Birthday & Thanksgiving & Christmas Oh My!

Here's the photo journaling of the last two months...full of fun and play and family!

We'll start by backing up to Maddox's Birthday.  If you've visited my blog before then you saw on my last post the beginning of Maddox's Birthday Turkey.  Here's how's the countdown turkey turned out.  

This was birthday morning.  Her present from Scott and I and Tessa.

A Doctor Kit!

Maddox has enjoyed "playing Stacia" ever since joining me to all of my prenatals while pregnant with Tessa.  (Stacia is our wonderful midwife.) 

Birthday Family Photo 

Maddox got a really cute little pony from Aunt Melissa, Uncle Shane and Bubba n TyeTye.

Birthday Cake

Birthday Visit to Nampa Grampa & Gramma complete with a bonus story time! :)

Dancing with her new dancing CareBear

Maddox's Arizona Cousins and Auntie Kristy & Uncka Jake got her a cute little piano for her birthday.

(okay, I didn't crop out her cousins Bubba & TyeTye, but I did zoom in when I took this photo trying to capture Maddox's excitement ;) She LOVES this piano and we hear her play on it daily. 

It's really just the perfect size for Tessa. So she thinks it's hers. :)

Tessa too, plays on it often.

Now on to Thanksgiving.  

Scott and I have been married 7 years and have never had a Thanksgiving dinner at home. This year in our first house, we got the honor of hosting Scott's family.  This meant a lot of firsts.  And it was a blast to do it all.  

Maddox and Mama all ready for the family to arrive on Turkey Day. 

Okay now, I do apologize to Doug who I caught mid bite. So sorry. But I still just love this picture seeing the family all around the table at our house. I hope the picture to follow makes up for it Doug ;) 

Tessa loves her Uncle Doug!

Nana Pam helped out quite a bit. 

She is always a wealth of knowledge for the kids! ;) Thanks Pam, for teaching them Indian Poker.  Turkey dinner was followed up with a game night that lasted all evening and was so much fun!

And then there's the Baby Whisperer:

Now last but not least, CHRISTMAS!!!

We spent the advent season setting up the nativity each Sunday piece by piece.  Christmas morning before any gifts were unwrapped Scott reminded us through a fun retelling of the whole story of the GREATEST GIFT OF ALL and the TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS.  The birth of JESUS CHRIST and Jehovah's Salvation to ALL!  We are so awed to watch our children come to a loving knowledge of Jesus.  And grateful can't quite capture how we feel to receive Christ's redemption.  We are thankful He came and oh so looking forward to when HE COMES AGAIN.   

Out of our thankfulness for the Gift of Jesus, we enjoyed giving and receiving gifts from others.

Maddox got her first Cabbage Patch Doll from Gramma Chicken:

Needless to say, she loves it!

Here we are reading the new book from Arizona cousins Aja and Zeke

And here's Tessa "reading" hers from Brahm & Ollie

Maddox got the cutest little apron from Auntie Kelly who brought it home with her from Brazil.  She sported the apron along with her jammies and tutu for the rest of the day!

Stockings hung with care :)

Scott opening his first present. Love his expression!

Maddox twirling in her new tutu.

And Tessa showing off hers. :)

 We have had just an absolutely wonderful holiday season!  And it continues for us with New Year's followed by my birthday and then Scott's in February, then Tessa's in March.  Thank you to all of our family and friends for the love and fun the last few months and always.



Here's a few more pictures I thought I'd throw in for fun.

ENJOYING story time.

  Jammie Time.  Thanks Gramma & Papa Chicken for the matching jammies!