December

And now it's December!  We don't have our tree decorated yet, but we're slowly getting out our Christmas decorations.

 A relay race in Sunday school.

 Pic with the Nutcracker.

 Sunday we began our Jesse Tree readings.  Ben is hanging the first ornament.

 Monday I declared that it was time to throw away the pumpkins.  You can see how happy that made Annie.

 Annie still patting her pumpkin after I took Mollie Grace's pic with her pumpkin. I stayed firm though and through them away.  No pumpkins with Santa hats this year!

 We cheered up by popping bubble wrap. Pumpkins forgotten.

 Everybody loves the Nutcracker.

 The second Jesse Tree reading -- Creation.

 We did two Monday because we started on Dec. 2 and needed to catch up.  So creation and the fall the same night.

 Some people were excited that John was home.

 Yesterday the girls took Christmas pictures of themselves, Marcie, their dolls and stuffed animals.

 I could hear this from the kitchen and was dying.  They were jumping up and down, making silly noises to get the babies and puppy to look at the camera.

 Ben got his braces off yesterday.  He has to wear a retainer after school and to bed.

 This car came in the mail yesterday.  It was his prize for winning Pick 'Em.  He and John had a competition all NASCAR season.  They would draw two numbers from a cup and try to guess how those drivers would finish.  The closest each race won.  Ben was the overall winner.  It came down to the final race.

Ben's first piece of gum in 14 months.  This was a big moment.