Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Christmas 2012

So thankful for the time to spend together as a family celebrating Christ’s birth.  I will be honest, before we had children this was NOT my favorite time of year.  We were constantly on the road heading to grandparents houses, parents houses, aunts, uncles and everyone in between.  I dreaded Christmas every year. We were married for 6 and 1/2 years before we had Caroline. We really wanted an April baby and instead we got a baby due on Christmas Day.  Really?  God does have a sense of humor.  It was His timing and not ours.  She has been the gift that has changed my heart to love the Christmas season.  She is a constant reminder of God’s love and faithfulness.  Caroline LOVES Christmas not just because it is her birthday, but because of  Jesus’ birthday.  She told us this year that ‘Christmas is all about giving, not getting.’  She knows the Christmas story by heart.  I think she’s got Clark on board.  He has been loving Christmas, too.

_DSC0005

A visit to Santa.  She gave Clark a hug and kiss to tell him not to be scared.

_DSC0016_DSC0037

_DSC0055_DSC0066_DSC0085

caro and adair nutcracker

Christmas tradition:  Mother/Daughter date to the Nutcracker
This year we met up with our sweet friends Brecca and Adair.

_DSC0111_DSC0116

caro ornament

Christmas performance at God’s House
Her sweet teacher gave me this ornament for being the room mom, I love it!

_DSC0161

Caroline Evans turned 5!  She celebrated all day long!  When she woke up we sang Happy Birthday to her.  Josh and Clark took her out for breakfast at Edgar’s, she had a birthday celebration (with mini cupcakes) at her school, went to Chickadee’s to pick out an ornament for the Christmas tree (and some birthday cupcake ornaments for her tree), went for a mani/pedi with her best friend Bella, and went to Superior Grill for a birthday dinner.  This girl sure does know how to celebrate!

birthday at school

_DSC0052

Caroline’s class party at GHK.  Clark got to join in the fun, too.  All the girls were kissing and hugging on him.  Poor Clark!

clark christmas partymore christmas party

Clark and some friends from church had a little Christmas party of their own.  They made Christmas cards for kids at Children’s Hospital and shared some snacks.

_DSC0059

Christmas with the Toline’s, Clark kept saying ‘look guys!!!’ to every present he opened. 

_DSC0071_DSC0073

Her favorite present:  The new American Girl doll, Caroline Abbott

_DSC0077_DSC0080

So excited!!

_DSC0137

The cousins:  Caroline, Carson, Ethan, Clark and Aidan

_DSC0164

Christmas 2012 family portrait by Caroline Hale Photography.
My mom & dad bought me a new tripod and camera remote, she enjoyed clicking it.

_DSC0259_DSC0265

Caroline Abbott is her new accessory.

_DSC0267

Playing Angry Birds and air hockey

_DSC0281

To entertain the troops we made a little gingerbread nativity

_DSC0286

As you can see, clean up was not a breeze.

_DSC0288_DSC0295

Caroline made this gumdrop person and said ‘oh no, it’s leaning…oh well I guess I’ll make it Mary and have her looking at Jesus!’

_DSC0302_DSC0303_DSC0315_DSC0329_DSC0348

My favorite part of being home on Christmas Eve is going to Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at our church.  This was the first year that Caroline was old enough to attend.  She did make me a nervous wreck with her lit candle.  I loved hearing her sweet voice singing the Christmas carols.

_DSC0365

Just before we left for the Christmas Eve service.

_DSC0394

Last year for Clark to be in a longall or button on, I’ll miss him being our baby.

_DSC0422

When we got back from church, Santa came by on a firetruck to wish us all a Merry Christmas!

_DSC0424_DSC0426

Christmas morning

_DSC0437_DSC0442_DSC0461_DSC0468

christmas morn

Merry Christmas to all. 

2 Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!'”

No comments: