Our Christmas Eve & Morning...2008

When I was Eden's age I was lucky enough to actually have my two front teeth out during Christmas and I love that I have a video of Eden (couldn't get it to load-too long) just like me singing on Christmas Eve "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth"

Cookies for Santa...Carrots for the Reindeer...Not too much milk ???? Because they wanted him to be able to drink the other kids' milk too!

The creatures weren't stirring...

Not even my little "mouse"

Waking up to check out how hungry Santa was....Funny thing is that Eden has known forever about Santa not being alive anymore; but she begged basically to still get to pretend to believe in him. I think she believes a bit still about the "magic" and surprise behind Santa and gift exchanging because we told her how Santa was a real man and all the wonderful things he really did in this cool book in Leavenworth on one of our annual Tree Lighting Trips about Jesus and Santa and the history behind it. So basically in our home...Santa "worked" for Jesus. And that gift giving is "working" compassion into the world with this tradition and the celebration of Christ's birth...

They definately still believe in reindeer and listening for the hoofs and bells! The Tooth Fairy is very alive in their minds....as well as elves. Elf people are who make all the toys for them and they make them at Big Toy Factories!

Stocking Un-Stuffing

LIIIIIIIBBBBBB STICK! (lip gloss)

Sissy let's kiss and taste each other's flavors...."hmmmmm mine no want mine libstick all gone!!"

Helping Hands and Heart?.....or.....She just couldn't wait to see?

Thank you Daddy for my Care Bear (Char Bear she calls them) Puzzles!

Hallé opening her huge Sleepy Time Care Bear (Char Bear) that Eden picked out and helped pay for to give to her...She LOVES it ans sleeps with it everynight (good pick Eden).

The girls giving Daddy his gifts they made and the Tackle Box with the right dividers he wanted.

Thank you Daddy; Muuuuuaaaaaahhhhhh!

Hallé helping Mommy get all her new frames out that she wanted.

The Polly Pocket Mega Mall that Eden didn't ask for and had never seen....but freaked out about! Mommy keeps saying that she wishes she was a polly pocket sometimes. They have hot tubs in the back of their cars, amazing pool parties, and to die for wardrobes!!!

~Thank you Grampie and Grammie for loving on us all the way from Florida.~

The Doll that Hallé did actually pick out off the computer; she loves the 60 sayings and that it's a "pee pee in the potty singing doll!"

My awesome $6 Craigslist find for Eden to have her own Blonde locks for the Hannah Montana Highlighter to show up on and so she can learn to braid!

~Off to Go-Jo and Papa's House~

A Holly Jolly Hatke Holiday...12/25/2008

Our First Christmas Day with a Cousin...

Conner Joseph Jarrell...17 days old!

Eden got to wear the same Santa type hat when she was born and we celebrated her first Christmas at the hospital!

"Cousins"

Eden, Conner, Hallé, and Auntie Morgan

The traditional strawberries and waffles from mom with a kiss on top!

Enough waffles and kissing let's get this show on the road!!!

Auntie-to-be Johnnaé, Eden, Uncle Travis, Hallé

Eden was literally and obviously anxious to "dive in" to this Christmas scene!! She loves this Christmas gift bag that gets refilled year after year and the surprises that she'll find inside.


OH, MAN!.....look what's in mine stocking. You have to have gummy life saver books from Go-Jo (what hal calls Grandma Jolene)...The blink makes Derrick look like he fell asleep sitting up during a stocking unwrapping! (Nobody's that good)

This is Eden helping her cousin Conner go thru the treasures in his first stocking! Eden even got to help decide what his new stocking at Grandma Jolene's would be...


Thank you Thank you Thank you Grandma....I was so surprised!!!

Thank you Johnnaé for my new hot pink polka dot track jacket...

Thank you Papa for my new Pink Football!!!! If you didn't get to be around Hallé the two months leading up to Christmas, everytime you asked her what she wanted, she would reply: "a pink football!" Duh!?? We have no clue where this desire came from (obviously not from me and my total non-love of football), most likely from our best friends little boy Michael (My-My) as Hallé calls him 22months old and who is in love with balls and Hallé. And clearly vice versa!

No need to whine in a blog since I'm all thawed out now and mostly proud. :) But notice the matching shirts Mommy and Daddy are wearing? Yes five mornings prior to this peer pressure from our lovely LaBarre friends, Jonni, and Derrick managed to get Sarah out for the second year in a row to do the Cable Bridge 5krun...Problem this year was that although Becky and I laughed way too much at the people falling all around us on the icy roads, and we loved the sunshiney gossip time....IT WAS 4 DEGREES OUTSIDE!!! The other 3 did 10K and literally had frozen facial hair when done. Don't worry though, when you wake up that early and do something that amazing you are fully rewarded as you cross the finish line and get to gaze at the puke bucket, then you are handed a McDonalds coupon for a free Triple Thick Milkshake(YUCK!), and then you are served some awesome Hot Dr.Pepper??? I might need to bring my own flask next year for Becky and I to make it. Ps. Thanks for getting the flu that week Becky so we didn't have to give it our all!

