Christmas Eve!

How often do you see Snow in Texas let alone have a white Christmas.. Yes in Texas. Arlington Texas! Crazy huh... Yesterday we heard rumors of rain turning into snow. But never in our wildest dreams and oh do we have dreams about snow real snow coming to see us here.

The kids and I got out early to finish up shopping they needed to shop for me and I needed to grocery shop. We were home by 11:30 and by noon it was snowing. Really hard. It was wonderful. But we got out in it. And talked about how yesterday was 70's. Which was wonderful too. And it probably wouldn't stick. It snowed for hours still nothing stuck. Then all of a sudden the temps dropped and it began to stick. The kids were loving it. They put it in baggies to save the wonderfulness. Malcolm and Cole brought a handful to me to tell me that it was real like in Ruidoso,New Mexico in the mountains. haha But then all of a sudden the weather men talked blizzard conditions in Texas. Can you believe that. The wind was blowing you could hear it outside. I was by our dining room window and could see the wind blowing the snow above the fence and blowing down the street like a truck going by. We got into the Christmas eve rituals tonight and every once in a while the kids would say something as they came in from outside or look at the window where more was falling.

Now it is 8:30 at night and it has snowed most of the day. We now have about 4 inches in our backyard. Can you believe it. I just want to squeelll.... I love it. More the looks of it not so much the cold of it. Today I was told by my dad that we broke the snowfall total for Christmas Eve in the metroplex. When it hit 8/10 of inch. Now we are at 4. Wow!!! I have had patients talk about the old timers saying it is going to be a very cold nasty winter.... I had thought the same thing. We now have had snow 2 times this month. And this time it will stay overnight.. Suppose to be 0 degrees with the windchill in the morning. Yikes!

Today we were talking about our Christmas traditions. I really was curious if they pay attention to them or not. So here is the list
1. Open gifts on Christmas Eve
2. Christmas orange and story
3. New pajamas for christmas
4. Caroling
5. Making sweets
6. looking at lights
7. Hot chocolate when we look at lights
8. Watching the Christmas Story ( you'll shoot your eye out)
9. Drawing names between siblings.
10. me taking them to shop for me and letting them loose in the store.
11. Watching lots of Christmas movies.

Well we were headed home when they made their list of the traditions. And of course one of them sent me back to the store... See I asked my older kids if they wanted pj's or if they would wear them. They said no. But today in the car they were talking about getting them. I had bought Alex and Sebastian's pj's not theirs.So off to the store I ran took in Alex and Sebastian and left the others in the car. It was a mad house in there. But mission accomplished.. And they all loved them.. thank heavens

This year we have been very blessed. Many blessing family and health. Now the snow is just an extra gift they see God gave them this year..


Cole and Sebastian are still playing in the snow. The puppy absolutely loves it. He keeps running to the door to go out and comes back in with a face full of snow and and covered in it. He got a doggy bed just his size the kids set it up on the couch and he is currently sitting in it head on the edge watching the Christmas Story with me. I have to say the kids have absolutely surprised me. I never really tell them what I want cause there isn't necessarily anything. But this year I found a couple of things I wanted. And don't you know they got me all of them. One with the help of my mom who took Cole and Eve shopping for me. I got an amazing 4 slice toaster since ours was on it's last leg.. Literally... A electric can opener I fell in love with that has special openers attached. Chocolate, measuring cups, measuring spoons, and of course a sprite... Do my kids know me or what. One last thing... I absolutely hate I mean HATE ironing.. but I found one of those steam irons that is a wand you know you leave it on the hanger. It even will put a crease it in. AHHHH!!! SO COOL!.
I think I might be able to actually get the kids to iron too.:))))So the kids got me this too. I almost forgot Sebastian was so proud of his gift to me. He used all his money from allowances and bought me something from his christmas store at school. He gave me a beautiful tennis bracelet.

I do have to say tonight has been awesome. I finished their blankets that I was making. And they all love them.. We decided our Christmas this year was going to be a homemade Christmas. As far as my gifts to them and their gifts to each other. I let them loose to use whatever they could find in the house or garage and make something.
Cole found a bench that wasn't put together and and spray painted it and fixed it to work for Sebastian who was in Heaven.. Alex, Sebastian and Eve made paintings on Canvas. They were so funny about how proud they were of what they did.I made the blankets as my part. I think they were more excited over those gifts then anything.
Malcolm made Eve a coupon book of things for her. Time on his xbox, music lessons on the piano, and tutoring. Eve just squeeled and laughed. You should have seen her face. LOVED IT! I think this maybe a new tradition for our family.

Well, time to close up and gather kids for the Christmas story from Luke.Love to all. My heart is definately full of love and gratitude for all I have and all the Savior has done for us.

Merry Christmas!!!

Soon I will post the wonderful pictures of today..