Like I said in the pervious post, Christmas really snuck up on me this year. So we are just now doing our Gingerbread house. Actually I am kind of glad we are just now getting to it. Ben is home all week, so this gave us something special to do this morning! Here are some pictures of our awesome house...
Let's start decorating!
Hunter looks forward to making our gingerbread house every year. And a hint... I always buy a new gingerbread house kit after Christmas and hide it away until next year. So much cheaper! :)
HI! Okay now get out of my face. I am busy!
Maggie busy eating candy!
Our house. This year I built the house on Christmas day thinking we would have time to decorate it... well that didn't happen until today. I really liked the icing today though. It was not as runny as it has been in the past. We might do it this way every year.
Sneaky girl! Trying to get more candy!
Even Daddy did a little decorating! (Would someone please call him and tell him to shave, by the way! Just because he is off all week doesn't mean he should go without shaving... just sayin'! lol love that guy!)
Adding a little more candy
She might have just eaten a marshmallow snowman... maybe???
Almost done. Notice the wreath in the back. haha
Our lovely house 2011
This was our 3rd year to try making gingerbread houses and I think we might be getting better... maybe! We are having fun anyway. If you would like to see last years house, click here. And if you are looking for a very cute Christmas book about gingerbread houses you should check out... Mortimer's Christmas Manger.
My kids love it! We read it every year!
Hope you all are having a great week!
Monday, December 26, 2011
What an amazing Christmas!!! We are so truly blessed. So what did you all do for Christmas? Here is a recap of our Christmas...
Let's see... Coach and Honey came to spend Christmas with us. Honey came early in the week and Coach came on Friday afternoon. We woke up to snow on Christmas Eve! Hunter had to put on a coat as quick as he could and go outside to catch snow flakes on his tongue.
Yummy :)
This is actually Archer's 2nd snow, but it's his first time out in it. :)
After eating some snow we ate lots of pancakes and just hung out until church time. This year we got to go to our church's candle light service. We have never been able to go before and I am so glad we got to go this time. It was beautiful! Our pastor had a great sermon and worship was amazing. I just love our church. The only problem was there was no nursery! None! I was thinking that it would be open for Archer and Maggie, but I was wrong. Archer did pretty well, but Mags didn't make it 10 minutes. Oh well, maybe next year will be better. Hunter loved the service! He was so excited to have his own candle.
Here is Maggie in her Christmas dress given to her from my friend Kayla. I woke her up from her nap and put it on her so quick. We really wanted to be on time for church that night. I really wish we could have gotten a picture of her smiling. She really did love that dress and I did too! She looked so cute! Thank you Kayla!!
We went out to eat after church and then headed home to get ready for Santa. Hunter and Maggie both were so excited. We got back late and still hadn't made our traditional chocolate chip cookies, so we whipped some together really quick, took baths and got ready for bed. Here is a video of Hunter and Maggie getting Santa's stuff ready...
As you can see, Hunter was super excited!!!!
Santa and his helpers were very busy until midnight that night trying to make sure everything was together and perfect.
The kids did pretty good that morning. They let us sleep until 8:15, praise the Lord! Mommy and Daddy were tired! :) Santa put all their toys from him on their chairs and Archer's bumbo. So what were their reactions...
They are so blessed! I was honestly very worried this Christmas. With our new sweet Archer and the medical bills that came along with him, I did not know how much we were really going to be able to give this year, but our parents stepped in and helped. I think they had more than enough this year. Thank you so much, Nana & Grumpy and Coach & Honey! They loved it all!!
Archer with his teddy bear from Santa. Hunter had told Santa that Archer needed a teddy bear.
Maggie with her Minnie shoes.
Hunter wearing his new cowboy boots. He was so excited he ran off to his room to dress himself. He is ready to go hunting.
Oh and what was their big surprise??
A trampoline! This is what Hunter has been asking for and it is perfect for them! Just the right size and everything. Now if only we could get them off of it. :)
playing...
Mags with her new hat and gloves and a little Nutella still on her face :)
Christmas morning was spent playing with toys and enjoying family. My mom and I made a late lunch and then we all just hang out. We did watch both Rio and Kung Fu Panda 2 in between the jumping. It was so cold outside, but that didn't stop Maggie and Hunter! They jumped and jumped and jumped... until we made them come in. Maggie's little hands were ice cold and Hunter had the reddest cheeks. :)
Coach and Archer took a few naps. So sweet!
Coach went back to Gainesville in the late afternoon. We really didn't want him to leave but he needed to be at work on Monday. :(
After they ate dinner we dipped some pretzels in chocolate. Hunter liked doing the sprinkles and Maggie like sticking her fingers in the chocolate. :)
They were both worn out from jumping and neither one of them got a nap Christmas day. After pretzel dipping it was time for bath and bed. I think they had a great Christmas!
