Celebrating our SAVIOR!!!

Yes, I know it is long past Christmas!

My kids are starting to ask how much longer until next Christmas!

And, I am just now getting around to posting about Christmas 2014.  Well, life just gets busy!  And we needed a bit of a breather after a busy December!

Here is a glimpse of what happened in our family during the month of December.

Actually, we are going to back up to Thanksgiving weekend 
when Taylor was home for a quick break!

Our house was full of laughter and excitement.  Andrew was happy to have his buddy home.  He even let him attempt to cut his hair for him!  :)

He spoiled the dog!  She is not allowed on the furniture, can't you just see her saying please mommy don't make me get down!  Umm, nope, get down!

We attempted to take pictures for our Christmas cards.

We put up our tree that weekend.  And as is tradition our kids each get a new ornament to add to the tree.  They have come to look forward to what I have chosen for them.  

Andrew had a milestone ornament this year of a diploma since he is a high school senior.

Abby loved her minion since she is all about minion's lately.

Then Taylor headed back to school and December carried on at a fast pace with a lot of activities.

We hosted the dessert portion of the progressive dinner for our church youth group.

It's always fun to see them looking so beautiful and handsome!

Carrie Anne, Abby and myself attended the Ladies Christmas Brunch at our church and had a great time.

Next Andrew and Carrie Anne attended a Christmas Ball.

We did manage to continue with our schooling and went on a couple of great field trips during the month of December also.

Then... Taylor had completed exams and his semester and was back at home!

H.O. was given a limo Christmas Light tour and we had a great time!  We decided it was a great family vehicle that was comfortable for the whole family! :)

It had been a busy month and now we had arrived at Christmas Eve!  It is almost like crossing the finish line, I love it when the preparation is complete and now we can just celebrate the Savior and enjoy our family!

Christmas Eve morning we headed to my parents and spent the day with my parents and sister and her family.  It was nice to relax with them.  Later that night we headed to our church for our candlelight Christmas Eve service.  This service has become a highlight of Christmas for me.  I love hearing all of the Christmas carols being sung by candlelight.  How amazing to look around the dark room and the illumination of each candle being held by each person.  We are a "light" in a dark and dying world!  That night our individual lights all together were a very bright light!

We then headed home and prepared for bed as the children excitedly tried to fall asleep! :)

Christmas morning had finally arrived!

The children draw names each year to buy a gift for a brother or a sister.  Taylor got Andrew this year and decided to make the gift very hard to get into, covering it with duct tape!

 This year we did something a bit different.  The children unwrapped the gifts under the tree and everyone seemed very happy with what they had received.  But.. no one had gotten the big item that they had wanted.  As everyone started looking over their gifts I said I had a couple of envelopes and one at a time they opened their envelope which lead them on a "scavenger hunt".  At the end of finding their clues they got to their gift.  The kids had so much fun.  Andrew has declared I need to do this every year!

Andrew finding his guitar in my bed!

On Abby's scavenger hunt she had to give daddy a hug to get her next clue.

We then had a relaxing afternoon as the children played with their toys.

Then we set out our finger foods.  In our family I prepare finger foods and we munch and play all Christmas evening, then we finish our day with a birthday cake for Jesus!

I hope you and your family also had a wonderful Christmas, focused on Christ!  Now that 2015 is well underway may we strive to honor Christ in all that we do in this year!  
Each day is a gift!