More December things and Christmas Eve

 We put up our tree and decorated for Christmas.  (I really liked that star, but now I wish I would have gotten a lit one.)

I took some bathroom-mirror selfies

so I could make this little announcement which I posted on Facebook.

Here's another few bathroom mirror selfies on a Sunday.

My mom's box of chocolates arrived in the mail which was absolutely so exciting!  I had made a few of my own, but mostly I gorged on English Toffee because it is my favorite and it is delicious.  So so so delicious.  Worth-gaining-twenty-pounds-for delicious.

We had a very very warm December (s'all good with me!!) and so one particularly nice day these boys were out motorsickling in their t-shirts.

Brett drove to North Carolina and bought this van for us at an auction.  We are still driving the minivan until Brett can find a bench to put in the back (it just has two now).

I think this is Christmas Eve on a little walk.

Then we came home and made Grittibänz (little bread men that were everywhere in Switzerland around Christmas time-- see here for more info (near the end)).

This one's mine.

Some people got way more creative ideas --I think Talmage had Brett help him do the shark, and Orrin had Brett help him with the whale.

And Jethro--psycho guy that he is, made a WWII soldier in a gas mask with a gun (I'm sure he would be able to tell you exactly what kind it was) who was shot in the shoulder.  Complete with blood.  ???  Yeah, I know, boys are weird.  Especially boys obsessed with WWII.

My favorite tradition ever---hoagies for Christmas Eve dinner!!!!  With grape juice/ginger ale to drink.  Oh the deliciousness is beyond measure.  It was 

After dinner, new pajamas!  Sheesh my kids are getting big.

I made these nightgowns for the girls, for what purpose you shall see in a later post.  :)

We tried to read/act out the nativity, but it was a struggle because the kids were soooo crazy.  Fun times.

Mary on the donkey.

Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus.

The angel bringing tidings of great joy to the shepherds.

Mary and a wise man.

Orrin's 5th birthday

Back in December, Orrin got to make a gingerbread house at playgroup.  (So did Wyatt, but he didn't want to take a picture with his.)  Fun stuff.

Brett made some glasses for himself out of legos.

Wyatt got potty-trained!  It was pretty lickety-split after the first day (which was pretty horrible).

Wyatt played with magformers.

And Orrin turned five!!!  Here he is on his big day- which was nice and sunny, so I took the opportunity to take him on the front porch and take some pictures of him because he's so cute I just can't stand it.

I loooove that smile!

He was SUPER happy about his dirt-bike cake, which was, in fact, super awesome.

He got a jumping monster truck, a nerf gun, the dirt bike that was on his cake (which was a big hit with all the boys, because it made revving sounds), and a Ninja Turtle backpack from Grandma Bell with some fun things in it.

I love my Orrin!