Christmastime is Here...

It seems like Christmas and all of the hustle and bustle that goes along with it has hit us like a ton of bricks this year!  Just the day after Thanksgiving the Internet was bogged down with everyone posting pictures of their Christmas trees all decorated and put up and I couldn't help but get a little stressed out thinking I was behind and needed to catch up.  Then I realized it wasn't even December yet so what was the rush?  Well once December hit, time has just flown by!

Here is a quick peek at our weekend:

The Children's Christmas performance on stage at church:

With one year of singing "Away In A Manger" under his belt, McGee was much more confident this year and did a terrific job singing front and center in front of the large audience.  However, in her first stage debut, Miss Em was excited and happy at first, then decided to pout her way through the song.  I wish I could upload video because I have a hilarious 15 second clip of Miss Em, turned sideways from the audience, head down in her pout and she's pulling her arm away from her teacher completely filled with ATTITUDE!

Mommy with her two entertainers - unfortunately Daddy came down with a second case of strep throat (he and I both had horrible cases Thanksgiving week) and didn't get to join us at church.  I later found out that Mr. Sickie wasn't about to miss his kids' performance on stage, so he used his key and snuck onto the balcony armed with some binoculars and didn't miss a thing!  McGee gave him a quizzical look when he stopped by his class afterward to congratulate him on a job well done.  Daddy said it was really special being able to see his children on stage and meant a lot to him so I'm very glad he made it work without infecting anyone.

This collage of these wonderful hugs from my kiddos will be treasured by me always.  Both of them are such wonderful huggers - my heart is deeply touched each time I receive one of their tight, love infused hugs and I don't want to let go.

Gingerbread Houses - we decorate them just so we can eat them right?? :

Saturday night I found Miss Em under the dining table with my point & shoot camera.  The middle picture she snapped of me as I was bending down looking for her and then she and I enjoyed some of those awesome hugs as she clung to me and yelled, "Cheeeeesssseeeee!" for our mother/daughter picture.  I love her full, exuberant and care-free smile!

Monday a friend watched Miss Em so I could work in McGee's preschool class.  It was fun watching the dress rehearsal for Thursday night's Christmas carols show!  We've been practicing the songs, but as I overheard one teacher say hopefully, "A bad rehearsal means a great performance, right?"

Well there is more to share to our December so far, but I need to head to bed as another full day is ahead tomorrow and I want to be awake enough to remember these precious memories.