Christmas Eve

We had a very full day on Christmas Eve... We visited with some wonderful friends in the morning, came home and fought Hannah into taking an afternoon nap (gotta love my typically super-scheduled child not following the schedule while we were at my parents' house!), made a gingerbread house in the afternoon, and then were treated to a great ham and turkey dinner by mom. After dinner Karen and I gave the kids quick baths and then we all got ready for Christmas Eve church services.

We were certainly risking meltdowns by going to a church service that started at 7:30 (and the kids are usually both in bed by 8), but the kids did fairly well. Karen had an arsenal of animal crackers, books, and an aqua-doodle to help keep the kids occupied (no nursery!). At various points in the service both Mom and Brian left with a kid who was getting a bit rambunctious. We weren't at my mom's church because that service started too late for us, but we went to another church in town where one of my mom's friends was preaching. It was a wonderful candlelight service that really focused on the true meaning of Christmas - our savior Jesus Christ.

Here are some pictures from before we left the house:

My favorite picture of Hannah & Liam
Liam loves to cheese it up for pictures!!!

Hannah wasn't so sure about Liam holding her hand

Liam eventually started walking off holding Hannah's hand. She held on and he walked her in circles around the coffee table in the family room. It was too cute.
Hannah holding one of my first Christmas ornaments

I'm really loving being around these two kids - they are having so much fun together and it is so much fun to watch! They are certainly making this Christmas very memorable!