Christmas 2016 (photo overload)

We are back home to our Gravelly Road after all our Christmas travels.  Christmas as a family of 5, plus 3 out of town Christmas celebrations and a few too short visits with great grandparents.  The kiddos are spending a few days with Grandpa and Grandma so today I am home in a quiet house trying to treasure the silence and wade through all the Christmas memories captured on my camera.  

Besides the never ending wish list of things to do when I have kid-free time, my wonderful husband and I are going out to eat and watch a movie -- a little date night to celebrate our anniversary in a few days.  I'm thinking we might celebrate again the day of, but likely with carry-out by candlelight after the kids are in bed.

Here are a few favorite photos from Christmas, though there are so many I can barely pick.  

After all the Christmas fun I'm looking to a few days of family fun, just the five of us before our break is over here at the gravelly road.

Wordless Wednesday: Outside Looking In

Dance recital smiles

Saturday was her first dance recital.  She was so excited and did so well.  Here's her big smile to share.

Just another first in our Life on the Gravelly Road.

Fun in the snow

Christmas Program

Today was our church's children's Christmas program titled "Get Ready" perfect for a Sunday still early in advent.  There were plenty of songs, including some with the adult choir and others just one or two grades at a time.  Each grade also had a few memorized parts sharing the story of Christmas with the oldest grades narrating and acting out parts of the story.  It is always fun to watch after all the hard work the kids put in practicing and it all came together well.

Of course there were a few moments where there was some exuberant dancing or extra hand motions, plus a few bored moments thrown in amongst the sweet heartfelt singing.  Middle child was recruited to be an advent candle last minute (after this momma made sure he wasn't lighting or holding a real candle).  He proudly stood almost the entire service as the JOY candle -- it was hard for him but did it well.

I only took a handful of pics as I spent most of the time videoing their grades' songs etc.  It warms my heart to hear them sing out songs about getting ready for Jesus.

Of course I required a nice pic in front of the tree before we headed in to the fellowship area for cookies and cocoa, a much deserved treat.

Here are our well-dressed singers.

Just a slice of life on the gravelly road.

Fingerprint Light Ornament

Every year I help the kids make ornaments for grandparents but I usually don't get a chance to share them as I want to keep them secret until they are given and then I forget to post.

So as we unpacked ornaments to decorate the tree, I saw last years cute fingerprint Christmas lights ornament we made and thought I'd share.

I found these cute mini canvases at a local big box store.  Each member of our family added a fingerprint.  Then after it was dry I used a sharpie to draw the wire and tops of each light, as well as the year on the canvas.  I used a glue gun to attach the ribbon for hanging.  And Done.

Cute keepsake ornaments without a lot of steps or elapsed time.

A fun project from our home on the gravelly road.