Christmas in review

We've enjoyed a few days of Christmas celebrations. First, at the Soundaras on Christmas eve:

then at our house on Christmas morning (we didn't wake Eden up for the early morning present opening):

At Robbie and Carrie's for Christmas evening:

and, in Boone, NC for the day-after-Christmas:

We're so thankful for all the family that we've been able to see and celebrate with.
(and thanks to Emma who took some of these pictures.)

December 25

Very Merry Christmas to everyone!


Last day of the December Photo Project.

December 24

Christmas Eve = new pajamas
(not sure about Gabe's silly face)


posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 23

Two days from Christmas, and we're outside without jackets on - Love it!

posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 22

I don't think Nae has made it into the December photo challenge yet so, I made sure to remedy that yesterday afternoon.

December 21

Afternoon view of our kitchen table - lots of drawing, gluing, and cutting going on while it's too cold to go outside.


posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project.

December 20

Saturday morning at our house means pancake making with Daddy. Alena was helping out today.

Posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project.

December 19

This wreath came as a little surprise in the mail yesterday. It was from LL Bean and was signed, "Happy Holidays from LL Bean Card Services."
We have no idea why they sent it to us. Maybe they just randomly send out some every year. At any rate, it now resides on our front door and it smells so good. What a nice Christmas gift; certainly something we would have never bought for ourselves.


posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project.

December 18

Oh, how cute Eden's hair is when she gets out of the bath. Will those curls stick around, though?

Posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project.

December 17th

This has been our favorite Christmas craft project so far this year. I love how these turned out and they were so simple; directions are here. Alena and water colors don't mix well so we did these one evening when she was in bed which is why there are only two.


Posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 16th - day 16 of the DPP

Gabriel's school Christmas program was last night. On the way over there he told us, "I am just so nervous!" We assured him it would be fine and after he got up there, I think he really liked it.


posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 15th - day 15 of the DPP

{Alena} who was granted a reprieve from nap time today because the weather was so gorgeous, and it's December, and it's warmer outside than it is in...

{Alena} who has her own sense of style and thinks it looks great...

{Alena} who can cause so much trouble one minute and then be so sweet the next...

{Alena} who we love and can't imagine life without...


posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 14th - day 14 of the DPP

Nae took Gabriel and Mya to the "Walk Thru Bethlehem" this afternoon, and he snapped this picture of Mya. I couldn't decide if I liked it in color or black and white better, so I'll just post both of them.

posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 13th - day 13 of the DPP

Each Christmas, Nae and I by each other an ornament (we used to go out the night we put up our tree and choose them, but now we must be somewhat flexible). Here are our choices for this year. Can you guess whos is whos?


posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 12th - day 12 of the DPP

Gabe looking out from behind a water fall at the Opryland Hotel were we went to see the Christmas decorations yesterday.

I can't believe this is our fourth child and it's the first time I've had a sling. I've certainly used other baby wearing paraphernalia, but at this age I think the sling is the easiest. I use it all the time, and Eden loves it. How did I ever live without it?




posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 11th - day 11 of the DPP

Our little Eden Vanh - 4 months old.


posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 10th - day 10 of the DPP

Today was the day for our annual gum drop tree constructing - a tradition the kids look forward too. This was really Alena's first time since last year she "helped" but was too little to do much. This year she got her own tree.

A few more pictures of our afternoon.

As I was taking this picture, I was thinking how well they had done with this little project - everyone was cooperative and agreeable with only a small mess made. After the picture, I carried Mya and Alena's trees to the mantle and Alena knocked Gabe's tree off the table into the floor. We will choose to believe that it was accidental, but so much for the little mess. We had to re-do the entire thing.


posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 9th - day 9 of the DPP

I love Gabriel, Mya and Alena's stockings - they're actually big enough to put their gifts in. I ordered Gabriel and Mya's a couple years ago from LL Bean and that was the only year they carried them. When Alena was a baby I e-mailed them and they had a few left so I got hers. I debated then about ordering two more (one boy and one girl) you know just in case, but of course I didn't and now Eden doesn't have one. The My First Christmas stocking will do for this year, but I don't know what we'll do next year. Poor, poor fourth child...at least the stocking holders do match.


posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 8th - day 8 of the DPP

Mya is still a thumb sucker and I almost always find her just like this on the couch every morning.


posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 7th - day 7 of the DPP

This is Gabriel and Mya's version of a Christmas tree. I especially like the clothes pins used to hold on the "ornaments." This little tree has star placement - right by our front door!


posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 6th - day 6 of the DPP

Are these pajamas not the cutest? sometimes it pays to be the baby - you get to wear all the cute clothes passed down not just from siblings but from cousins too as this was. I see more hat's in Eden's future but I'll have to hurry up before she gets big enough to pull them off.

Here's a couple more shots that I liked.

posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 5th - day 5 of the DPP

We made our annual trek downtown for Nashville's Christmas parade last night. It was a pretty cold night but we always really enjoy the parade so it's worth it. They start things off with a few fireworks which Nae did a good job capturing on film.

The wagon works great for this outing since it doubles as seats and the girls didn't have to get out at all - they could stay covered with their blankets. Some of you might not know that Nae hates to pay for parking and will do almost anything to avoid it so, we walk quite a ways so that we can park for free at his work. The girls would never be able to walk all that way.
Grandmama, here's proof that Eden stayed nice and warm in the sling. She was covered the whole time and when we got back to the van she felt very toasty under all her layers.

Everyone had different favorites. Gabriel liked the marching bands best, "especially the drums," Mya liked the baton twirlers "especially the ones that twirled with fire." (I hope my children didn't get any ideas.) and Alena liked Elmo and Big Bird the best. It was a fun night to start off the Christmas season.


posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 4th - day 4 of the DPP

This has been Alena's favorite Christmas decoration/toy - the Fisher Price nativity set. She calls it her "Away Manger" because when you press the angel on top it plays "Away in a Manger." I love having something she can play with that I don't have to worry about getting broken. Not that she would ever break anything...


posted in conjunction with the December Photo Project

December 3

Day 3 of the DPP. Mya loves this little doll ornament and I catch her often just staring at it. I'm going to make sure it goes in her box of special ornaments when we take the tree down this year.