365.51 and Happy Christmas Eve!

Well, I still don't have my camera back.

  Something about having to order parts.... 

It was shipped yesterday.  Just not going to arrive in time for Christmas.

Yes, I'm a bit bitter about it. 

So, I'm stuck with my little point and shoot and my cell phone for Christmas day.

oh well.

Here's what else has been going on lately.

12.18.11 - Sunday.... began just before 6 AM with Maggie coming into my room whimpering,

"Mom, I'm going to throw up"

I told her to run to the bathroom. Which she did but she didn't make it to the toilet.  

SO, my day started with cleaning up the mess of my poor sick little girl.

Since Maggie was sick, she and I stayed home all day.  She only threw up that one time all day.  

She even ate a little bit but she was running a fever.  

She chilled and watched Christmas movies.

I got a whole lot done that day. I addressed all of our Christmas Cards and did all of the dirty laundry.  I put Maggie to bed that night thinking she was much better.....

12.19.11 - Monday....that is until she woke up at 6AM on Monday morning and threw up again.

Isn't that strange?  She threw up twice 24 hours apart.  Ran a fever in between and then was fine.  However, since she had thrown up she didn't go to school that day.

She and I put out a PSA for twitterland and facebook....

Then I ran many errands that day and made Chicken and Rice for supper.  

12.20.11 - Tuesday....I finished up my Christmas shopping.  My friend, Kandi and her sister and I drove to Atlanta to finish our shopping.

We were too busy to take pictures.  

12.21.11 - Wednesday....what a great day!  I got ready for the day and ran a few errands then went to lunch with a friend at our favorite Wednesday place with our awesome waiter, whom we love!  We gave him his Christmas gift.  

And he totally blessed us by "losing our ticket" and by telling us that we do so much for him that it was the least he could do.  SO sweet.  THIS is why we love him!  Not to mention that he really takes care of "his Wednesday girls" !

Then it was time for a short program at Lillie's school.

Right after that we were off to Greensboro to celebrate Christmas with hubs sister and grandmother.  

These cups are one of the things the girls got from their Aunt Tamara.

ADORABLE! and they love them!

 12.22.11 - Thursday.... My MIL and I went out to finish up our Christmas shopping {for real this time!} .

First stop, Starbucks, of course!

OH, salted caramel Mocha how I love thee.

We got our shopping done and enjoyed a wonderful lunch out together.

It was great fun!

Then it was time to head back home.

Once we were home, I went grocery shopping and came home and put together some homemade cinnamon rolls and breakfast casseroles for a breakfast that I was having the next morning.

12.23.11 -Friday.... I got to use my Christmas China and have 3 wonderful ladies over for breakfast!  There were also 7 kids here, too.  It was a loud, wild, chaotic, wonderful time!!!

We even had our very own version of Annie preformed for us by 4 of the little girls.

SO FUN!

Then I made some Parker House Style Rolls and went to an "adults only" dinner and a movie party at my friends house.  We ate some amazing stuffed shells, salad and rolls for supper and watched "Christmas Vacation".

IT was a great evening.

Really, Friday {while busy} was really quite an incredibly wonderful day!!!

12.24.11 - Saturday....today is my 38th birthday. Hubs kissed me and said "Happy Birthday" as soon as I woke.  We had a low key morning and then headed out for lunch for my birthday.  

We went to Fat Buddies.  

If you are local and like bbq ribs, I want to recommend Fat Buddies ribs. 

They are delish!!!  

We came home and hubs gave me JustDance3 as a gift.

He also gave

I am super excited to do this with the family!!!

And between that and the two new Jillian Michael's video's I just bought I am hoping to actually get in shape.

Then I wrapped presents for a couple of hours while hubs worked at church.

When he got home {for about 30 minutes before heading back}, the kids got to open one gift-- their Christmas pj's.  For the girls, it was rather anti climatic which really made me sad.  But, Brady was super excited to opening a present and for the pj's. I guess, 1 out of 4 isn't bad?  

Then it was time to get ready for the Christmas Eve Services at church. 

There are 3 of them.  Hubs leads them all.  

The kids and I went to two of them.

The 5:30 service was the Contemporary Service.  

The 7:00 was a Traditional Service.

BOTH were incredible!

I took this pic at the end of the 5:30 service.  This is Maggie, our friend- Polly, and Lillie singing "Silent Night" and holding up their lights.

I love it!

If you are local and you didn't make it to a Christmas Eve service, 

and you leave right now, you can still make our 11PM service.

It is great! You don't want to miss it!!!

What about the rest of you?

Did you attend a Christmas Eve service this evening?

Ours are always wonderful and tonight was no exception.

Hubs always gives an amazing message about our Saviour and the music in all services are great.

In our 5:30 service, the band played this song.

What a perfect song for tonight.

some of the amazing words.......

...Noel! Noel!, God with us, Emmanuel...

You're here!  I'm holding you so near.....

I'm staring into the face of my savior,

King and Creator.

You could've left us on our own, but You're Here!

 Isaiah 9: 2-3; 6-7

The people walking in darkness 
   have seen a great light; 
on those living in the land of deep darkness 
   a light has dawned. 
 You have enlarged the nation 
   and increased their joy; .....

.....For to us a child is born, 
   to us a son is given, 
   and the government will be on his shoulders. 
And he will be called 
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, 
   Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace 
   there will be no end. 
He will reign on David’s throne 
   and over his kingdom, 
establishing and upholding it 
   with justice and righteousness 
   from that time on and forever. 
The zeal of the LORD Almighty 
   will accomplish this.

Happy Christmas Eve!!!
in HIM-