It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!!

Wow! What a Christmas season it has been for our family!
It has been busy, and it takes a conscious effort to pause and reflect
on the true meaning of the season and why it is we are celebrating.
We're trying to teach our children that Christmas isn't about gifts,
but that it is about The Gift, Jesus Christ. It's hard in todays society
to keep the childish wonder in the season yet still impress on them
it is really about Jesus' birth.

Obviously, I'm way behind on blogging...like way behind! I've missed it!

It's been too overwhelming to think about trying to catch up...so I've decided

that I'll do this Christmas post and then I will do a 2009 re-cap.

Then I will be caught up! A fresh start in the new year! We'll see if things

go according to plan.

Our Christmas season began with a trip to cut down our Christmas tree!

It was a chilly Sunday afternoon, and after a little geocaching (our new hobby!)

we headed to Lost 40 Tree Farm and cut down this beauty.

Aaron, Harrison and, and I took a trip on The Polar Express

departing from Connersville and traveling 14,000 miles roundtrip in one night!

We had a wonderful time. Just like the movie, they served us Hot Chocolate,

Cookies, and read the story as we traveled. Santa boarded and gave Harrison

the first gift of Christmas, a bell from his sleigh. We weren't sure how lil' sis

would do, figuring she wouldn't be a huge fan of the jolly guy this year,

so we opted to make it a night for Harrison. Not sure we've done much

with just him since Hayden joined our family, so it was good.

We missed her though~ because there were other little cuties

on the train that made us think of her!

The next day, it was Warnock Christmas! One of my favorite Christmas celebrations!

There are now 13 little ones ages 10 and under and it is so much fun to all be together!

It always ends too soon! One highlight this year was the "dickies" that our cousin Jennifer

presented to us all. One year when we were teens, our dear Great Aunt Velma gave

each of us a dickie. We have joked about those things ever since and Jennifer found

a bunch at a garage sale and had to buy them for us. Thanks Aunt Velma for

the memories of "the dickies".

It's becoming tradition for the little ones to decorate gingerbread houses.

As you can see, both Harrison and Hayden took the project very seriously!

We made a visit as a family to see Santa. As I expected, Hayden wanted

nothing to do with him. So, I donated my $20.00 for a terrible picture

just so that I could take my own.

(Note to self for next year: do not visit Santa at Hamilton Town Center)

This is our Christmas mantle, with the stockings hung with care

I'll eventually post more of our remodel, but thought I'd throw

this in as a sneak preview of our new living area...which we are loving!

Next came my attempt -on the night of the 23rd, might I add- at Christmas card pictures.

This is the way the "session" began.....

Hayden wanted nothing to do with the cute hair clippie that I had

ordered from etsy specifically for her darling Christmas dress.

Not sure why I can't just get the hint that she is not into wearing

these things at this point...I just keep hoping, I suppose, that she'll

wake up one day and want to be a girly-girl!

After a little bit though, she decided to cooperate and I got some cute pictures!

It was so sweet. We would say "go sit by the tree" and she would plop down

right in front of it...like a perfect angel. This continued through Christmas Day,

she followed our directions very well!

I just love these pictures below. They show how these two feel about each other.

a.d.o.r.a.t.i.o.n.