Christmas Weekend

Since Christmas Eve and Christmas fell on a weekend this year, we turned the whole weekend into a special celebration.  On Saturday, my Parents and John came up from Appleton after lunch.  My mom and I prepared the Christmas Eve food and then we watched White Christmas.  At 5pm we headed to church for a nice Candlelight Christmas Eve Service that helped us to remember what Christmas was about.  Ryan was happy that he was old enough to hold a candle this year.  My favorite part is the very end when the instruments stop on the last verse of Silent Night and the congregation continues to sing.  The lights are low and the candles burn throughout the sanctuary as the white lights of the Christmas Trees sparkle.  In that very moment, I can feel the love of a Father who would send His only Son to die for me.
The service ends and the boys were beside themselves and begged to skip dinner and open presents, but that is not what tradition is.  We all sat at the table and enjoyed an endless array of food.  Then we read our adornament for the day and prayed.  Finally, it was time to open presents.  My favorite presents were the table runners my mom had Jen make for me, the tie blanket that Dave and the boys made for me, and the handmade quilt Dave purchased special for me from Jen.  The boys enjoyed an array of Lego’s, transformers, and other toys. The last gift opened was for Dave which was an Xbox Kinect.  We finished the night playing our new game.
Josh and Ryan wait to open presents.
Can't I start to open yet????

Finally, time to open!

Josh watches Ryan open presents.

"Thank you John" "Just what I wanted"

Papa opens a gift!

Nana's turn

Thank you Grandma!

Dave opens a Starbucks gift card from his mom

Rosi opens Ryan's gift to her.

Look at that pretty scarf

John and Ryan show off their matching scarves

John and Anita show off their scarves
My special gifts made by Jen

My new tie blanket!

Playing the Xbox



Jean Luc with his Christmas gift!
Sunday morning was full of action as we prepared the turkey for the oven.  We enjoyed a breakfast of a Dutch Christmas Log and cinnamon rolls.  Then it was off to church.  I had Jr. Church duty, so I recruited John and my parents to help.  We ended up with 15 kids in class. 
After church we enjoyed dinner and then a game of ticket to ride.  We finished the night watching the Packers beat the Bears.

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