Amazing Christmasy Weekend :)

We had a fabulously fun winter/Christmas time this past weekend, so I thought I would give you the pictorial tour:

My very first official MHR shirt came in the mail! :)



Hootenanny Pancake for supper:

+ =


on our gorgeous Christmas dishes! :)

Then the lighted Christmas parade:

Santa herding Christmas geese


Toy Train float


Side View of the float entered by the company that I work for.


Our float driving away (rear view)


And of course, no Christmas parade would be complete without Santa! In ours he was hitching a ride on the local fire engine (the sleigh must be getting a tune up for the big day, lol)!

All of that happened on Friday night! Saturday we went shopping in Des Moines, not Christmas shopping, as we are nearly done with that (thanks to the wonders of modern Internet technology), but we did pick up some necessities that we needed for some house projects, and got some great deals at Harbor Freight (that store is better than Christmas morning for Austin, I think, he's like a little kid in a candy store, lol)! Before we came home we enjoyed lu-pper (that's a combination of lunch and supper) at CiCi's Pizza! Yummm! We had picked up Season 3 of the Prison Break DVD's at the library before we left town that morning, so we started watching those when we got home!

Sunday morning we went to church with Tyler and Emma, and Chris (both Tyler and Chris work with Austin), then we went home and finished watching Prison Break Season 3 on DVD (we are almost caught up, Ashley!)

This week we will hopefully finish decorating the house - this is the latest date ever in the history of my life that I have yet to get the tree up! We also need to get Christmas card pictures taken so we can get those printed and mailed out PRONTO!!! We are also hosting our first family holiday party at our house the weekend before Christmas, so I need to get our menu and shopping lists squared away - I am also planning on starting all of the baking this week! I know I sound harried, but I just love all of these tasks, so they are not really chores!

Pastor Jeff's sermon this week was a great reminder to slow down in the midst of all of the hustle and bustle and enjoy the season, but not only that, to be thankful for the true reason we celebrate! What are you doing to remember Jesus' birth this season? I am looking for a good Advent calendar/reading/schedule, so would welcome any suggestions! :)

Hope you are all enjoying this Christmas season as much as I am! :)