It's begining to look alot like Christmas!

These are some of Abby's Pictures of our Christmas decorations:

2010's Christmas Tree. This year the kids did all the decorating by themselves. It goes a lot smoother now that they can reach the top branches.

Peanuts nativity set


A mixture of some new and old decor. I don't remember Christmas without my Christmas mouse. :D The Santa is a nesting doll we got last year on clearance then forgot about. It was a nice surprise when we opened up the boxes today.

Mistletoe. I've got kisses all day long from the kiddos thanks to this little guy. :D The noel sign was one of Target's Dollar spot finds.

This is the nativity set that I have been wanting for years. My work used to give me $1 vouchers for riding the shuttle bus every morning and I saved them for almost a year and I got the nativity set and wise men set. I think I ended up paying about $20.00 between them both. The Stars we got in a Christmas Store in Jim Thorpe.

An army of M&M's. The kids get these every year in their stockings. The M&M's have long been eaten.

Christmas Ball Bowl. Currently sitting on the coffee table.


And so there you have it. A little mini tour of our Christmas decor this year. :D

Memories we will have for ever.

Today we decorated our house for Christmas.


At the end of the day, I gave Abby the camera to get some pictures, so we can remember these moments forever.

You know, cause one day I may forget how silly Caleb can be, and how an ordinary Christmas ball can become an impromptu Rudolf Nose.



or I might have to have to have photographic proof for Lilly in the future when she denies that she ever tried to throw up Christmas Ornaments




I just wish I had a camera handy when the kids were creating dances for the different Christmas Carols we had playing. Since I don't you will have to read and use your imagination:

Performance By Abby & Caleb:

Silent Night (Finger to the mouth in "shhh" position)

Holy night (Angelic poses with hands in folded in front)

All is Calm (hands now are spreading out in front of them)

All is bright (Hands now Circle around their cute little faces)

(Abby now picks up Caleb and holds him in her arms like a baby)

Round yon virgin Mother (Caleb points to Abby)

And Child (Caleb, still in Abby's arms does Jazz hands)


There was more, but I don't remember it. I busted up laughing at the thought of baby Jesus doing Jazz hands during a moving rendition of Silent Night....

Perhaps, you had to be there.

But for me, Jazz hands Jesus will be one of my favorite Christmas memories of 2010.

Breakfast with Santa

One of the Christmas festivities at my work is a breakfast with Santa for the kids. It's for ages 10 and under- which I thought would be fun for Caleb, Lilly.
Lilly was all about it. She went right up.
She held a 3 minute conversation with Santa.
Caleb- not so much. He was not happy being dragged to a "baby Christmas party"


This is the picture that we brought home with us:

It was a horrible experience- until they told him he could pick out a stuffie.


And from then on, the day was perfect and there was no more pouting.




He even suggested this pose:



Proving that he is not too old for stuffies. He's just too old to sit on Santa's Lap.

I'm pretty sure he'll be too old for stuffies before too long and then I might just have have a good cry.

They grow up so fast


Merry Christmas!

In which we risk our lives for Lil's Birthday present

We bought tickets to take Lilly to see the nutcracker. After our Narnia experience last year, I Really should have thought twice before opting not to buy insurance on the tickets.

Lilly seems to have a Snow jinx and I will do my best to talk her out of a winter wedding if this trend continues.


Anyway, it really should not surprise us that the night of our nutcracker concert we get hit with the biggest snow storm since the 96 blizzard (or so says the news report). 18 inches and blizzard like conditions.


18 inches of snow be darned. We were not going to miss this. We all don our snow boots with our Christmas dresses.

And we head out into the white wonderland.

The orchestra played beautifully. The dancers were amazing and we made it home in one piece.

We were smart and parked in the garage (so worth the $8.00!) and only had one near catastrophe on the way home.

Lilly loved it and has been twirling around the house ever since.

Some more Christmas cheer

Another song from Abby's Christmas concert in the mall.


You must visit the blog to see the video

Christmas Cheer

Enjoy some Christmas cheer.

The video is from Abby's Mall concert last week. :D


Email and facebook people, you must visit the blog to see the video

Making things merry and bright.

Do not be offended this year if you do not get a Christmas card from us. After the past two years of failed Christmas Card sending attempts (and that was when I didn't have a job!)- we have decided not to even try this year. Somethings have got to give and that was one of them. :(

Consider this your Virtual Christmas card from our family to yours:


This just happens to be number 93 on Shunk 101. Our first cross off on the list! How very exciting!

(email people, you must view the site to see the video. Or if you are my friend on facebook, I have also posted it there)


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On a side note, life has been kind of crazy around here. Going back to work has been such a challenge and finally after almost a year later I feel as though we are finally getting a routine down and although it needs some help tweaking now and then, it's finally becoming our new normal.

It helps that I have a paid chef now to help out. :D Yup, you heard me, a Paid Chef! - Chef Abby.

She's saving up for an i-touch and so I get out the stuff for dinner and she makes it and then I pay her. It's working out pretty well if I do say so myself.


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Yesterday, the boy had what he called "the best day of his life"

His sisters were away, and I took him to see Planet 51



Which he LOVED, btw. He was giggling the entire time.

It started to snow and he was running around the parking lot catching snow flakes on his tongue.

We finally went and redeemed his Pizza Hut Book it coupon, which had the "best pizza he's ever had"

And since he was so good while we were shopping, I decided to Pick him up a stocking stuffer lego set

When Jim came home we went out to eat and then watched A Christmas Story.

The boy may be weird. He may be gross. But he's also a great kid. We had so much fun.


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Don't hate me for what I am about to write next.

As of yesterday at 7:00 pm, eastern time- We are done Christmas Shopping




It's a Christmas miracle!

It came so fast- then left just as quick

Christmas just snuck up on us this year. I can't believe it's over already.

I also can't believe that we forgot our camera on Christmas. I have some flip videos, but we have no still shots of Christmas morning after our annual pose on the stairs. Jim thought I was taking care of it- I thought he had it and in reality no one had it.

We do have some fun pictures we took on Christmas eve before church- so we are not too far out of sorts...

Merry Christmas!

Some Weird Christmas Cheer- Caleb Style

He thinks he's funny.

I don't know- I see him like this all day every day and it gets old at times.... What do you think?

Email people visit the blog to see.

Some More Christmas Cheer

This is one of Abby's favorite Christmas songs, and she really plays it well.

Visit the blog to see this video for those of you on email . :)

Spreading Some Christmas Cheer...

Lilly was singing this as she was getting dressed today and it made Jim and I laugh- I just had to get it on video. :)

Enjoy!

Email people, click the blog link to see the video

Christmas Villiage Pictures

Christmas 2007-Finally Uploaded

New Song Christmas Party

Christmas Eve at Nanny & Pappy's Before Church

Christmas morning. They each got a bean bag for Christmas. :)

All Dressed up on Christmas morning and ready to leave

Lilly and Elijah

Caleb and Zach

Hannah


And Last but not least- This is what you get when you decide to get the cousins picture taken together. You tell them "Say Cheese" and this is what they do:

I think this is the my favorite picture this Christmas.

Christmas gifts...

Lilly and her makeup box. One of her favorites. The green tub is a caboodles! Isn't that a blast from the past.

Caleb and his nerf style bow and arrow.

Abby giving her American dolls new hairstyles with her doll hair kit (thanks to uncle Jer, Aunt Alison and Lucy)



more to come later :)