2015 Christmas Card and Family Pictures

Feliz Navidad!

Candlelight Service

Our church offered two different candlelight services this year, and we opted for the kid-friendly one at 4pm. It was so good! We have a great staff who put a lot of thought into ministering to the children. And it was a lot of fun with several surprises!

First surprise was the Joy Train! This came through our neighborhood a couple of years ago and Jake and Collins rode on it. I think our neighbors had rented it that year. Last year we heard and saw it, but I didn't know who had rented it so I didn't let Collins ride. He asked about it again this year, but we couldn't land on how/who/when to rent it, so the fact that it appeared at church was a Christmas miracle! Collins said, "My dream came true...I got to ride that train!"

Elsa and Anna greeted us at the front door!

My handsome boys.

So excited to see Woody-Buzz and Jessie!

Look who came to sing "Jingle Bells"!

They showed a clip from Charlie Brown when Linus tells the true meaning of Christmas. When it got to the verse Collins recited in his school Christmas play, he was SO excited! He kept looking back and forth to Jake and me saying, "That's the same verse! That's the one I said!" 

Ben asked the children to come up to the stage for a devotional. They were supposed to sit facing him. See Hadley?!

Ben taking selfies with the kids!

Oh my.

Check out that tongue!

Twice she looked for me, saw me in the aisle, and trotted toward me. And twice she stopped right before getting to me, cackled, and ran back to the stage. Finally, she plopped down in the aisle and I picked her up and made her sit with us the rest of the time. Thank goodness it was the "kid-friendly" service!

Nana and Papa Joe!

As close to them as she'd get.

Collins wanted to go back a second time to hug Jessie! "She's so pretty!"

He also wanted to go hug Elsa and Anna one more time. Ladies' man.

We rode in the top part of the train going back to our car!

Collins and the conductor!

Class Parties

The kids had their classroom Christmas parties last Friday, and got to deliver gifts to their sweet teachers. Hadley doesn't love the idea of giving gifts just yet. It was a challenge to let go of that bag!

Not wanting to walk in to give away the bag!

It's worth giving up for "La-La" and Miss Caroline :)

Mrs. Susan loved her scarf! Mrs. Anna was out this day because her middle son, Luke, swallowed a quarter! The doctors at Children's in Birmingham got it out and he's fine now, but wow...what a scare.

  

Craft and ornament time! Thanks to Sawyer's mom for sharing some pics :)

Some of the kids' ornaments they made during December!

We used an app to make funny videos! Hadley, Tyler, Colby, Collins, and Raelee :)