We Wish You A Merry Christmas (and a Happy New Year)

We would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! It was a Merry Christmas around here, indeed! Since it has taken me nearly a week to finally post these pictures, I thought I would send New Year's wishes too (two birds, one stone).

We were all full of Christmas spirit. Annah had been diligently hanging an ornament on our advent tree calender every day...waiting (not so patiently at times) to put the final angel on top. She was so excited. It was nice that this was just her job (Liam did not get a turn this year, though he did help himself to taking ornaments off the advent tree on a number of occasions). Annah spent most of the day Christmas Eve dancing and singing (by singing, I really mean more like screeching--poor child got my singing voice) "It is Jesus' birthday!" and "Santa is coming!" One day the week of Christmas, she told me "You know, I know there's no naughty list. Santa brings presents to everyone." I told her that there most definitely was a naughty list and she said, "that makes me feel like I might cry. I promise I have been very good, except with my brother 'cause sometimes I just can't resist!" No real reason to worry--Santa came and was very generous with the two cutest babies I know!

Annah with her advent tree

Christmas around here has several rounds of present opening. My parents come over Christmas Eve to do presents from them (they also come back to see what Santa brought the next morning). Annah and Liam were READY to start opening some presents!
Annah and the first present for this year

My little drummer boy

It was not the Night Before Christmas but it was still cute to see Liam and Grandaddy reading in the rocking chair

and then...SANTA CAME!!!!!!

It looks like she's saying "all this, for me?!"

she looks so big to me up on that bike

Liam and I had to give his new plasma car a test run (I have to admit I have as much fun on these things as the kids)

Santa brought Liam a train table. Do you see Liam in this picture? Yeah, me either!

I love this picture!




Then it was time for round 3 at the Shupings...

I am a firm believer that kids should stay in their jammies all day on Christmas Day

Liam got his very own golf cart...

...do you think he was excited?!

they both got "big" chairs



Finally, the sad truth--our poor children got nothing for Christmas

Kidding, obviously!

Even sadder is in this picture, you can't see the pottery barn chairs, the golf cart, or the big rocking horse (Liam's) and baby crib and high chair (Annah)! Guess they'll just have to hope for some presents next year!

From the Mouths of Babes

Annah has only really had two experiences with death (thankthelord)...our lab, Cooper, and most recently our fish, Three. Three left us not long ago and it has brought up all kinds of questions about dying and Heaven for Annah. This is a conversation (to the best of my memory) that we had over lunch the other day:

Annah: How do you get to Heaven?

Mommy: Well, your body doesn't go, your soul goes to Heaven

A: What is a soul?

M: That is what is inside you that makes you who you are

A: Well then what happens to your body

M: (not wanting to explain the concept of cremation (Cooper) or toilet flushing in the case of the fish) Your body stays here on earth, just your soul leaves

A: Oh, so how does your soul get to Heaven then?

M: With the help of God and Jesus

...this goes on like this for several more minutes, but you get the idea...

A: So when Cooper went to Heaven, he got on top of the car and you drove up a big hill and then he jumped up to God and Jesus?

M: Exactly! (I gave up)

Cookies and Carols

Annah's school has a program every year called Cookies and Carols. All of the classes sing a couple songs and then everyone has lots of cookies (cookies and carols, get it?!) and sings happy birthday to Baby Jesus. Last year, Annah was far too busy picking her nose to sing a word, but this year she sang with the best of them! The little girl next to her had a major meltdown and I was afraid it was going to have a domino effect, but she hung in there...she is getting so darn big!

This was the clearest picture I got of Liam. Note it is still blurry. That is because the kid NEVER quit moving the entire program!

The two songs they sang were about the wise men and camels...those are camel ears on her head

Making cookies for Santa and Baby Jesus

Here Come Santa Claus

Living Vicariously

I am a big enough person to admit that sometimes I do things for my kids that may be a bit more for me than for them. Not that I would ever do anything that they hate or would cause them any harm...but sometimes I feel the need to live vicariously through my children. To that end, Annah has been taking riding lessons (and doing quite well, if I do say so myself) so the next logical (logical for a horse-crazy mom, anyway) step was for her to try her hand at a horseshow. I am so darn proud of her. It was cold and Rainy was a little jumpy, but she got out there and rode anyway and won herself her first blue ribbon (as a note, the leadline class awards every rider a blue ribbon, but still, it's a blue ribbon).

There are probably a couple hundred pictures of one of my parents holding my horse at some horseshow or another, so it seems only fitting that now there's one of me holding Annah's pony.

Cutest thing ever!

Lining up for the judge to pin her class

(she "just couldn't make a decision" so they all won)

Annah was bummed her ribbon wasn't pink

I love this picture...she was already excited about taking her ribbon to show and tell

This is too sweet for words...

Oh Christmas Tree

I cannot say it enough, I LOVE Christmas! I love the mood that everyone is in, shopping for presents, taking pictures with Santa, but I love, love, love Christmas trees! We got ours up the day after Thanksgiving and the kids got to help decorate. Let the festivities begin!