Opening presents. We opened gifts from N.C, Ireland, and Locally from a great aunt.
If it wasn't for all of these gifts sent by family, our package opening time would have been all of 3 minutes! lol
Thanks you guys.

So, Wesley loved playing in a box. No kidding, its not just a saying you hear people say "Oh just give them a box they will be happy" NO joke. He loved it. He played with a christmas mouse (SO CUTE) and he wrestled with a Lepard. Isabelle was excited about everything. She looked each item over and was very interested. Not into ripping them open and moving on.. not yet anyways :)

Oh it will be a merry christmas after all!

Wesley is sleeping in his bed. Opening presents makes him tired.
Isabelle is playing with her new Play-Doh set .. Chris just got off the phone with his dad and now he is playing with the boo. I'm going to give you a little update on our Christmas so far!
We are enjoying spending Christmas together. We have been unable to attend any of our family Christmas gatherings, and Christmas eve service at church and anything else outside of our little world because our poor little girl has been sick. She is well enough, thank the Lord, to play with her Doh and open presents but not much more past that. I'm very sad to miss some of the events we planned for, and look forward to all year, .. but we are certainly making a new Christmas memory here at home. Some new family traditions maybe too!
Each Christmas is so special.. and even tho its been a very hectic and exhausting week we are sure having a special Christmas. I'm going to post a few photos here of this morning and a few snap shots I've taken of the kido's leading up to this special day.
Merry Christmas to you all.. and while you may get to spend time with family, and open presents and each to much.. or if you don't get to.. stop for a moment.. Remember that this day is to celebrate the birth and arrival of our savior. The Lord who after an amazing virgin birth, and shortly into adult hood took up a cross,.. took a beating, great embarrassment and shame and much more on him.. took our sins so we could have eternal life with God the Father.. Jesus who paid the ultimate price.. a price we could have never done ourselves. The price for you. Especially just for you. Merry Christmas.

Hehe, Wesley fell asleep like this.  he had been sitting up in his crib talking and the next thing I knew, he was alseep.  Take a close look its pretty funny.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas collage.

Merry Christmas to all!

After decorating the tree and listing to christmas songs, we sat down for some hot chocolate. Chris with his 'first' ornimate from 1981!  Below, Isabelle showing off an ornimate from MaMa Pearl :)



We are so excited for christmas.  Isabelle is really a joy to be with and see how excited she gets when christmas cards come in the mail, she is forever wanting to get someone a  present, or make them one, and send a card too!  This is Wesleys first christmas and he is just darling.  He is precious and cute as a bug snuggled in a rug! 

So, while we are thrilled about the holidays, our family, our friends we have a few tiny things that leave me, feeling less than ready for the holidays.  I have only got out a handfull of christmas cards.  Several cards are ready to go but now here it is, the eve before the eve and that is where they will stay until I can hand them out I suppose or stamp a few up too.  You should feel quite special if you got a card! lol.  I was waiting for some photos of the kids (all the grandkids) to make it from Kristys house to mine, but because of a viral bug set back we did not see each other for quite a time so we were behind there.  I have been doing Physical therapy, Wesley has had a caugh, and a bit more nursing issues for me have also taken up good christmas preparing time. Also trying to keep 2 tiny big heads covered up when I go out and keeping everyone warm slows me down on my shopping expedition! So...  Now, Isabelle has a wee bit of a stomach bug and we are waiting on the next victim!  Needless to say, I spent the day laying next to isabelle in bed and not working on wrapping presents, not getting to town to finish a few more things.. just laying low.  

We did make it to A Journey to Bethlehem and was moved by a visual of why we are celebrating such an occasion.  

You know, we haven't even decorated the outside of the house this year either!  That makes me sad because I LOVE lights.  We do have a few wee light tree shrubs on the porch my grandma gave me and those are pretty:)

Now, how about an update on the kidos?  Wesley is crawling up on all 4's now.  He is walking along the play pen and tables.  He is slow but certainly is figuring out the feet move with the legs that are connected to the rest of him!  He has been vey serious here lately but is just waiting for someone to start him in laughing.. once he starts he just laughs and giggles.  He is so precious.

He pouts, and gets his feelings hurt easly, he hates when I leave the room and tonight he pouted when chris left.  He is gaining weight and eating good.  He actually just finished some avecado and really loves it a lot.  He also likes to sign when he is ready to eat!

Speaking of signing, Isabelle is doing well learning some signs.  She knows about 30 words and is putting a few words together too.  You can see her little mind really working.  She also reccognizes most of the ABC's and is learning the sound they make.  Isabelle knows a bible verse to go with each letter too.  Sometimes she needs to be reminded of a begining verse or asked to slow down but I'm real pleased with her wanting to learn.  She has also memorized the Lords prayer.  She is cute when she runs thru it and let me tell you she goes fast! She is her mother's child :)  Belle is very much into pretending.  Here lately she is the mail man,.. we say "Nothing must stop the mail!"  She loves going into the post office with me :)