Merry Christmas!

We feel especially grateful to be celebrating our first Christmas in our new home! 

We had a fun time celebrating with Grandpa, Grandma, and Uncle Jason on Christmas Eve.

We had a lovely time celebrating with Papa, Nana, Karen, and Kristi on Christmas Eve and Christmas  day.

Sisters! We missed you Dave!

Christmas morning the kids were so excited to run downstairs and open their stockings and all of their presents!

Ant farm!

Asa and his Christmas presents from Dad and Mom. He received many wonderful presents from family too.

Eli and his Christmas presents from Dad and Mom. He received many wonderful presents from family too.

Greta and her Christmas presents from Dad and Mom. She received many wonderful presents from family too.

A couple of weekends ago we went with our good friends and now neighbors, the Wellman family,  to Duluth! We stayed at the Edgewater Waterpark and went to see the outdoor lights spectacular Bentelyville! It was cold and super busy, yet we had a fun time making memories together! 

We did not lose anyone! Four adults and 8 kids!

Substance church Christmas service!

Brian and his good friend Shane accidentally dressed as twins for our church Christmas service.

The boys enjoyed our church Christmas service while Greta played in the nursery.

Eli making artwork with his "coloring machine".

Greta making coffee with her pretend coffee maker.

Every year I hang up this Swedish Christmas decoration my Mom gave to me. When I was a girl she made an outfit for me to wear so that I could match the Swedish girl.

Car adventure to Duluth!

Our first Christmas cookie baking tradition! My dear friends Anna and Angela and I enjoyed baking Christmas cookies together at Angela's house. We do life together, laugh together, and pray together. I am so thankful for deep friendships. Our families were thankful we brought home some yummy cookies!

They love to color together.

  

Eli all ready for school! We are happy Eli loves kindergarten and we are glad he gets two weeks off for Christmas break!

Brian bought me some pretty Christmas flowers.

Aunt Kristi babysat for us so that we could go out for lunch and see the new Star Wars movie!

I volunteered last week at Eli's school and helped his class walk over the food that they donated to the  local food shelf. The whole school donated over 700 pounds of food. I also got to meet Eli's 8th grade buddy Josiah, he is the one with the blue hoodie in the back row. The 8th grade buddies help read and do other activities with the kindergarteners. 

After we dropped off the food at the food shelf we went back to his class and worked on a Christmas craft together.

Eli's class learned how to sew on a button last week. Now my boys are obsessed with buttons! I have given them my extra ones and they got many from Nana too!

Eli's class Pj party for Christmas!

Eli and his buddy Sam love to play together with the large wood blocks in their classroom during free play. Here they are pretending to be Santa's reindeers and this is Santa's sled. I love how they use their imaginations.

Decorating their Christmas cookies in class.