Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was really rainy here, so we spent the day relaxing inside.  We put the girls to bed for an early nap so that we could eat dinner and get ready to go to church for their 7 pm Christmas Eve service.  The girls looked so cute in their matching Christmas plaid smocked dresses and were excited to go to church at night for a change. The service was absolutely beautiful, and the girls had fun playing in the nursery.  When we got home, it was already past their bedtimes, but we opened a few presents, put on their Christmas jammies, and took a few pictures before going to bed to wait for Santa to come.

After the girls were in bed, Josh and I had some wine while we opened presents from each other.  We were supposed to have a $30.00 limit (of which I stuck to!!), but Josh definitely didn't! He got me The Help dvd (which I loved!!) as well as a pack of gum (because he's always stealing all of mine!), and couples dance lessons at a studio in Houston. It was such a fun and different gift, and we are excited to learn how to swing dance together!!

Christmas Eve Eve

The girls were getting more and more excited about Santa coming the following night, so we got in some Christmas pjs and had some fun together before bedtime.

CHRISTmas

10 The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody worldwide: 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. 12 This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger." 13 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises: 14 Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him. 

Luke 2:10-14

Last night we lit the CHRIST candle at the Christmas Eve service at our church. In doing so, we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior who was born this day in Bethlehem. Thank you God for giving us just what we need for Christmas! Merry Christmas to everyone!

picture taken from pacificunionfamily.wordpress.com

Some Special Ornaments

Merry Christmas Eve! It feels a little strange to not be participating in the Christmas Eve traditions that I've participated in for the past 27 years, but we are having a great day nonetheless. I wanted to share a few special Christmas ornaments that we have added to our tree over the past few years since we have been married:

 Lila's First Christmas ornament (above) and Alli's First Christmas ornament (below)

 Christmas ornament from the December before I had Lila in February

 Josh's Aunt Marianne gave me this ornament because I taught first grade

 Above and Below ornaments were wedding gifts from two sweet friends

 Gotta love squirrels (our Alpha Gamma Delta mascot!)

 Bear ballerina ornament that we bought Lila at The Nutcracker ballet in 2010

 Pink Pig ornament that the girls got after riding it this year

 Our lovely tree this year

 so many presents ready to be opened tomorrow!

Tummy Time

Alli has always enjoyed tummy time much more than her sister ever did, but here lately, she only wants to be on her tummy. She rolled over from her back to her belly at around four months, and ever since then, she is on her belly whenever she has the chance. I even had to stop swaddling her at night because the second I would lay her down, over she would go. It still makes me nervous with her sleeping on her belly in the night, but I have to trust that everything will be okay since there is no stopping this child from being on her belly!

 I just love her sweet little hands

Josh's Next Duty Station

Since December has been so crazy busy, I never got to write about where he is going to be working for the next 3.5 years! At the beginning of this month, Josh got orders to a shore unit at Sector Houston. I'm not exactly sure what he will be doing (and neither is he), but I know that we are NOT moving again!!!

 I really couldn't be more excited about not having to move again simply because I LOVE it here! I was reading my blog post that I wrote in 2010 when I found out that we would be moving here, and it reminded me that God certainly does have a plan for us. I was very reluctant to move to Texas because of how far away it is from our family in Georgia; however, it has been such a great place to live, and I have met the best friends that I could have ever imagined!

I couldn't imagine moving with a 2.5 year old and a one year old. We moved here when Lila was almost 5 months old, and it was pretty difficult. However, we will most likely be moving back to Georgia when Josh is done with his enlistment with the Coast Guard. That puts us moving with a 5 year old and a 3.5 year old (and maybe another baby by then??), but I'm thinking that will be a little better than moving with toddlers! Plus, we'll have more family close by to help babysit!

I'm so happy to say that Houston will be our home until 2015!!

Gingerbread House Playdate

This morning, our playgroup friends invited us over to make Gingerbread Houses. Lila is way too little to put the house together (they are actually pretty tough!!), so I constructed and decorated one for the both of us, well, and Alli too! My construction skills are lacking, but I thought the decorations came out pretty cute...as cute as I could get with candy as my medium! Lila ate more candy this morning than she has eaten in her whole life, and she had a blast playing with her friends two days in a row. We had a great time, thanks Sandra for having us!

Lila, Alli, and My creation

Working hard on their Gingerbread Houses

Decorating Supplies

Playtime

My Little Monkey

Lila is my little climber, and she especially loves to climb whenever she is just wearing her diaper...it must be that her clothes slow her down!

Her climbing skills got her in trouble at school, but at home, she has gotten much better at knowing what is safe to climb on and what isn't.

LOVE

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Today in church, we lit the LOVE candle.  The LOVE candle reminds us of God's love for us as He sent His son to be born on Christmas Day and eventually to die so that we may be cleansed of our sins.  I see God's love for me as I look at all of my many blessings, especially my family.  I have been blessed with two precious daughters and a loving husband. I hope that my daily actions and attitude reflect God's love and are pleasing in His sight. I also hope that though my actions and attitude, God's light will be reflected out into the world.

Some examples of God's love in pictures from this weekend:

Coast Guard Christmas Party

Last night, we went to Josh's work party down in Galveston. Most of the guys that he works with on his boat and their families were there. I think that Lila had the most fun of all of us running all around the clubhouse, playing with the kiddos, and getting attention from everyone.  Josh's boss's wife loved her, and Lila enjoyed sitting in her lap and getting tons of cookies.

There was a gift exchange for the kids as well as the adults. Lila got a cute toy giraffe, and Alli got these funny oversized sunglasses. We put the glasses on her, but I don't think she liked them too much. Josh and Lila had fun with Alli's gift anyhow. Josh walked away with a screwdriver set, which came in handy today while he put together the Pottery Barn kitchen that Santa is bringing Lila and Alli next weekend :)

 the girls before the party

 Elle and Lila playing Tic Tac Toe

 trying on Alli's present

 Lila playing with her present