Christmas!

Christmas Eve is full of those fun traditions that make it really seem like the good old days to me, and create good old days for my children to look back on.

Tradition 1: Toll painting. We stumbled upon this family activity 4 years ago. We all love painting a little creation together.


This year's creation: angels.


This was Adam's first time to be included. He did very well.


Tradition 2: acting out the nativity. Adam tried out for the part of Baby Jesus at the last minute.


In his little toga he looked somewhat like Baby New Year, or maybe Cupid, but it didn't last long, soon he ripped it off and I opted for the "preppy" version of a little white polo onsie, much more modest anyways.


The cast, I liked Sarah's angel halo greenery.


Adorable Mary


Adam wasn't a very reverent Jesus. He kept dive bombing on Joseph.


Tradition 3: The feast.


Tradition 4: Pictures in front of the tree and setting out the stockings.





As you can see Adam was so ready for bed, so off to bed they all went, for visions of sugarplums to dance in their heads.


Tradition 5 (my least favorite): The terrible night's sleep.

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house every creature was stirring... can't I get some sleep around here?

There were kids needing medicine at 1:30, gunshots in the neighborhood at 2:00, hungry kids getting their appetite back after being too sick to eat turkey dinner at 2:30, excited "I can't sleep" kids at 5:30, "can we at least play in our room" at 6:00. At 7:00 there were finally excited "Mom and Dad are finally awake and going to let us go downstairs" kids, ready to see what Santa brought them.

Santa brought the girls Cabbage Patch Kids, a giant Mickey for Adam, and Pony Playland for everyone. Santa was careful to bring the exact dolls with the right names and birthdays that the girls had memorized on their birth certificates at the store. Boy he is good!




I love Giant Mickey!



The girls admiring their Horseland DVDs and coloring books.


Mmm, can you tell what it is? Thanks Grandma!





Yeah! Now we can be Chinese like the Lees!




Of course the box is the favorite toy.


Hey, where is everybody?


The family with our new adopted children.


Off to the park to play with our airplanes.



A rare family photo, Merry Christmas to all!