Dad's House

December 23

For the past couple of years, after Grandma Cole's house, we go over to my dad's house and he gives the girls the gifts from him. This year dad got a Wii for Christmas. We played bowling. It was a lot of fun and made Mana want one.

"Playing Wii"

Grandma Dell's House

December 24

Ever since I was little I always went to my Grandma's house for Christmas Eve. Now that my sister and I have kids and I live out of town, we go for lunch. That way we can get the kids in bed for Santa to come. Mana is so blessed to have three Great Grandparents still living. Brian's grandmother passed on the 22nd this year. It was really hard.

My grandmother is a wonderful cook. We had dressing, fried okra, cream corn, macaroni and cheese, green beans, pound cake and banana pudding. All my favorites!! No one cooks like my grandmother!!

I gave my nieces a zhu zhu pet. My grandmother's dog had a lot of fun chasing it around everywhere.

Pictures from Grandma's.....

"The kids opening presents"
"Gidget and the Zhu Zhu Pet""Grandma and the kids"
"Playing In a Pickle"

Grandparents

December 23

Every December 23, we go to my Grandma
and Grandpa's for Christmas.
Here are some pictures...

"My Aunt Bec and cousin Tripp""All the kids with the Great Grandparents"
Aunt Bec gave the girls all a necklace
with their names on them.
All three girls have names that you can not
find written on anything.
Had to have them special made.
Cousins: Cole, Tripp and my niece

Children's Church Christmas Play

December 20

Here are some pictures from the Christmas play at church...

Mana was Inn Keeper #3 and Child #1

School Christmas Party

December 17

Every year the whole school sings carols in the lunch room. The kids all have a great time singing the Twelve Days of Christmas as loud as they can. Each grade tries to out do the other. After the caroling, each grade has their Christmas party. This year the kids in Mana's class got to bring games from home to play. They played twister, battleship and pictionaryman.

Pictures of the day...

"One of Mana's friends""Mana Claus""Gift Giving"

Snow

I know I am behind on the blog, so the next couple of posts will be to catch up.
Here are some of the snow pictures from earlier....

A Talented Gymnast

At the beginning of December, I finally got to see my niece in one of her gymnastic competitions. It was also her last one for the level she was in. She has now moved up a level and will start back into competitions in March. She has that special "it" factor that is needed in gymnastics. She has the cutest way of flipping those little hands around when she is performing. All I have to say is that she is one talented little girlie!!

Here is a picture from her competition...

New Family Portrait

The week before Christmas, I set the photography lights up and took a new family portrait. The last time we had one taken was when Mana was one. I still have that one on my living room wall. It will soon be replaced with the new one. Mana and I had one taken at church, but Brian was out of town and therefor was not in it. It was a chore to set up the camera with the timer and to run back and forth into the picture area. We finally got a decent one on the last shot. Then I still changed a few things in photoshop. I just can't help myself. So here is our newest official family portrait.....