Christmas pictures

I couldn't not post these amazing pictures by Aunt Ellie we used for our Christmas card...

Twas the night before Christmas...

Christmas Eve we go to dinner at my mom's.  We had a wonderful roast, opened gifts and got ready to head to church.

After sprinkling our reindeer food and leaving our cookies, a quick cup of milk and off to bed!

Swanson/Brown Christmas

A few weeks before Christmas we found a date that was good for Grandpa Ken and Grandma Diana to come out and for the Browns to come up so we could all have Christmas together.  We had gotten some snow a day or two before and the kids were SO excited to have Emma and Luke to play in the snow with!

This was even more funny than it looks cause she was in tears running after Emma screaming "you forgot me!":)

 Uncle Josh helped her out!

Of course there were plenty of gifts!

 "Aunt Ellie just KNEW I would love a Palace Pet!"

We had a nice Christmas with them and it's nice to spread the holidays out a bit!

2013-2014 Pre-School picture

While I liked the photographer and packet better last year, this is another good picture (he seems to do better when we're not there:)).  We're really thankful for such a wonderful pre-school and teacher.  Max really enjoys it, it's a wonderful Christian program and we look forward to Aliyah going next year.

Christmas Preperations

One of our favorite Christmas "movies" is the Christmas Curious George.  It's the whole holiday season leading up to Christmas with all the preparations and so that would be the theme of this post.

First, and important, is cookies of course.  One thing I really enjoy is doing a Christmas cookie exchange with my girlfriends.  Since Nate pretty much just likes chocolate chip and the kids only eat a few, this gives me the opportunity to get to have a few of lots of different kinds.  This year I took the peanut butter with a kiss in them and the kids enjoyed helping.

 Even a princess can bake...

Then of course the kids really enjoy doing the cut outs and I love a sugar cookie with icing!

This sure has been the winter of snow!  Max was up on his perch watching the flakes start to fall!

And of course we had to get out there, of course we've been out many times since with all the snow we've gotten this winter!

We were really excited Max's pre-school did a Christmas Play this year.  Max was chosen to be Joseph and he did a great job doing his line "Here is the baby asleep in the hay, He is the reason for Christmas Day."  Shocking even to us, he walked up, grabbed the mic and did his line perfectly, seemed like he wanted to say something more till his teacher made him go take his spot.  We'd expect that from Aliyah the entertainer, but it was pretty cute to see Max so comfortable up on stage!

We had a quiet weekend just before Christmas with lots of family things we wanted to get done.  We wanted to get to Bass Pro to see Santa and enjoy their kids Christmas section, the trains at Fort Hunter and we had tickets that needed to be used at the Hershey Antique Car Museum.  This was going to plan until our little peanut came down with what I can only assume was the flu (low grade fever and on the sofa for days, and she did have her flu shot).  My mom was nice enough to come take couch duty so the 3 of us could get out and have some fun.

The museum was amazing, and totally done up for Christmas.  We were really surprised what a neat place it was.

Meanwhile at home...

Once she was feeling up to it we took our lists and went back to see Santa.  It was a long line 2 days before Christmas but, well, you have to get him your list right?!?