Project 365-Week 52!!

I am really proud to be typing this post!! Week 52 and I completed the whole year...hooray! There is a lot to look at this week, so here goes.

Sunday

Worked and then small group Christmas party. It is always so much fun! We have dinner and then the younger kids do a gift exchange, while the older kids and the adults each do their own white elephant exchange. There was some fun strategizing going on, and to secure gifts like these, who can blame them!



Rick with some lovely candle wreaths or as Princess Leia, you chose.



Lori with a fashionable "Mistletoe Tester" shirt.



Now Jill has the shirt. You get the idea. A very fun time!!

Monday

I had today OFF!! Let me repeat, I had today OFF!!! Jill and her kids came over to visit and play. The girls were dressing up but Kyla's outfit really caught my eye.



Now that is how you do Snow White!!

Tuesday

Today I let the kids open the gifts that the teachers from Salem gave them. They were so excited to get two fun new games!



Thank you Salem friends!!

Wednesday

When I was getting ready to leave work today, one of my co-workers and I were having a "light saber" fight with our chap stick. (Long days call for some entertainment) Anyway, she said she would show me, so she pulled out her phone and showed me this app.



You can chose your light saber color and then when you move the phone it makes the light saber noise and even plays the battle song from the movie. I was laughing and then thinking that if my boys saw this they would be begging for a phone!

Thursday

The girls wanted to go for a ride today so Kevin obliged.



I love this because my dad used to give us rides like this too. Fun memories!

Friday

It's Christmas Eve!! I had to work and then it was off to Grammie and Grandpa's for dinner and presents.



Passing out presents.



Kyla opening her Princess lamp. She was super excited!



Ethan + Star Wars legos = HAPPY!



Bryce with the game Loopz. He has had a lot of fun playing it and finally beat a level.

And instead of Ella with a present, here she is doing this.



Grandpa put a Christmas cookie on her forehead and told her to get it down to her mouth just by making faces (no hands allowed). She was so funny trying that I had to capture it!

Saturday

Merry Christmas!! With everything that has happened in our family this past year with Kevin's job situation, I had no idea how we would do Christmas. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, our small group and other wonderful people decided to love on our kids. Here is what our tree looked like before the kids got up.



All of those things waiting there for my family. What a tangible reminder of God's love. Not because there were presents, but because they were a reminder that He never forgets. That He is, was and always will be sovereign. That the little baby in a manger came so that I could have a way back to Him.
To all of those that blessed my family, thank you! Thank you for loving us. Thank you for sharing His love with a family that is humbled and grateful for your generosity. Thank you for making this mama's heart have relief and great joy by hearing all 4 of my kids say, "This was the best Christmas ever!!" or "I can't pick a favorite gift because they are all so awesome!"

Here's a quick peak...



Bryce overjoyed with NBA 2K10!



Ethan thrilled with Nerf guns! (And let's just say that the darts have been flying!!)



Ella with her Lalaloopsy doll.



Kyla with her very own camera! I think she'll be a Project 365-er in the future!

Later that day it was off to my brother's to celebrate with my side of the family. Here are the 11 cousins all together.



Almost impossible to have them all looking at the same place with a "normal" expression!!

Now, that was one long post!! I pray that your week was filled with blessings, family and joy too! Enjoy the rest of 2010 and I will look forward to seeing you next year!!