Boxing Day with the McCartney Family (well part of the evening anyway!)

Poor sweet Kate woke up with a fever today and she's been a sad sorry sack all day.  Ken's family Christmas was scheduled for today in Waterdown.  Originally we were going to head over in the early afternoon but we kept waiting for Kate to perk up.  The 'perking' which finally happened around 4 in the afternoon, lasted about 15 minutes and was really only the result of administering some advil, but we took it and bad parents or not, we dragged our sweet girl out to see her cousins.

When we got there Kate cried to go home for a few minutes but then thankfully quieted down and mostly just watched everything from the couch.  People were still eating when we got there and as always there was tons of good food.  The present opening began shortly after we arrived.  The last two years we've drawn names and each cousin chooses the name of one cousin to give a gift.  This year we had Anders and Rachael.  I think all the kids enjoyed their presents.  And of course there were presents from Nana and Papa.

Anders opening his gift from us.

Nana and Papa looking at the framed pictures of the girls.

Sarah opening a gift.

Kristen and Ken helping Rachael open her gift from us.

Joaquin, Laura and Brittany

Kate opening her puzzle from Lisa's kids.

William and Brenden helping Alice with the gift from William.

Sarah doting on Alice.

Rachael playing with the phone we gave her.

Cute Ezra (who is two months younger than Kate) did not want his picture taken.

Caitlin and Braden.

Meagan and Kristen.

Kristen, Lisa, Aunt Sandy , Uncle Hugh and Eric.

Kate and the doll her Nana made her.  This is pretty much what she looked like the whole evening.

It was warm at Maureen's and Alice was a new woman when I took off her top and left her in her onesie and pants.  She does not like to be overheated!

Konrad and Braden.

Joaquin, Laura and Jennifer.  (Did you two both wear plaid on purpose?)

This is when I noticed that Eric was asleep.

ALICE!

While his mouth was hanging open everyone else noticed that Eric was asleep and MANY photos were taken!  At least he didn't snore.

I'm glad we went even though Kate wasn't feeling 100%.  She didn't seem to be adversely affected by it and it was nice to see everyone.  Plans are in the works for everyone to get together this summer, hopefully the plans will come to fruition!

And just for fun, I started looking through McCartney Christmases past and look what I found...

 

Anders and sleeping Eric, Christmas 2005.

Christmas

The stockings were hung by the chimney... wait.  At some point Kate will figure out that we don't have a chimney, that or we'll just abandon the whole concept of Santa.  The more I think about it the more undecided I feel.  I'll put off figuring that out for another year!

Kate didn't wake up early, in fact I was concerned that she was up a little late.  She looked at the empty plate.  Ken (the cutie) left crumbs on the plate to show that the cookies and carrots had been eaten.

Speaking of waking up... we brought Alice down still asleep.

Kate loved the contents of her stocking.  I had fun collecting the contents at the dollar store.  I think I bought too much this year.  (Last year I thought it was too little - perhaps I'll get it right next year!)

Kate opened her presents,

and she helped Alice open hers as well.

Ken had a present - some new shirts.

Kate finally has her own tea set - yay!

After we opened a few presents we had french toast for breakfast and dashed off to church.  The Christmas program had a nice mix of choir numbers, solos, and speaking parts.  I played the piano for a few of the numbers.  Merry Christmas to Ken who had both girls to manage!

After church we drove home to pick up a few things and then went to Grandma and Grandpa's.  Mom and Dad were both a little emotional thinking about last year, thankfully the mood was quickly lightened by opening presents.  We saved a few presents for the girls to open in front of their Grandparents.  We also brought presents for Mom and Dad.  A calendar for Mom, framed pictures for both of them AND a t-shirt for Dad.  When I saw it I knew I had to get it!

Uncle Andrew arrived in the early afternoon with more presents.  Kate LOVES her Dora backpack and microphone.

Mom and her friend Bridget did all the "grunt" work - as they called it!

Andrew bought this funny ball popper for Alice.  Alice is working on ball for her first word and very much enjoyed her present.

My cuties in their Christmas dresses.

I can't remember when we lost Kate, but she was out.  She slept for at least 3 hours on the couch and then stayed up late, too late!

The apartment was very warm and Alice was a new woman once she was stripped down to her diaper.

Mom and her friend Bridget.

Mom and Me.

Christmas is really such a magical time.  I am thankful for the special celebrations that surround the birth of our Savior.  We really had a lovely Christmas this year.  

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was a day of random family fun.  After breakfast Kate opened the last window in her advent calendar.

Then I set about taking photos for the two ornaments that needed pictures.  I used this one of Alice for her "baby's first Christmas" ornament.

And I used this one of the two girls for the 2011 ornament.

And here are Kate's and Alice's "first Christmas" ornaments hanging in the tree.

After picture fun there was...

...time for Kate to play in the exersaucer...

 

...time to play outside...

... and time to eat gingerbread.

I tried to get a picture of Alice wearing the Santa hat, but it would seem that there wasn't a time for that.

There was also, dessert making, home-teacher treat making, present wrapping, nativity play watching, donut eating and a few tears from tired children.  I'm excited to be watching Christmas through Kate's eyes.  Christmas is the most fun when children are small.  I'm excited for tomorrow!

Santa! (Oh and Alice is ten months old!)

What part of today to talk about?  The grandparents?  The rain?  The matching outfits?  Kate and photos?  Alice?  Santa?

Grandparents - my parents met us at the mall.  Ken forgot to tell me that they called and this caused a series of other actions that well, I wonder if I'll remember?  I'll just say this, my imagination is both a blessing and a curse.

Rain - It's been so warm and rainy for December.  I keep wondering if we'll have a white Christmas.

Matching outfits - I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I LOVE matching outfits!  Their shirts are a match and the jeans are coordinated.

Kate and photos - I keep trying to teach this girl about smile and hold.  She says cheese and smiles for less than a second.  Or sometimes she won't look at the camera at all.  I get frustrated and usually give up.  At some point in the future she'll get it and then she'll probably be like me and have an entire block of her youth in which she won't pose in photos at all.  (I hope not!)

Alice - My sweet, funny, crazy, full of personality little girl is 10 months.  I can't believe she'll be a year in two months.  I think that she's working on ball for her first word.  She's also been teething like a crazy person this month.  She is so much fun!

Santa - Still not sure about this dude.  I don't want to go overboard either way.  We really haven't talked much about him.  I'm almost just letting other media (Dora, Barney) decide what Kate should believe.  This year I feel like I still don't have to worry about it... we'll see about next year.

Sisters

Just because...

Crafty thank you

I'm the secretary in the Primary (children's organization) at church.  I have a number of different responsibilities - I so enjoy the little bit of paper work that I do!  One of the things I've taken on are teacher thank yous.  There are ten classes including nursery as well as the song leader, pianist and the presidency.  Everyone gives willingly of their time and talents to teach the children in our ward family.  We have a big primary.  On a typical Sunday there are (including nursery) around 60 kids that come.  I wanted to do something special and meaningful and something that the teacher's could keep as a reminder of their time in primary.

Part one was a card.  I took a picture of every class and printed them on the front of a Christmas card and had the kids sign the inside.  Part two was my sister's suggestion based on a Primary thank you that she had received. 

The inspiration for the ornament is taken from this song from the primary songbook: Once There Was a Snowman.  It's an action song that everyone loves and the words are as follows.

Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman,
Once there was a snowman, tall, tall, tall.
In the sun he melted, melted, melted.
In the sun he melted, small, small, small.

I think the ornaments looked really cute.  Ken helped with some design ideas and Kate helped me put them together.

I hope everyone likes them!