It's the last night of our Christmas Countdown! The kids are so excited... you can feel it in the air. We jumped right into the festivities... my sweet niece, Sydney, was doing some pretty impressive face painting. Victoria was so excited to have hers done!
Penelope's face painting!
Daphne chose poinsettias. My sweet friend, Tiffany, came over this morning to give Daphne a little Christmas gift. She had been begging me to do something really fancy in her hair for Christmas, but my skills are rather limited. So, Tiff did this for us:
After Matt's parents served up the delicious meal they had prepared, Raegan and I got the kids ready for our Nativity. Tori wanted to be an angel:
So did Penny:
Our three wise women, with their gifts for Jesus! (Sydney, Abbie and Daphne)
The Holy Family: Corbin as Joseph, Lydia as Mary and Isaac as the Donkey!
Luke and Zach as Shepherds and Lexy is all covered in fleecy white as the lamb.
Marsha's family room was filled with all the presents and our entire family at this point, so things were a little crowded, but it all worked out beautifully!
Their play was so sweet. Tori listened to the stage directions and went over at just the right time... she said to the Shepherds, "Don't Be Afraid. Jesus is born in Beth-a-la-hem!" As crazy and chaotic as this scene is, my eyes filled with tears watching these sweet, precious children re-tell the coming of their very Savior. This is my very favorite part of Christmas. I don't know what I'll do when they are all grown up.
Penelope's face painting!
Daphne chose poinsettias. My sweet friend, Tiffany, came over this morning to give Daphne a little Christmas gift. She had been begging me to do something really fancy in her hair for Christmas, but my skills are rather limited. So, Tiff did this for us:
After Matt's parents served up the delicious meal they had prepared, Raegan and I got the kids ready for our Nativity. Tori wanted to be an angel:
So did Penny:
Our three wise women, with their gifts for Jesus! (Sydney, Abbie and Daphne)
The Holy Family: Corbin as Joseph, Lydia as Mary and Isaac as the Donkey!
Luke and Zach as Shepherds and Lexy is all covered in fleecy white as the lamb.
Marsha's family room was filled with all the presents and our entire family at this point, so things were a little crowded, but it all worked out beautifully!
Their play was so sweet. Tori listened to the stage directions and went over at just the right time... she said to the Shepherds, "Don't Be Afraid. Jesus is born in Beth-a-la-hem!" As crazy and chaotic as this scene is, my eyes filled with tears watching these sweet, precious children re-tell the coming of their very Savior. This is my very favorite part of Christmas. I don't know what I'll do when they are all grown up. After our Nativity, it was time to open presents from Nanny and Papa!
Daphne opening her new bedding for her Butterfly themed bedroom!
Nanny and Papa gave Isaac a Basketball Standard for our new house!
Victoria got an awesome Disney Castle with lots of tiny princesses and princes!
Tori, Penny, and Savannah also received little tutus and Hello Kitty Shirts!
We all exchange family gifts now, so this year we gave a gift to Jude and Natalie's family and they gave a gift to us. Here are Daphne and me opening ours:
And then it was time to give our presents to Nanny and Papa. Typically, we all give her new pictures for her "picture wall". They are really hard to buy for because they have pretty much everything they really want.
Marsha has a wall ( you can see part of it in on the left side of this pic)... she has pictures of each of her children at their weddings, a family picture for each, a first baby picture of each grandchild and a current picture of each grandchild.
Each year, she receives new pictures, but they often aren't able to get the new pictures into frames because it's such a huge job. It's not uncommon for the new pictures to sit in the box all year, without getting into frames on the wall.
So... in addition to the pictures, we gave them this:
Matt wrote this little twist on the Night Before Christmas (he's so clever!). It reads:
Nanny and Papa gave Isaac a Basketball Standard for our new house!
Victoria got an awesome Disney Castle with lots of tiny princesses and princes!
Tori, Penny, and Savannah also received little tutus and Hello Kitty Shirts!
We all exchange family gifts now, so this year we gave a gift to Jude and Natalie's family and they gave a gift to us. Here are Daphne and me opening ours:
And then it was time to give our presents to Nanny and Papa. Typically, we all give her new pictures for her "picture wall". They are really hard to buy for because they have pretty much everything they really want.
Marsha has a wall ( you can see part of it in on the left side of this pic)... she has pictures of each of her children at their weddings, a family picture for each, a first baby picture of each grandchild and a current picture of each grandchild. 
Each year, she receives new pictures, but they often aren't able to get the new pictures into frames because it's such a huge job. It's not uncommon for the new pictures to sit in the box all year, without getting into frames on the wall.
So... in addition to the pictures, we gave them this:
Matt wrote this little twist on the Night Before Christmas (he's so clever!). It reads:Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Nanny's house
All her children were stirring, each one with their spouse;
Old pictures had been hung on the wall with great care,
But no updated photos of the children are found there;
Old pictures have been nestled all snug in their frame,
You must have been thinking this wall's looking lame;
And Laura in her 'kerchief, and I with no hair,
Had an idea- We'll do better, we swear!
The new pictures arrived among such a clatter,
That we surely all see now what is the matter.
Down will come all the old, off the wall in a flash,
New photos hung for free? That's better than cash!
Those precious faces; the names you all know.
Give lustre to the room; all who see will say "whoa",
When, what to your wondering eyes will appear,
But thirteen grandchildren and there families so dear,
On Monday we'll come over so lively and quick,
We'll hang up new pictures, hoping they'll stick.
More rapid than eagles your servants they came,
They'll all be in order, each child by name;
Now Sydney! Now Austin! Now Lexy and Abbie!
On Isaac! On Lydi! On Corbin and Zachy!
Now Daphne! Now Lukey! Now Tori and Penny!
And let's not forget about sweet little Vanny!
Get your faces in frames! To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
Over we'll come; just give our team a whistle,
And up the pictures will go, as fast as a missile!
And I heard Nanny exclaim, ere we drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."
Marsh and Calvin LOVED it! Matt and I went over the day after Christmas and rearranged all the frames, added new ones and put new pictures in old frames. The wall looks great now and it was a fun way to give them a gift of service!
All her children were stirring, each one with their spouse;
Old pictures had been hung on the wall with great care,
But no updated photos of the children are found there;
Old pictures have been nestled all snug in their frame,
You must have been thinking this wall's looking lame;
And Laura in her 'kerchief, and I with no hair,
Had an idea- We'll do better, we swear!
The new pictures arrived among such a clatter,
That we surely all see now what is the matter.
Down will come all the old, off the wall in a flash,
New photos hung for free? That's better than cash!
Those precious faces; the names you all know.
Give lustre to the room; all who see will say "whoa",
When, what to your wondering eyes will appear,
But thirteen grandchildren and there families so dear,
On Monday we'll come over so lively and quick,
We'll hang up new pictures, hoping they'll stick.
More rapid than eagles your servants they came,
They'll all be in order, each child by name;
Now Sydney! Now Austin! Now Lexy and Abbie!
On Isaac! On Lydi! On Corbin and Zachy!
Now Daphne! Now Lukey! Now Tori and Penny!
And let's not forget about sweet little Vanny!
Get your faces in frames! To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
Over we'll come; just give our team a whistle,
And up the pictures will go, as fast as a missile!
And I heard Nanny exclaim, ere we drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."
Marsh and Calvin LOVED it! Matt and I went over the day after Christmas and rearranged all the frames, added new ones and put new pictures in old frames. The wall looks great now and it was a fun way to give them a gift of service!
Our scripture for tonight was all of Luke 2. We sang Silent Night together, and tucked or sweet little babies into their beds!
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