CHRISTMAS DAY

 MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 Writing Weston's Letter and Her Letter to Santa Before Bed

I have never seen Macie want to get in bed as quickly as she did Christmas Eve.  We had a fun day minus a nap which made for a sleepy girl. Once she realized it was bedtime, she got the cookies ready, wrote her note, and we read books.  The only sad part was when she said her good-byes to Candy Cane.  She didn't want him to leave.

 Chocolate Milk for Santa

Ruby on the show, "Max and Ruby" gave Santa chocolate milk so Macie wanted to as well.

 Christmas morning we found teh cookies and milk gone and Santa left us a note.

Macie came in our room at 7:15.  We had both been up since six waiting for her to walk through the door.  She walked in and said, "I don't think Santa has been here yet."  Then she looked out the window and said, "There is lightening and thunder."  She crawled in bed with us and we convinced her that Santa always comes at night.  So then she was ready to investigate.

 Weston is easy to please.

 After a month of asking Macie what Santa was going to give her she finally replied on December 15th that he was bringing her a Super Girl Costume.  Good thing Santa and Amazon have connections.

 Yes, Weston's pjs are not matching.  I put the sport pants on the night before because the Christmas pants are too big and he pulls them off.  We didn't make the switch that morning.  HOW SWEET THAT BROTHER AND SISTER SHARE A HUG!

 Weston tore open the balls and squelled with delight. Nonnie and Pappy came over Chrismtas morning to share in the fun of Christmas Day.  We had a lot of fun playing with the kids. 

 Dr. McClung

 Once it started sleeting and snowing a little bit, Macie insisted that she go outside.  She was outside less then a minute, ran in, sat by the fire, and said she needed hot chocolate.  So we shared hot chocolate and snacks while watching Christmas movies.

 I love this sweet moment as Macie and Weston watch the snow. At this point, the ground was covered.  Macie ran screaming to Zack telling him to come look so we put clothes on again and were going to brave the snow.

 Some wrote on Facebook that it hadn't snowed in this area since 1975 on Christmas Day.  I didn't watch the weather that day to see if that was true.  However, Macie said when I told her that it was going to snow where Jackson lived that she prayed for snow.  So I told her that God answered her prayer.  She said, "He answered my question."

Note for Weston from Macie

Macie's :Letter to Santa

Christmas Eve

 We are ready for Christmas!

 We celebrated Christmas with Zack's Nana and Paul's side of the family.  After dinner anyone who would like to perform can.  Macie didn't sing but she stood up there with the bigger girls and....below...

 ...Weston just acted like Weston.

 When Macie heard Santa's bells she lit the room up with her excitement.  It was adorable to see SANTA through her eyes!  When Macie opened her Dora gymnasist she said, "How did Santa know this was on my list?"

 Now Weston wasn't so sure about Santa but he did like his truck Santa brought.

 Stephen made this pulley type thing to raise things.  He then put his grandson in it.  Weston wasn't too sure about being raised up but Macie got a big kick out of it.

 We went to the Christmas Eve service with my parents at their church.  It was our first service that we haven't been pages on Weston.  Zack and I were both nervous throughout the program because of Weston.  He did great and only cried when I went in to get him.  This service was Macie's first big church service to be in.  She did a great job and I was glad Nonnie had paper for her to write on.  Several times throughout the service people said, "Amen!" Macie followed after them and said it about 4 times.  First she was quiet about it but then decided it was fine to say it in her normal voice.  Then at the end of the service the preacher asked people to raise their hands.."If you know you are a Christian, if you need prayers...etc."  Anyway, we were praying and then as I looked at Macie she would have her hand raised each time he asked for it to be.  I once got so tickled that I couldn't keep it in.  Finally we lit our candles which was so pretty and peaceful. I didn't light one because I remember a church service when I was a little girl (older than Macie) and my two friends, Vanette and Sarah had our candles lit.  We started playing around and my bangs caught on fire. Luckily a smart mom in the crowd was watching us and jumped to my rescue.  So back to Macie holding her candle..she was very still but then got a little braver.  Right at the end she dripped wax on her foot, started crying and Zack blew her candle out.  Luckily she didn't catch her hair on fire like her momma.  We put the candles in the box and Macie took hers out. The man said she could take hers home. I loved sharing the Christmas Eve service with my parents.  It was very special and I am so glad I know Christ!

 The kids favorite game is to sit in Pappy's chair and then he sits on them.

 Muffin Pancakes for Christmas Eve morning

 Making Christmas Cookies for Santa

Zack was lucky enough to experience Macie's STRONG-WILLED personality while making these. 

 We did some Santa Science which Macie had fun doing.  We were being reindeer too!

 Time to decorate...Weston would not let anyone else hold the sprinkles.  He would cry each time we tried to take them. 

 Macie's tongue is green from all the sprinkles she cleaned up off the table.

HERE THEY ARE!  Which one do you want to eat? 

Candy Cane

We had a welcomed guest to our house this Christmas season.  After coming home from a wedding on December 2nd, we found an ELF on our tree with a book beside him.  Macie was absolutely thrilled because several friends had mentioned that they had elves and she kept asking if one would come to our house too.  He did and we named him CANDY CANE...after choices like Ocean and Elfie.  Everyday Macie jumped out of bed and her first words were usually, "Where is my elf?"  She would laugh in delight each time she found him.  Once she started tearing up because she thought he hadn't returned.  I kept asking her if she touched him which makes him lose his "Christmas Magic." One of the VERY best things Candy Cane has helped Macie with is staying in her bed at night.  We told her he wouldn't fly to the North Pole until she was asleep.  This month we had only two times where she got out of her bed because she had to potty and once because Zack got home from a trip.  When she gets out of her bed right after we put her down it is to potty or get a drink...BASICALLY to STALL...threats, spankings, rewards, and everything else we have tried didn't work but Candy Cane did. SHOULD I keep HIM ALL YEAR? 

 

 Candy Cane left Macie a note reminding her that he reports to Santa about table manners because the night before she had a very hard time following them.

 This was probably a favorite for her.  She just loved that he slept in her room. 

 When she found Candy Cane drinking Daddy's energy drink she said, "Candy Cane sure is thirsty from flying to the North Pole."

 When she found Candy Cane she said, "He can't figure out how to turn the tv on with the remote."

 "Peek-a-boo!  I see you"

 When Macie ran in the bathroom to potty she holled, "Mom something is wrong with the potty."  Then she saw Candy Cane and started laughing.

 Behind Macie, Candy Cane is fixing Barbie's hair and he put rollers in the tree but Macie took them out so she could put them in her hair.

 He rode to Tyler and from Tyler in the car.  I also forgot to take the picture of him in Tyler and on the way home.

 Candy Cane reminded Macie to brush her teeth which she did several times that day!

 We had a living room camp out which we had promised Macie we would do once Daddy was on Christmas break.  Candy Cane slept in there too.   (We saw Santa the night before so Candy Cane left Macie a special note saying Santa was impressed with seeing her.)

Candy Cane's final day was helping us make cookies for Santa.  Macie wrote Santa a note the night before and Candy Cane said that Santa was so impressed.  Once again Macie was just loving every moment!