Emmalee putting decorations on the tree.

Ben liked hanging all of the family/picture ornaments.

 Each year the kids tell me that our tree keeps shrinking.  I love how their perspective changes with each year of growth.

As Ben would put it, "Awwww..... Pretty!!"