I like stumbling around with this huge present and giggling....What is it?

Oh!...It's my first bedding set because I just got my big girl twin bed from Auntie. By the way it's beautiful and Mommy wants it!

Ahhhh...relief. The AquaDoodle has entered Hallé's world finally. This kid loves "textures" and is a "Curious George" about finding out what it FEELS like to marker/color on any surface; be it the inside of her ear, her brand new snow boots, walls, her sister, her hair and whole body, and on and on and on... Thank you to whoever thought up AquaDoodling-it's saved our arts and crafts time.

Oh, a matching flower night light just like my sissy has...

Mommy! Enough with the posing, let me throw this pink football. (Amazing she picked it up properly and totally over armed the thing across the room-clearly nothing she learned from me!)

~Off to Grammie Beth and Grampie Gene's~

Give us this day our daily bread....and WAY more????

Jesus we celebrate you as Lord in our hearts daily...Thank you for your spirit that draws our eyes closer to understanding the peace you offer so freely in every situation, and Father we are humbled constantly by the gracious and undeserved gift of your son Jesus. So when it's your Birthday we feel so silly why we come bearing gifts to ourselves??? Although I can fully help my girls understand why it is so wonderful to give gifts and "celebrate" gift giving in remembrance of our "true gift giver"...I still struggled with Toys R Us and Target not defeating the whole purpose, when their favorite part of gift giving after a Birthday and Christmas just days apart was indeed ---And with great JOY and ENTHUSIASM I might add: The receiving End!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will continue to instill graciousness and a giving heart....Yet as I watched them scream each and every time they opened a gift whether it was a blinking Elmo necklace from the Target $1 bins or The blessed Polly Pocket Mega Mall....My heart raced thinking are they being ruined?...spoiled?...do I need to drive them over to the mission before our next package unwrapping pit stop? How will they ever understand the poverty my eyes have seen in other countries as well as our own? How will I teach them to love the simple things in life? What if they love Santa more than Jesus someday? And then it hit me....IMPOSSIBLE! They are celebrating passionately with gratitude, just as we want them learn to do as daughters of a gracious King and know his love, attention, and quiet whispers constantly. They never think twice whether or not they deserve it...of course they deserve what He has for them..:)...Be it riches or rags... None of us, including them are worthy of grace, but why would I want them to think they didn't deserve something and had to be "better girls" before they could receive these gifts or the gift of salvation? A content heart is very contagious....and that is why I trust in our home we will never have to worry about Santa trumping out Jesus. We pack away Santa and stockings and wonderful traditions until next year. Amen. But the celebration of the grace of God never has to be packed away. With that said, here are our traditions on Christmas Day at their sweetest! Thank you God that I got to grow up and "witness" to my own kids every minute of everyday whether I realize it or not...

We're up and ready for Christmas!!!! Well, maybe not Rascal? Poor dog, he's almost 16 years old!

Thank you Grampie Gene for my Strawberry Shortcake DVD's!!!

This is Hallé preciously pretending she can read the names while she just kept continuing to deliver them all to "Beeeaaa" (Beth) -what she calls Grandma Beth.

Some serious stocking fun...Uncle Paul you look very slow on the draw against this 6 year old?!!

Dad, you didn't think we'd leave you out did you??

Ok mean mean mommy, now you went too far....."Mine new pecial jammies all broke broke broke!" Sorry baby.

Thank goodness again, that grammie knows how much we LOVE our blankies around here and she knew it would be wise to find an almost duplicate "rainbow stripey lovie". "Mine Lubs it soooo much!"

Sorry Uncle Paul, Mom said the Hannah Montana highlighter shows up better on thinning or lighter hair....you pick the reason; I pick the color!

Mommy doesn't want to take off her new red coat from Aeropostale she asked for....the pockets feel like gloves inside. It is the reason I will be able to face next winter with a smile on my face!

Thank you Uncle Paul and Auntie-to-be Stephanie (YIPEE) for the Go Fishing game.

"Post Luczynski Feasting..." Paul you look like you overate?!!

Grandma Roxie opening our gifts...I knew she'd like the blanket...I bought the same one for myself...well via a White Elephant Gift Exchange where my new love is competing to take home my own gift...I'm like 4 for 4 and it makes people NUTSO!!- - Bring it! Anyways the blanket is soooo plush and soft, it's on my lap right now!

Grandpa Bob...well there just aren't words, but this picture of him making this face, especially zoomed in is now at the top of my list! He clearly loves his new hat.

Santa delivered Elmo safely to Hal via Grandma Roxie...Eden and her loved the My Little Pony gifts.

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My grandma makes me so proud and loves a good deal probably 100 times more than even I do..which is A LOT!!! So, we were all spoiled with Cashmina and Cashmere scarfs this year. Let's just say she really knows how to work a sale at Tuesday Morning.

Yup....that is a Hannah Montana green highlight in my hair I just spotted...Thank you Eden!

Dr. Luczynski looks awesome in his Moose pajamas he has worn on his trip home at Christmas for eternities...

and....More scarfs. Thank you Hallé for the 3 above photos that you took!