This Christmas snuck up on me! This fall had been so busy with football, new baby, Maggie's birthday... Christmas just came so fast. It was a little different this year. Christmas is truly about the birth of Jesus, the greatest gift of all. All we have to do is give our life. It's not about things and what we do and don't do, as long as we are giving glory to the Lord. For God so LOVED the world that He GAVE is only son...
I'll end with a few picture of Archer taken last night after the big kids were in bed.
These pj's have been worn by Hunter and Maggie and now Archer. I love it! I think Maggie might have worn this same pair last year, by the way. Hahaha :) Archer, you are such a wonderful blessing! Happy 1st Christmas!
Can you believe our little Archer is already 3 months old? He is such a sweet baby! He is so good! He hardly ever cries. The only time he cries is when he is super hungry. He is smiling all the time now and is talking up a storm. He loves for you to lay him on his back and talk to him. Archer loves his brother and sister. He is always looking for them and smiling at them. He also loves bath time. I don't think he has ever cried in the bath tub. He can sleep through anything, too. There have been many mornings when we have had Hunter, Maggie and Logan running through the house being super loud and he has been sound asleep in his swing. So sweet! I can't imagine life without this little guy! We love you so much, Archer! Thank you, Lord for this sweet little blessing!
For all of those who are waiting on a Christmas card from the Jennings... we have failed you this year. :( We did not get one together in time. It makes me so sad. I love sending Christmas cards and getting Christmas cards from friends and family. We are sorry! Please enjoy these pictures instead. And thank you for those who have sent us a card! They are all hanging in our kitchen! I love them all!! Thank you so much! :)
p.s. I DO NOT like the new blogger!! Please go back to the old one!
We spent the last weekend with family in Van Alstyne doing Christmas with Grandaddy. We had such a great time! We haven't seen everyone since this summer. It was so good to see everyone. I wish we lived closer. I miss my family!! Oh and this was the best picture we could get with the great grandkids. haha :)
Sweet Kylie!!! Isn't she just the cutest! We all had so much fun watching and playing with Miss Kylie. This is Amber's little girl. I haven't seen Amb in like forever. It was so good to see her. I miss you Amber!
Ben and Chelsea :) Chelsea always has the biggest smiles especially when Ben is around! Love that girl!
My Grandaddy, me and Archer-man!
Beautiful Holly holding Archer.
Maggie loved Kylie! I can't wait until Kylie is a little bigger and they can play. Maggie gave her a few kisses. :)
Not pictured was my amazing cousin, Kara. She is about to have her first baby. I had such a great time talking to Kara. I wish we lived closer! I can't wait to meet Miss Zoe! She will be here any day! :)
We had such a great time this past weekend! It was so good to see all my aunts and uncles... it's just so nice to be with family. I missed seeing my Aunt Barbie and her family, but hopefully we will be back soon. Thank you so much for having Christmas at your house Aunt Jen! I love you all so very much! Merry Christmas, Grandaddy!
Hunter had his Christmas program yesterday morning! Ben and I were so proud. He made such a good angel and you could really hear him singing.
There's my baby! The one on blue. This was taken with my ipod. I was afraid Ben was going to miss it. He got there just in time!
Sweet boy!
He was so excited!
There is a video at the bottom of this post. :)
That afternoon I got to go to his and Maggie's Christmas party! It was so fun!
About to do the book exchange.
And Open!
Eating a snowman cookie and being silly!
Then I went to see this sweet girl! She had a good party until the end. I think she must have eaten something... she got sick all over me right after I took this picture. She didn't get sick again, so I think it must have been lunch or maybe the straw or something. I'm so glad she isn't sick!
Last year we got our tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving and it barely made it. It got so dry I was afraid to turn the lights on, but it was okay because we were going out of town for Christmas. This year we decided to wait a little longer. We got our tree this past Saturday after the HSU basketball games.
Hunter was super excited and had to wear his Santa hat.
Maggie decided she would wear the reindeer ears...
Well until Daddy took them. :)
Oh and Archer tried them on too.
The kids really enjoyed picking out their tree this year and we enjoyed watching them. Once we got home it was to late to decorate. I put the lights on, but that was it. Off to bed.
The next day we got to do the fun part. Decorate!
Maggie did really well this year. She put up a few ornaments and didn't take any off! I was surprised!
Hunter did awesome as usual!
And they both got to put the Santa on top. Maggie first...
Then the Hunter-man.
He really wanted his hat to stand straight up. :)
Pretty tree! We love it, anyways!
While we were decorating, this little guy was sitting right by the tree watching and listening to Christmas music.
Hooray for Archer's first Christmas!! Love that boy!
