Christmas 2009

Christmas 2009

We had a great Christmas season in 2009!  It started very early after Thanksgiving with the question from Josh almost every day "Is it Christmas Eve?"  "No, but it's Christmas Season".  Even Nathan could eventually tell Josh it wasn't Christmas eve, but it was Christmas Season.  We finally put the Advent Calendar in December and said "when we get to the 24 then it's Christmas Eve".  We didn't hear the question as much after that.

 On December 6th, both Josh and Nathan participated in leading worship songs at church.  They sang two Christmas Carols.  It was pretty hilarious!  Josh did a great job singing and smiling.  Nathan moved across the stage and decided to stand in front of the first row, and let's just say he had an issue with boogies in his nose that morning!!!!

Josh and Mommy decided to make cookies and goodies for his teachers at school.  Josh really wanted to help make the cookies, but mostly just wanted to turn on the BIG mixer.  When it was time, I said "okay, turn it on" and oh boy did he ever.  It went from 0-10 speed really quickly and we had cookie ingredients all over the kitchen and all over Josh.  It was really funny and a good thing we forgot the chocolate chips!!!!

At school parties they had a lot of fun!  Both of the boys were the last ones at the table eating.  Yes, these Griffith boys love to eat!!!  Josh's class made Christmas Tree Treats.  I think they were suppose to wait until everyone was finished with their trees and then eat them, but most decided to eat them as they were making them.  Right before Josh took this bite, he carefully laid on the last M&M on the frosting and then dove right in.

Nathan enjoyed EVERY cookie he had at his party.  There wasn't a single healthy thing on his plate, and he loved it!

No this isn't a new baby sister.  This is Baby Carigan who is a new cousin of Josh and Nathan.  She is the daughter of Alan and Emily, Mommy's step-brother.  They boys enjoyed holding the baby.

The yearly gingerbread cookie decorating!  Once again the entire Griffith family enjoyed decorating cookies.  This year the boys were able to cut the shapes they wanted.  We had letters, guitars, snowmen, christmas trees, and stars.  This picture is the cutting process.

Nathan is enjoying our very first fire on Christmas Eve in our new home!

The Griffith Boys (all of them) enjoying Bible Story time before the advent calendar.

On to cookies decorating/eating time!  Nathan only decorated one cookie and ate it right away. 

Josh decorated one ALOT, and then dove in to eat.  Notice the similarity in this picture and the school picture.  Josh loves to "dive in" for his food these days.  This cookie was also piled high of sprinkles and would have been a little hard to pick up with his hands without spilling all of the sprinkles.  Also, I don't have a picture, but cousin Benjamin very much enjoyed the "green frosting" during decorating time.

Josh's class made reindeer food for the kids to put out on Christmas Eve.  Josh picked a spot in the yard for the food and sprinkled it in the grass.  It was full of oats and magic. 

The last part of the evening before bedtime was putting out cookies for Santa.  The boys wrote Santa a letter and left him some chocolate chip cookies.  Santa couldn't eat all of the cookies so the boys enjoyed some for breakfast the next morning.

Some traditions that we didn't capture pictures of were going to Christmas Eve services at church, celebrating Jesus' birthday party, and singing Christmas carols.  This year we attended Christmas Eve services at Bethel Bible Church in Tyler.  It was a neat experience.  It was a "come and go" service.  The idea was to bring items for charities throughout Tyler and leave them at the manger.  This was a time to reflect on others during this Christmas Season.  Then you could serve yourself communion and reflect on Christ this season.  This experience was very refreshing and a reminder of Christ's birth.  It was great to take some time out in such a busy day and time of life to ponder how Christ came as a baby to save us.  What a wonderful night it was when he was born.  This experience was quite humbling!