Saturday, January 8, 2011

Christmas Eve 2010 through pictures

DSC_7782 DSC_7779
Our little Tree.  The need for lights more brilliant than what the little tree could produce was brought to life through our window garland!
   DSC_7793 DSC_7794
Before we open presents on Christmas Eve (only 1,) we have a little program which consists of Mckenna- reading the Story of the Savior’s birth, Devin reading “ A Night Before Christmas,” Kyler reading “Santa’s Vacation,” which has amazing paintings and poems… if you have never read it, get it and your family will love it! and This year we ended up reading the story of the “Christmas Orange.” read by yours truly.
Usually we sing Christmas Carols and Hymns, but his year it was me giving everyone a concert because they wouldn’t sing… Not even Devin who usually joins in after the first line of Jingle Bells.  You Kill Joys!!!!
DSC_7788
my girl waiting to open her 1 present.
  DSC_7784 
Shirtless (always,) Kyler looking at his gift of …. hum. I don’t know.
DSC_7822
Devin and his Snuggie from Kenna!
DSC_7910
Santa was a happy guy this year, he got his annual Brower bowl of cold Cereal and a new addition- Milk and Cookies!  Poor Rudolph and his friends didn’t get their carrots this year… darn that my kids are getting older.
DSC_7829
Kenna got a wonderful BEST FRIENDS necklace from Kyler. Great job Kyler!
DSC_7924
What’s Christmas kitschy without Rudolph and Santa?

Well, we are off to bed… Santa is coming!

Christmas Break

So, with School starting right after we got back from Maryland, I have been a little bit ( no a lot,) remise on getting Christmas and the Holiday break written about.
Christmas break was, lets say, a little interesting this year… we didn’t have a full tree. We had an tiny artificial tree (Devin’s,) like we did the year before we moved to Ocala, I think it is because the day we were going to chop down our tree at the tree farm was the day that Florida decided to have a crazy cold snap. Then Devin came and he wanted to help get one, but we knew by then that we were going to be leaving for Maryland the day after Christmas and this was 6 days before that. Why buy a tree that you know you will have to take down within 6 days?  I really missed having a tree!  I was lucky a little because our ward Christmas party had tables decorated with live tree cuttings if you wanted them to. I decorated one of the tables and so I took the scraps home, make a swag, and a few decorations on shelves and in my pinecone Twisty paper basket. So, the house for a few weeks smelled like we had a live tree!
When Devin arrived from Santa Clara, we were so excited we picked him up at the airport and then we were off to Miami for our Florida Family Christmas Party, As I mentioned in an earlier post. But, when we got home we decided to watch a few Christmas music classics. We watched Charlie Brown Christmas, a few Hallmark movies (which Kenna and I loved when the boys were out and about,) and then we watch these two shows…
CSC_7863 
Who in their childhood hasn’t watched A Christmas Story and thought- hey, does your tongue really freeze like that to the flag pole?  Well, I don’t know from experience, but I have been told that it sure can.  Poor Kid.
CSC_7858
As a mother, this lamp makes me cringe, as a kid I thought that was as risqué a kids move could get! I mean, look at Ralphy feeling up that leg. Shame on you Ralphy!!!! But, I always think it is hilarious how excited his father is winning this lamp and how he reacts when his wife breaks it (on purpose, I might add!)
CSC_7888
Don’t we all as kids wondering if our parents will feel bad that they punished us if something happened to us soon after?  I know I did. I love, love this scene!!!!
And then my favorite, feel good-fall in love-route for the-underdog-cry a little-cheer a lot movie of all time: It’s a Wonderful Life!
CSC_7892
Do you not weep when George runs into that “drafty old house,” calling for Mary and finds those beautiful cherub faces looking at him from the top of the staircase?
CSC_7884
remember- it’s not the money that you have but the impact you have others an the friends and love in your life.
CSC_7885
“teacher says, everytime a bell rings and angel gets his wings.”
That’s right Suzsu…
CSC_7889
Angels are really you know… they can’t right in a book if they weren’t!  I love that my t.v. and camera let me take such great clear pictures!
But, my favorite scene in the whole movie?  I wasn’t able to get a picture of because the movie was already ahead of it by the time we realized that it was already one. Is when George promises Mary the moon. That is something that Matt quotes all the time, and I always want to start singing. “Buffalo gals won’t you come out tonight annnnddd, dance by the light of the moon…” I would love to paint  that same scene and hand to Matt on our 25th anniversary. I guess it is a good thing he never reads our blog!  So, I can still do it!

Don’t you feel that some of the greatest movies come around every Christmas?  I am so glad they are played at all hours of the day or every day of the year so we grow tired of them. That is one of the magic’s of Christmas…. the music, the stories, the movies, the sweetness, kindness,patience of others during this time of year and most of all the Savior’s love for us and our Heavenly Father’s love and unselfishness to send the Savior to live on Earth so that we can have the chance to return to His midst!