Christmas 2008

We had such a nice Christmas this year and Santa thoroughly spoiled the kids this year! On Christmas Eve, we played games, set out some cookies and milk and the kids got to open their new jammies.

Natalie opening her jammies

Robbie opening his jammies
In their jammies just before being banished to bed!

It was really nice because Natalie and Robbie went right to sleep and by 8:00 PM, Shawn and I were able to finish up the last minute things! We even got to bed ourselves by 10:30. Then after a very restful night sleep, we had to wake the kids up at 7:00 AM! We thought for sure that last year would be the last year we would be able to sleep in on Christmas morning! It was so nice, especially because I remember Christmasses when I was little when we woke my Mom and Dad up as early as 4:00 AM! I made a quick run downstairs to turn on the lights (except the tree because half the strand shorted out *cry*) and to get the video camera ready.

Here are the kids waiting on the stairs to see what Santa brought!

And this is what they found!

Unfortunately, the rest of the experience is on video so I can't share any of that with you just yet but Natalie and Robbie had a great time opening up their stockings and presents!

Santa Claus is coming to town

On the 21st the base had their annual Children's Christmas party. We went to the movie theater on base and started watching The Polar Express but it kept pausing and then quit all together. It was so annoying, but then they came and explained that the machine ate the film! They tracked down a new machine and a new movie so we ended up watching The Santa Clause. The kids really enjoyed it and it's not a film they have seen so it was fun. It's the first time in a LONG time that the kids have been to a "real" movie. The only big problem we had was that both Natalie and Robbie are so small that they got folded up in the cinema seats. After the movie, Santa came to see all of the good little boys and girls! That was the most exciting part for them of course and thankfully this year, Robbie was more keen to say hello and not run away screaming!

Santa's Workshop

Frosty came to visit too! Robbie didn't think Frosty was very nice and stayed very far away!

Waiting our turn
Ho Ho Ho

Barnyard

On Wednesday was Natalie’s school Christmas program. The title was “The Disgruntled Snowman.” Some of the characters included the Snowman, Dr. Frost, Stars, Snowflakes, Sheep, Shepherds, the Wise Men and the Holy Family. I was really curious as to how they were going to incorporate the Holy Family in with all of the other characters! It wasn’t the most reverent of Christmas pageants I’ve seen, but it was cute and the children all did a great job. Natalie was a sheep.

We couldn’t let Natalie have all the fun dressing up! On Friday night we had our Christmas party at church. We had a “Night in Bethlehem.” Shawn and I were to play the parts of Mary and Joseph (I am the most pregnant person in the ward at the moment so I look the part). Natalie was an angel (but as you can see, she preferred to dress as a sheep for the purposes of the following picture and video). We figured we couldn’t leave Robbie out of the fun so he got to dress as a donkey! Isn’t he cute? And just wait until you see the video!!! Sorry it is so dark, but it’s funny all the same. Of course when he was supposed to dress up at the church, he wasn’t going to have any part in it! It was hot and the Velcro was bugging him around his neck. Oh, if you listen carefully, you might be able to hear the kid’s Cornish accents. I’ll be so sad when we leave here and they start to sound American again!

New haircut and 26 week belly pic

I normally wouldn't post another belly pic so soon, but I was feeling pretty good about myself on Sunday and how I looked so I had Natalie take some pictures. I had my hair cut last week too and I wanted to show it off. Don't know if you can really see it in the picture though.

Christmas Decorations are UP!

I absolutely LOVE this time of year. I love decorating the house for Christmas and just enjoying the season. Things have been so crazy busy this year though and I was wondering if we were ever going to get them done. I like to have them up for a while so we can enjoy them as long as we can and I usually put my tree up around the 1st of December. This year that just didn't happen. On the 2nd I did manage to get everything but the tree up but we like to do the tree as a family so we had to wait until Saturday when we were all home. I didn't get to help a whole lot with the tree though because I had 7 dozen Gingerbread Biscotti to make, but Shawn and the kids did a GREAT job on the tree.

I am really going to miss decorating this house next year! It's the perfect house to decorate for Christmas because we have this great staircase with bannister and 2 fireplaces. I really wish we could take this house with us when we move, that makes me sad because I want to live in this house forever.

Anyway here are a couple of pictures of our efforts.

Our Staircase. I decided I wanted to hang the stockings here this year as we only have 3 stocking weights and we need 4 stockings this year.

My Willow Tree Natavity on top of the entertainment center.

Our tree

St Columb Christmas Lights

On Friday 28 November, our little community had their "Switching on the Christmas Lights". It's a HUGE community event. It started at the school where the school children had a costume contest. Natalie won 2nd prize! Not bad for a store bought angel costume. Then there was a parade from the school with the Fire Engine, a vintage tractor, a steam engine, the Indian Queens Band (the one I used to play in before I got pregnant) and the school children all dressed up. Once everyone was gathered at the church steps (the church has been here since the 14th century), the children sang some carols and the band played. Then the Town Crier presented the prizes for the costume contest and the painting contest and ordered the lights to be turned on. Then there were fireworks. It was such a great family night and I love that the community gets together to do these things!

Natalie and some of the other winners

Natalie's full costume including coat because it was COLD! We attached her wings to the outside of the coat


The Town Crier

A Natalie funny

Sorry no pictures today, but I had to make a really quick post about something cute that happened with Natalie today.

Natalie is now 5 years old and is in Year 1 at the school. Year 1 has the same curriculum as American 1st grade so she is working on phonics, reading and spellings. She has really excelled in these areas and is reading books that I was struggling with when I was in 2nd grade. She is even trying to spell more difficult words using the phonics she has learned and it is so funny to see how her little brain works. Well today she wanted to write her name, now up until this point, she has known her full name is Natalie Ruth Spain, but has never wanted to write out the whole thing. Also, I don't know if it's an age thing or a speech thing, but she always pronounces the "th" sound as an "f" sound. Can anyone see where this is heading??? So I told her to go ahead and have a go at writing the whole thing and this is what she writes... "Natalie Roof Spain" I couldn't help but just crack up laughing. I was probably a bit insensitive, but for her just using the phonics and with her saying the "f" sound instead of the "th" sound, I thought it was a good effort, especially since she has not been taught how to write her middle name. I just thought it was so funny.

I don't know, maybe you had to be there!