Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone!  It has been an exciting time around our house - it has been a fun Christmas season.  It has been so much fun getting to do many new and different things with Maddie.  And she is actually enjoying it this time around!  :)  Each time we do something different than our ordinary activities, I hear her say,"I like doing these things with you, Mom."  It warms my heart!  So far, we have made Christmas cards, dipped pretzels in chocolate, and made cut-out cookies.  I heard of a good way to let kids "paint" cookies by mixing egg white with food coloring . That alone kept Maddie busy for at least a half an hour!  Wonderful!  Norah even got into the action, using her little rolling pin, and of course eating the dough.

Other things we have enjoyed this Christmas season have been trying to teach our girls the importance of giving and serving others.  I realize it's not clicking with Maddie quite yet....but it's never too early to start.  This past week, we were invited by some people at church, to go caroling with them at a nursing home and assisted living.  There were many kids to help sing, which the residents loved to see.  Maddie just kinda stood by our side, singing maybe to jingle bells, but it's beginning to seem like Norah is going to be our little entertainer.  She would go right out in front with a big smile on her face, swing her arms, and dance a little.  I even found her in a resident's lap at one point!  She's not too shy!  We had a nice time, and look forward to making caroling a tradition.

AND since I haven't blogged in forever, here are some things we did in November, just to catch you up!  Maddie turned 3 years old!  I can't believe how fast my little girl is growing up.  She had a lovely family birthday party, as her friend's one was cancelled because she came down with the stomach flu.  (We all have had it since then....it's been a winter of lots of illness already....bummer.)  We spent a few days in Mankato visiting Kelly and Brian after Thanksgiving.  We are anxiously awaiting to see if Maddie and Norah will have a baby boy or a baby girl cousin, at the end of January!  So excited!  I celebrated my 27th birthday, December 3rd.  I'm getting old!  I think that's about it!

We are enjoying this Christmas season and filled with our joy at the many blessings God has given us.  We have much to be thankful for.  Praying your Christmas is filled with hope, joy, and peace as well!  Maybe in the new year, I'll get better at keeping up with our blog.