Merry Christmas!

We have had the most amazing day.  We woke around 6:45 and got the day started.  We have opened gifts, laughed a lot, played games, enjoyed lots of food and simply enjoyed being together and sharing in the magic and wonder of this day.   
For the past two years, Lily Grace has been asking for the Lego Build Star Wars Millennium Falcon.  It's the largest set Lego makes with 7,541 pieces.  The box is huge and the spiral bound manual is like a large catalog. 
Well, this year the iconic ship landed in our living room.  

Top of her wish list

Excited to see that big box

Very excited

I think Matt was just as excited since he is her build partner.  They just had to take a look at the enormity of the build inside.

Gracie couldn't wait for me to look in my stocking and insisted I hurry up and do so.  The girl knows me so well.  She has talked about gel pens and Sharpie's being a high priority on her Christmas list.  She loves pens and drawing/creating fonts/etc...  In turn, she surprised me with my own set of colorful pens because I am forever looking for one in the kitchen "junk drawer," or from the bottom of my purse.  She also knows how much I love chocolate.  

In the bottom of my stocking I was surprised to find diamond hoop earrings that she and her daddy had managed to get past me. 

I surprised Matt with his very own Pit Master t-shirt.  ha!

Lily Grace was excited for Matt to open up this new chip net she got him.  They've already had a little competition this morning.

Matt got several new boxes of personalized golf balls. 

Living in the midwest, I think I go through a pari of Ugg slippers almost every year.

Cuddling and tossing her new bear from LG

Trying out her new Harry Potter chess set

Happy, Merry, Grateful, Joyful, Blessed 

Look at that massive manual.  

Matt and Gracie wasted no time getting set up and getting a system.  Each of these boxes hold about 16 bags of Legos for this build.  

These two officially got started around 9:25 this morning on the building of the Millennium Falcon.

Today, our Savior is born and we have all received the greatest gifts in His birth!  From our family to yours:
🎄Merry Christmas!🎄

Christmas is coming!

We are having a wonderful Christmas season.  Spending time together, making memories and celebrating the birth of our Savior.  

This year, we attempted decorating a mini village.  As always, there were a lot of laughs as we each got busy.  Matt declared himself the best.....whatever!

Matt, Barb and LG

And it just wouldn't be Christmas Eve morning without a visit from Bob Elf.  Regardless of how old Grace gets. We all look forward to his visit.  I don't know that he will ever stop coming until he starts making visits for Gracie kids one day. A few weeks ago, we watched the original pilot episode of Wonder Woman with Linda Carter from the 70's.  Let me just say that it's so much different than Matt and I remember as children and it was down right comical and bad in a hilarious way.  Oh my gracious the acting, the "special effects," the plot.  I don't know the last time we all laughed so hard.  There was one scene in particular where Wonder Woman is carrying a pilot in her arms wrapped in a pink blanket in full on sprint.  It's so obvious she is holding a mannequin and his head is bobbing around.  Lily Grace does a spot on impersonation and again, it's hilarious.  Well this year, Bob was delivered by none other than a running Wonder Woman.  We got the biggest laugh off of this.  As always, he brought donuts and new games.  We spent Christmas Eve playing all our new games, snacking and laughing until time for Christmas mass.  

Blank Slate is one of our new favorite games.

After Christmas Eve mass we came home and made homemade brick oven pizzas on The Big Green Egg, played games and watched a movie.  We had a wonderful evening filled with Christmas music and fun!   

Happy 8th Birthday Molly!

Here's Molly as a puppy.  This was the first picture we ever saw of Molly.  The breeder sent it to us.  This particular litter was given color names.  Molly wore a green ribbon.

8 years old 

Winter Recital

Gracie had her winter piano recital.  She played two pieces.  One was a duet with her teacher Mrs. Anny and the other a solo.  She did so good!