Before The Magic

Decorating the tree. Memorable moments: Colby organized the whole process and was surprisingly good at putting ornaments on this year, Brody helped this year - instead of throwing the "balls" off the tree and onto the tile like last year, Brody's contribution to the tree was a gigantic pile of ornaments on one branch that we all discovered after he had put about 10 ornaments in one spot - cute, being able to see our Christmas tree through the window on the front porch was really neat.

One of our neighbors dad's just happens to be the #1 rated Santa in the country, and he flew in to visit from Michigan. He really is the real deal, we are talking owns his own reindeer, teaches classes on how to be a Santa, has played some roles and everything. The night he came into town, he got all dressed up and carried a huge lantern up and down our street. He was "looking" for all the boys and girls to make sure they were being good. He sang songs with them in the street, gave them candy canes, and then literally disappeared as he walked down the street. Our neighborhood is so dark and wooded all he had to do was turn off his lantern and he really did disappear, but all the kids thought it was magical and were trying to find him. It was a real treat.

Here are the boys - all grins - after Santa left.

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse, well, except at our house. The night before we left town Matt and I were crazily wrapping a gazillion packages. Matt went to the garage to get more paper, and I think he almost screamed, b/c this little guy was stuck in our garbage can and was trying to jump out. Kind of cute. No. Matt is more humane than me, my suggestion was to dump this thing in the drainage culvert, so it would never escape...but Matt kindly walked it down to the creek and let it go. All I can say, is you better not return little mouse, especially inside my house! :)

The boys in their new PJs Mimi gave them this year. I am for sure Auntie Mallory picked these out, and the boys loved them! Thank you Mimi and Mallory! We actually got several good pictures, b/c the boys were a little delirious and were calling daddy all kinds of funny things.

Now, who would have thought that big messy puddles in the freezing cold weather would have been sheer joy? Must have been boys b/c I wasn't out there, and they had so much fun. I do remember doing the same thing as a child in this very driveway in the spring time though. They played for a good while just throwing rocks into the giant puddles. Don't mind the electrical cord running through the puddle in the background, it's totally safe?!?!?

I love this picture. I know these are the pictures I will really treasure someday and so will the boys. I just don't get enough of them. Priceless. Gram reading to Brody. LOVE IT!

What would Christmas Eve be without making cookies for Santa. I was so thankful my mom remembered and bought us some cookie dough. We didn't have time to do the whole homemade cutout cookies this year, but the boys had just as much fun decorating with a little frosting and sprinkles.

This is where my mom's tree has been set up since I can remember. I still remember lining up down the hallway in order of age waiting to run in and see what Santa brought us. This year the boys got to do the same. There's a little something special on the tree this year. Do you see it?