weekend recap...

Saturday, we woke up to this...

actually, the kiddos woke up to snow...we woke up to the kiddos screaming - very excited about the snow! ;0)

it was coming down hard...big, fat flakes...wet, dense snow

the forecast said 2-4 inches...i think in the end, we got more like 5 or 6

our rugrats couldn't wait to get out in the stuff! they were dressed & heading out the door, well before 9am!

the girls made snow angels first...

then started a snowball fight...

Jaden's concentration was on making a "giant snowball"...we suggested he make a snow man with his giant snowball, but he's was so not interested...the only goal was to make the ball as big as he possibly could!

he enlisted some help as the ball got bigger...

but his help was quick to take breaks...for important matters...like eating snow ;0)

finally, they had pushed it as far as they could...it wouldn't budge another inch

time to rest...

now, what do we do with it?

i was tempted to join them...cause i really wanted to help em get that ball rolling again - to make it even bigger! but because i was trying to finish up this cake, i couldn't (i took those pics from right outside our front door)...they didn't mind tho...they had plenty of other fun things to do without me

about an hour later, they came inside - soaking wet! all 3 layers dripping...& freezing!

after getting into dry clothes & gobbling down some cocoa & brownies, everyone was feeling much better...Jaden broke out his very favorite Saturday activity - video games! (we don't allow him to play them during the week) & the girls snuggled up with their music...

later (when i had finished the cake), we started pulling out some Christmas decorations...i'd promised the kiddos that we'd get the tree up Sunday evening, so i started pulling things out of the attic to prepare...Gabby went ahead with putting up our nativity...

see, we already had plans for Saturday evening...my brother Joe was coming over to feed the kiddos dinner & watch em til bedtime...cause Curt & i were going to my office holiday party

we (i'm on the Social Committee at work) were worried that the snow was going to keep a lot of people from coming...but we only had 11 of the 68 that RSVP'd not be able to make it...the food was amazing & the DJ did a great job! we had a really awesome time!

Sunday was our Hanging of the Greens service at church...u may remember last year's service - this year's was very similar - the kiddos even had the same parts...they sang two songs, then acted out the nativity...they did a fabulous job & looked so darn cute too!

after church, we had a surprise 50th birthday party to attend...my aunt Brenda suffered a brain aneurysm last year & we're actually very lucky to have her here, celebrating another birthday with us! she's the sweetest person ever & we were thrilled to be able to attend her party! most of our fam was there...

Brenda insisted the girls help her unwrap presents...they were happy to help! ;0)

we went home after the party & began putting up our tree (we go fake - cause Jaden would seriously be upset to see us kill a live tree!)...as the kiddos & i got all the branches spread out put on the base, daddy worked with the lights - discovering only 1 or the 3 strands we had were working...he fooled around with the other 2, but was never able to get em to work

well, u can't put the ornaments on the tree before the lights...so we went ahead with the star & the tree skirt...we put up our advent calendar (hey, only 5 days late!)...hung decorations here & there in the house...then made plans to pick up some more lights the next day & finish the tree then

i was telling Nana about our light situation & she suggested we use theirs...now that they live in a smaller house, they don't put up a big tree...they set out a mini tree & a few decorations inside, but there's no room for the full sized tree inside or even her blow up Christmas yard decorations outside...so last evening, i picked up what she can't use & took it home

we've got lights on the tree now, & i also strung em all over the house...inside tho, not out...don't get me wrong, we plan on putting up lights outside, but nothing is better than having that colorful glow all throughout the inside of the house during Christmas time too...u know, where u can see em every day!

i strung lights around the living room & in both kiddo rooms too...they LOVED it & squealed as i put em up! the girls immediately decided to have a "ball"...they turned off their overhead light, turned on some music & danced the night away in their twinkling room

Jaden decided the Christmas lights were "the coolest night light EVER!" & couldn't wait to go to sleep! ~lol~

we still didn't get ornaments on the tree (not enough hours in the day, i tell ya), but we'll be working on getting the rest of the house (inside & out) decorated this week...here's a sneak peek that i snapped with my cell phone...i swear, it's so darn pretty, it makes me want to sleep in the living room! maybe Curt & i need some Christmas lights in our bedroom too ;0)