Christmas!

Glitter was discovered by the twins this season!

So after looking at photos of our family camping outside (in the summer!) the twins were so excited at that thought that they begged to set up camp outside...in the dark...in Decemeber.  That spent 2 hours making their house and even ate their dinner outside in the cold.  They told us that they always wanted to sleep outside but their mother would not let them because of the men who drank and walked around at night.  Again- amazing how they could explain this to us- it was pretty funny seeing Jerusalem trying to impersonate a drunk- they said the men would knock on their door and their mother would tell them to go away...

 We had gingerbread decorating w/ grandma and Chocolate making w/ uncle Larry.  The girls love this type of stuff!

 

 

Decorating our Christmas tree...Helen was not satisfied w/ our lights...she had us running out for more strands because it was not colorful enough :)

Pulling out the Christmas stuff Helen found the 'Christmas tree skirt'- when she asked what it was and Sova said, "our Christmas tree skirt"  - well how would she know that it was litteraly a skirt for the tree!  She said, "my Christmas tree skirt" and proudly wore it around the house.  The next day when she saw her beloved skirt aound the tree- she realized what it was for and cracked up.

 

 

Oh my this was a night to remember!  At christmas time in Ethiopia the main meal is called, 'Doro Wat' (basically a spicy chicken dish w/ onions and tomatoes)  The girls told us that they would sleep at their church on Christmas and when they went home they would eat this meal.  We put on some loud Ethiopian music and cooked together.  They defiantly knew what they were doing!  I would take the onions off the stove and they would say, "no, cook more- brown."  And while chopping the chicken they would say- "smaller."  They were quite excited w/ the outcome- yum!

 

 

The night before Christmas eve we all watched the Nativity Story.  We woke up on Christmas Eve and told the kids that we were going to Bethlehem...(a small town in CT) to see a special nativity scence.  There is a working Abby in that town w/ a beautiful creche in the woods.  It was such a simple and quiet outing where we just tried to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas.  That night we did a pj's and breakfast night w/ aunty Jess and the cousins.  At 10pm I took 3 of the kids to a candlelight mass...we we got out after 11pm and it was snowing!  Jerusalem kept her head out of the window the whole way home shouting, "Merry Christmas Everybody!!!!"  Even after several attempts to draw her head in she would say, "but it's Christmas mommy!" and back out her head would go into the snowflakes :)

 

 Stuffing the stockings took significantly longer this year!

 Christmas morning Caleb :)

                                                    The previous video post shared it all  :)
                                                      We had some excited girls!

 Since the snow- the twins ask everyday to go sledding!  Even Jacob noticed by saying, "Wow, mom usually we just go sledding a couple times a winter- I think we beat our record."  They LOVE snow...  and iciceles.

 

Our past adoption journey was so long that we have been waiting 2 Christmas's to bring home a child (but actully turned plural to children;)  it felt so good to have a Christmas with my heart in tact to my body.  It was quite full this year and for that I am thankful!