silent night

{#87} ty has been collecting and trading silly bands [nate has been too, but ty is way more serious about it!].  on christmas eve ty got a candy cane from brenda.  and he proudly told me that it had two meanings:  first it was a candy cane, and second it was a J for joy and jesus.  what a great kid!  the kids and I had opportunity to participate in the christmas eve service by adding three tiles to the nativity/advent mosaic.  we got to put up panels 17, 18 & 19.  ty went straight up to the front and did his all on his own!  and nate held my hand.  {#88}

then, on christmas eve, after church, we go to john's mom's house for dinner and to open gifts.  I got to drive two storm troopers home in my car!

and christmas morning, we did gifts & brunch with my siblings.  my sister hosted this year and the cousins did some preforming after gifts were opened.  there were songs in english, french and ethan sang joy to the world in spanish!  I know that it helps as the kids get older when it comes to chaos control, but they were all really well behaved, polite and thankful as they opened their gifts one-by-one.  they had chosen names among themselves [okay, us mom's did it...!] and they then gave their gifts to each other.  it was lovely to see!  {#89}

after brunch, they all went sledding [I can't say "we"...I went to help my mom set up for dinner, but john took our kids!] at the same hill we used to go to as kids.  don't know what they're calling it now, since they shaved all the good bumps off of it, but we used to call it the seven sisters because of the seven HUGE bumps!!

and then everyone went back to my mom & dad's house [my dad napped most of the afternoon!]...the kids played, my oma stopped by, and adults visited.  it was a long day, but overall it was a good day.  {#90}

and this morning, we've been super lazy.  I refuse to get into the shopping crowds of boxing day!  [I shopped online!]  the kids haven't been at home to play with their new things, so they've been having fun.  and I have big plans to make a lego bin for ty, since he scored big time in the lego department!!  and then this afternoon/evening we are off to my aunt and uncle's open house.  always a good time too!