The Nativity 2017

This year the Nativity featured Lyla and Leesie as the cute little angels, Olivia as Mary, Jace as Joseph, and Cameron as the donkey and the shepherd.  Also starring Brice, Cody, and Troy as very unenthused wisemen, Alyssa as the shining star, and Poppy as the inn keeper.  Granny was the narrator and Mel and I were directors (aka children herders). 

Also in church that morning Cameron sang a solo of the first verse of Away in a Manger, and he sounded so sweet.  He has the voice of angel.  At least to my mommy ears he does :)

I love these pictures of the astonished and scared shepherds with the very bored and grumpy looking wisemen in the background.  

Curly Liv and me

I made this girl pose for some pictures to get some good shots of her hair, and then I decided hey, why  not some selfies, too?  Oh this little girlie is growing up way too fast!   

Us

Someday we'll have a house more conducive to taking family pictures on the couch.  But today I'm just thankful to be with these people.  I really have everything I ever wanted with them :) 

With cousin Lyla

We love cousin Lyla!  The kids really do adore her.  We're so glad we got to spend Christmas with her this year.  Even if we did give her the flu, probably. 

Christmas dress up

The Sunday before Christmas actually fell on Christmas Eve this year.  So it was the perfect day to wear Christmas dress clothes to church.  Plus it's also a good excuse to get the boys another shirt and tie, since they like to ruin every shirt and tie they have with the candy they always get from their sunday school teacher.  I love that they love their sunday school teacher.  I don't love that they get so much candy at church. But anyway, they all looked so adorable.  Even with Liv's grumpy face, because she was "too cold". 

Also Granny wanted to curl Olivia's hair so she took her on Christms Eve Eve and put the sponge curlers in.  Liv almost had a break down when she went to bed that night when she laid down on her pillow with the rollers, but I headed her off with stories of how Grandma used to put curlers in my hair, and I hated it and threw huge fits.  So I made her laugh and she was distracted from the annoyance of the curlers and did fine.  Whew.  I was really worried she would throw one of her monster fits and all would be lost.  But her hair turned out so cute!!  It was really funny though cause of the way she said, "Oh, Granny!  These are not comfortable!" when she laid down.  That's when I jumped in with my super funny mom story.  

 Also then on Sunday morning I had to try and curl Annalise's super straight hair.  She couldn't go looking all scraggly when her sister's hair was done so cute.  Anyway, my curling job was somewhat decent, and her hair looked really cute, too.  Their hair is so different, it's crazy.

Also I will point out that Jace and Cameron have really learned over the years that the best way to get through these picture taking episodes is to just give Mom what she wants.  They just grin and bear it. Haha!

Sometimes best friends

 These girls.  Sometimes they are best friends, and sometimes they are worst enemies.  Like today for a little while they were playing with the play-doh soon great together.  I heard Olivia saying things like, "You're the best sister, Leesie.  And am I the best sister, too?"

And of course, Annalise could sense the prompting tone and responded with, "Yeaaaaaah!"

So sometimes they're just besties.  But then sometimes one thing sets them off and they are screaming and yelling at each other, while at the same time telling the other one "Don't look at me!"  or  "Don't talk to me!"  And all hell breaks loose.

Olivia (and her bangs)

Yup, those bangs that she gave herself are still just growing out.  Goofy, precious girl.  She just turned five.  And when she woke up that morning and I said, "Now you're five!"  she looked at me quite confused and said, "But I don't feel bigger. . ."  

And any time I mention that she should maybe stop sucking her thumb, she starts to cry.  So yeah.  We'll see.