Christmas 2010

I want to remember our Christmas this year, so what better way to do that than to blog it?

This year, my mom bought us a new advent calendar/nativity scene. Each day you open a door and in each door is a piece for the manger scene. Matthew has really loved this each day, asking when it is time to "do the door" and see what's next. Mark doesn't really have the meaning figured out I'm sure, but he enjoys "door time" too. This has been very special to me be/c while they are displaying our nativity scene animal by animal, I am remembering the handmade nativity at my parents house. My grandpa made it and each year my sister and I would put it up together. We had certain pieces that were "hers" to put up and "mine" to do. We each enjoyed setting up the manger scene each year together. It is a beautiful work of art to be cherished for sure. This year, with helping my boys to build the scene day by day created great memories to add for Christmases to come.

Matthew adding the angel to our Nativity Advent calendar

Mark adding baby Jesus

our finished Nativity scene, complete with a flying sheep and wise man -- this is upsetting to Matthew, but we let Mark take his turns, putting his pieces where he wanted. As the years progress, I'm sure the scene will change each time. I can't wait to capture it each year. Merry Christmas, Christ is born!

Mark showing Matthew his new birthday book before we started our Christmas presents.

Mark ready for Christmas

Matthew ready for Christmas

"Merry Christmas!" (Eve morning)
We're ready to "have the tree" as it's said down here...

showing me their stockings

opening stockings

opening gifts from Grammy and Grandpa

Cool book from Aunt Nic

Mark kept lining up the books as he opened them.
He had a fairly long train of books going at the end.

Matthew got some cool new tracks

Mark setting up his new play food

Mark still loving his food.

Matthew and his new tracks

Merry Christmas to me! Jamie got me a kitchen aid! I was so surprised and shocked! THE BEST Christmas present by far! He really out did it this year with this gift. I couldn't be more surprised! Jokingly the night before, when I saw the box, I said "ha, what you got me a kitchen aid?" I had NO IDEA that would be what was really in there when I opened it. I kept asking him if it was really in there or if he just used that box for something else! Woooooo! Let's make some cake balls! I can't wait to try this out. Probably get to make some bread this week, so I'll use it for that!

After we got finished with Christmas at our house, we cleaned up, loaded the car and headed the 4.5 hours south to Nana's house. It was an uneventful car ride (thankfully--wait to see how the car ride home turned out) and we got there mid afternoon. It was wonderful to see Nana and Aunt Dianne and Uncle Butch. Mark wasn't too sure about their dogs, Foxy and Rufus at first, but he eventually warmed up to them. He loved their birds, Sky and Sunshine--which we'd met the last time we were there. He kept wanting to go see the "blue and lellow!"

After visiting for a while, we loaded up and went to the Christmas eve service at Aunt Jean's church. We'd visited the church before for an Easter service. There wasn't child care, so we had the kids in the row with us. The service was very simple and wonderful. 4 or 5 songs and a communion message. Standing up to sing Christmas Carols-- praises to God for His Son, with the boys between us, Jamie and I shared a moment. This was wonderful. Sure it was a little awkward trying to keep them quiet and still, but really, it was wonderful. I am not sure I'd ever sung all four verses to Silent Night. I knew 1, 3, and 4 but verse 2 threw me. I look forward to singing it again.

When it came time for communion, Matthew wanted to know what was going on. I quickly realized that with the childcare always available at our church and others, he's never been IN service before. He's never been exposed to communion before. I tried to simply and quietly explain that the men were going to pass around some bread and the bread was for anyone who had Jesus in their hearts and wanted to remember that He died on the cross for us. I thought that would be sufficient. Now he knows what is going on. However, he floored me. He quickly responded "Well, I do that!" So now we had a small situation. I made pleading eyes to Jamie to help me. What do we say to him in the heat of the moment in the second row, with the plate coming quickly to us. Honestly, I can't recall. I'm not exactly sure what we did say. Something to the tune of "it's just for grown ups right now" and that settled it. Rinse and repeat for the passing of the cup though. He wanted to know what the juice tasted like. I am glad though, that we had a chance to see his interest and that he was swift to say that he has Jesus in his heart. We talk about that often. What we don't talk about is what that means. I'm praying that when Matthew really does accept Jesus to live in his heart and makes that decision, I'll be there. What a wonderful day that will be.

I had tears in my eyes when the communion was over and we sang "Emmanuel" in closing.

Emmanuel, Emmanuel, His name is called, Emmanuel.
God with us, Revealed in us, His name is called, Emmanuel.

I'm glad we got there in time to enjoy the service as a family.

Back at Nana's....

Daddy reading to his boys

Well, someone was bound to get hurt... Mark slid headfirst into the brick fireplace. He handled the wound being taken care of fairly well, the band-aid however, he wanted nothing to do with.

Aunt Dianne with the boys

Mark and Nana

Mark in front of Nana's tree, Christmas morning

Mark screaming "Merry TRISSSS-MASSSSS"!

Matthew and Mark

Me and my boys~ Merry Christmas

Papa and Markie

Grandma, Kimby (aunt Kiki), and Papa arrived Christmas evening. Uncle Rick, Aunt Chas, Shelton and Bryton also came. We got to start all over with the gift giving and family bonding. We really felt blessed this Christmas.

Mark got some new bath toys

Shelton, Matthew and Jamie playing our new Thomas Uno.
Mark was a good supervisor.

Mark trying to help Nana open her big box

Papa and Grandma looking at their personalized calendar

Mark loving on his new pillow pet (Go BUZZ BEE!)

Matthew liking his new robot

Papa opening his coffee mug from us. It pictured him, Jamie and Granddaddy

Jamie hugging Nana bye

Our whole Hobbs family:
Kate, Mark, Jamie, Matthew, Sandy, Kimby, Chuck, Shelton, Rick, Bryton, Chasity

Sadly, that's about where the fun ended. If you see Matthew's face in that picture, he's complaining that he's choking and needs to throw up. Great. We were trying to take a family picture before heading out on our way home. We left for home about 15 minutes after that was taken, not sure what to do about Matthew. 20 minutes on the road, he did throw up. We pulled over to clean him up (thankfully we had a container ready and there wasn't too much mess) and a cop pulled up while we were sitting there. Thank goodness she was a "grandmotherly looking" cop and seemed to have a heart. She said "take care of your youngin (oh yah, we were that south) and I'll sit here till you're settled." Nice huh? We got him settled, he started to fall asleep and then 20 minutes later on the highway he screamed from being asleep and puked again. Sigh. We pulled over and cleaned him up... now running out of clothes for him, he wore Jamie's sweater. Got on the road a little more. Rinse and repeat. Dear God! He was now neked with just his underwear and socks on with a blanket over him. We located the closest walmart thanks to my GPS, I waited in the insanity that was the checkout lane at walmart on the day after Christmas to buy my son a new sweatshirt and sweat pants. Some how we did make it home around 8pm. The kids went straight to bed. The car unloaded into the kitchen and the parents exhausted. All in all we had a great Christmas. It was so nice to see family and to spend the sweet time with Nana Ray... however, the trip home was beyond awful.

I will say now though, that we are all okay. Matthew was the only one to get the stomach bug fortunately, as so far no one else has been sick.

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas.