The Days Before Christmas

Mr. Marvin Cockerham passed away the Friday before Christmas.  I wanted to attend his funeral on Sunday afternoon so we headed home a day earlier than I had originally planned.  Ben, Mollie, and Annie stayed with Cara and Tom while I went to the funeral.  After the funeral, we watched Aubrey in their church Christmas program.  

 Aubrey is the angel in the middle of the top row looking to the side.

 A quick pic with PawPaw before Annie realized what was happening.

 Annie hardly let me out of her reach the entire time we were visiting.  However, she liked Will and didn't mind him picking her up and carrying her around.

We had planned to visit Santa the week before Christmas but since John had to go to Huntsville and then I had to go to Mr. Marvin's funeral, Mama and I ended up taking Ben, Mollie, and Annie to see Santa at the Alexandria Mall on Monday.  Annie was surprisingly calm with Santa.  I expected to get a screaming Annie and Santa picture.

Ben and Mollie both had letters to give to Santa.  Ben wrote his several days before we went to see Santa and had put it in my bag.  Mollie had Ben write her letter in the car on the way to Alexandria as she became very worried that she was going to forget to tell Santa some very important details about the doll she wanted.  Here's what Mollie had Ben write:  A pink ballerina doll with brown hair and a light face.  Ben had four things on his list -- a Nascar history book, a camera, Planes Fire and Rescue movie, and a specific Matchbox car.

Santa kept the letters to give to his elves (pronounced elvis by Mollie).  They had debated in the car whether Santa read the letters or the elves (elvis).  Now we know.