Christmas Story 2011

My favorite pictures from Christmas are always from Christmas Eve, so I thought I'd post those first. Don't you love how the star magically appeared for the picture?!? Drew was Joseph, Jesi was Mary, and Nathan was a shepherd (his complete costume only lasted about 20 seconds). I volunteered to bring costumes for us to act out the Christmas story at my mom's Christmas party on Christmas Eve. There was a little confusion, which made me think that we should have reviewed the Christmas story and who had what part. But, it made for some good photo ops :0)! If you are wondering where Kassi is, you might think about what you'd like to do if you were an angel?!?

Don't angels get to ride the donkey or in this case, shepherd?

Shepherds are tempted to ride on donkeys too.

And did you know that angels can be bribed with kisses - chocolate ones, that is! Nicole is obviously one of the wise men!

So sweet!

Little Nathan made the cutest little shepherd. Too bad I couldn't get out of the picture fast enough! I wanted to edit & zoom in to Nathan, but we've had issues with our pictures becoming invalid and I'm paranoid! Someday I'll learn to edit safely!

The wise men in action! What other gifts could compare to gold, frankincense, & myrrh (thank heaven for spell check)? There is never a shortage of chocolate at Grandma's house!

We watched the video, "Christmas Oranges" and my mom talked to the grand kids about how she always got an orange in the bottom of her stocking. These oranges were HUGE! Nathan was excited to get a basketball in his own size! And, our little angel was giving out her OWN kisses!

Wise girlies!

Most of the cast including Dawson (shepherd), Alissa (angel), & Haley (the other of our two wise men)!

Any production isn't quite complete without a photographer and narrator!

And a very (if I don't say so myself) handsome videographer/donkey :o)!

And, no party at my mom's is complete without a pinata filled with goodies!

Jesi and Drew went at it. Nathan was interested in hitting anything BUT the pinata!

And, Kassi must have figured she'd have a better chance at getting more candy if she didn't take a turn!

First gifts of Christmas (other than the jammies and ornaments opened before we came). I realized just before driving to my mom's, that the jammies I'd purchased at Walmart's Black Friday sale 2 years before were HUGE, especially on Jesi. But, she was a good sport and happy to roll them up. That was the Black Friday sale when I was about 2 seconds away from being towed away from an empty parking lot (that had had 40+ cars there when I parked there, across the street from Walmart)!!! The tow truck driver had seriously backed up and was just ready to go under my tires when I pounded on his window and begged him to not tow my car away. I felt really bad for the owner of the only remaining car that was then towed away! Those could have been some REALLY EXPENSIVE $2 Christmas jammies!!!

Let the fun begin! And, let us all remember the greatest gift of all was the babe born in Bethlehem that would become our Savior! My family growing up would occasionally act out the Christmas story and I always loved it. Then, when we visited Andy's parents for Christmas when Drew was a baby, Drew was swaddled up as baby Jesus and it has been my favorite Christmas tradition ever since. I wish we had pictures from every year - and admittedly one or two years we read the story without acting it out (probably out of my own laziness), but I hope someday to compile a book of pictures and memories of Christmas and other traditions to help them last forever, like a sweet neighbor who has done something similar for her family!