Advent and Christmas 2015

St. Nicholas treats waiting for them in the morning.  

(Magdalene wanted to use the slippers Vavo left behind from her last visit.)

I found the cutest little cupcakes at HyVee.  

They were all really excited about finding their treats.  Tobias, however, found his cupcake in the middle of the night.....he said he was hungry.  Oh my!  We learned our lesson that we needed to hang the stockings up high for Christmas!  

As part of our school day, we used the Holy Heroes Advent Adventure to help prepare us for Christmas.  Magdalene even pretended to be a Holy Hero Adventure guide.  

We received a package from Vavo and Tia Connie.  The children are ready for the snow!!!

We love learning about the Advent saints with coloring pages, putting on plays, reading about them, and celebrating their special feast days.  

St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe

Magdalene was so excited to be St. Lucia again this year!  We had to wait until the evening to celebrate, because we made an early trip to the seminary for Mass that morning (we were running a bit behind).  She was so excited to honor her day!

We took out our Jesse tree box and finally used it this year.  We love it!  

Christmas Eve tradition since I was a child.  Mozambique shrimp....yes, I really messed up the recipe this year.  I didn't have enough paprika and too much butter in it.  

Popcorn shrimp for the children!

We sang Christmas carols before bedtime.  

Jordan and I were very busy while they were sleeping to prepare for Christmas morning.  

Our sacrifices and good deeds during the last week of Advent.

They were extremely excited to place a straw in the manger to make a soft, warm bed for Baby Jesus on Christmas morning.  

Note:  Stockings are high....very high.  Learned our lessons from St. Nicolas day.  

Replaced the Advent candles with a big white candle for Christmas

The expression on Tobias' face was so beautiful!  I love looking at this picture.  

  

Tobias and Magdalene took turns going in the dollar section of Target to find a stocking stuffer for each other.  Tobias saw the first Frozen thing and handed it to me to hide in the shopping cart.  Magdalene found stickers Tobias has wanted for some time.  It was such a sweet moment between the two, and they never told each other what they found in the dollar section.  

They are my set of twins separated by 13 1/2 months.  

Merry Christmas Teddy Bear!  It's your first Christmas!!!  

Me with my Mother stocking

Jordan with his Father stocking

Yoda jelly beans

Vavo's gifts to the girls...princesses

Tobias got a race car with remote control from Vavo.  Jordan and I had way too much playing with it.  

Everyone was so generous and kind to us!  Thank you my parents, Jordan's parents, my sisters, and all our extended family for being so kind to us.  It will help tremendously with the new house.  Thank you again!!!  Be assured you are all in our prayers!  

Christmas breakfast with some Nativity cookies we made on Christmas Eve.  

Magdalene with her Sister Brenda doll from her tias.

Philomena with her Sister Helena doll from her tias.

Tobias received a St. Joseph took kit with apron to work on all his manly and saintly projects.  He loved it!

Tobias received a cute donkey that sings Silent Night.  

Grandma Robin with her grandchildren before Christmas Mass.  

Thank you for the Christmas outfits, Mom!  They looked so cute.  

Beautiful decorations at church were done by my mother-in-law.  What a festive feast we had after Mass!

Theodore looks ready to wrestle Percy. 

Merry Christmas!   Look at our new blue door!  :)  It looks beautiful!