We kicked off the holiday festivities with a Mom and Me Christmas PJ Party. Three friends of mine hosted the party and it was for just the moms and kids. They asked that everyone wear their pjs and instead of bringing food for the party, to bring an unwrapped toy to be donated to the Star Foundation Holiday Toy Drive. It was a fun way to help teach a good lesson on giving! Both the kids and the moms and a fantastic time!
Next up was our neighborhood's annual kids Christmas Party. While there were lots of things to do, including visit Santa and Mrs. Clause, the real highlight was the snow! Last year it was very warm and the kids played in the snow in T-shirts and shorts. This year was a completely different story. The temperature was in the low fifties and a cold wind made things feel much colder. Despite our best efforts to bundle up with heavy coats, boats, and mittens, the kids were still freezing. But, that didn't keep them out of the snow. They had a great time! Over the years I've been very thankful to live in a neighborhood that works so hard to sponsor the many activities that it does for our kids. They always bring so much enjoyment for them.
One night we met up with lots of friends at 9ers where we took the back room and enjoyed dinner while the kids played at their own table. Afterwards we all hopped onto a hay-filled trailer for our neighborhood's first annual Long Meadow Farms Christmas Hay Ride. We bundled up all the kids and they enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies and sang carols while we cruised through the Christmas lights. The ride was an hour long, so the kids lost interest in the lights about half-way through. But that didn't effect their fun. They huddled under the blankets together and played in the hay. All-around it was a fun night!
At this point, we were very close to Christmas and I had not taken pictures for our Christmas card. So on the first sunny afternoon in what had seemed like forever, we headed down to the creek trail for a quick photo shoot!
These photos would forever mark the last days of Brenna's two front teeth! For weeks her two front teeth have wiggled until permanent gaps separated them from her other teeth. She began biting all her food from the corners of her mouth. Finally, two days before Christmas, when it seemed it might tumble out if her mouth at any moment we tied some dental floss around it and Brenna gave it a tug! The outcome is pictured below!
It seems one tooth per night was all she could handle. So the next night we repeated the process! Here's Brenna's new smile, at least for now!
Here are a few other random instagram moments from this Christmas season!
For me, this will be remembered as the year of the Christmas craft! It seems we put extra effort in this year on even the smallest of craft projects. Here are just a few of Brenna's creations this holiday season!
The longest paper chain ever!
Hand-print reindeer and a 200-knot (literally!) Christmas wreath.
Coffee mugs for Daddy and Pawpaw
And the crafting continued on Christmas Day since Santa brought her glitter!
Finally Christmas morning rolled around and Santa did not disappoint. The big favorites were My Little Pony and Frozen dolls. It was a nice slow paced day to just enjoy the moment. Mawmaw and Pawpaw came in that afternoon for a visit. We all had a nice Christmas dinner and spent the rest of the day enjoying our new gifts.
Every year I struggle to find the words that tell how thankful I am. God has blessed us with so much, and I'm not referring to the gifts under the tree. I'm thankful for the Savior that gives us grace and salvation. I'm thankful for the love that we have in this family. I'm thankful for the friends that bring so much joy to our lives. 2013 was truly a blessed year for the McAlister family and we're ready for what 2014 has in store!
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