christmas

maybe i said i would post a movie. did i? (yes). sorry, that's not going to happen...b/c it's already wednesday night! where do the days go? i was hoping-thinking-wishing i would have more time to do things like a movie since wes is home. but i don't, somehow. the days are filled with random & daily errands & visits. but i will come through with a synopsis of our christmas.

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christmas eve

we, meaning *me* (heidi) really wanted to attend our christmas eve service (they had 4 of them, the least we could do was go to one of them, eh?). somehow we picked the one without childcare. (or maybe they all didn't have childcare?) so amelia spent 40 minutes on wes' shoulders & adeline spent the 40 minutes splaying herself along our 4 chairs, attempting to crawl under the seats, annoying the very old & grumpy woman sitting next to us, & then also turned around interacting with the 4 college age guys behind us. i spent the 40 minutes trying to keep adeline from disappearing in a crowd of 2,000, trying to sing along, etc.

but the service was amazing. it was complete with the candles, choir, solos, & bunches of kids looking very cute & antsy in their christmas outfits. i'm not quite sure who leads worship yet b/c there is nearly always a different person each time we go--which hasn't been so often these past few months--but this person deserves quite a pat on the back. there was this one solo of oh holy night...if you watch this video, she's the white lady in a white shirt to the left. amazing. i think even the college boys behind us had tears in their eyes. or maybe that was b/c adeline threw a pencil at one of them & their laughing lead to crying. hard to tell.

after 40 minutes & 10 minutes trying our darnedest to sit through the service we decided to go out into the atrium & let the kiddos run wild...stepping out into the atrium was like stepping into the wilds, holy night for sure. there were dozens of kids going crazy, running around in packs up & down the steps, chasing each other, dancing, de-clothing (not one of mine this time!). so we let them do the run-wild for another 10 minutes then it was time to jet home to plop them in their beds. i think amelia was asleep by the time we arrived home 10 minutes later.

a picture of the kids before the service

i just think this picture *adorable*
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christmas morning

adeline woke up a bit later than normal, nearly 7:20 a.m.! we had closed the top gate hoping to keep her upstairs to wake us up...but somehow wes & i were both already awake & we waited a few grueling minutes with adeline until amelia woke up.

then. it was the best moment of addy's life. oh it seemed that way. she saw the presents & was all 'oh my. oh wow' in some awed whisper voice. she picked through the presents giving amelia her gifts & then ripping her own open with gusto. i really don't think we had time to get a decent picture of her opening her gifts.

adeline then moved on to helping sleepy amelia open her gifts...which was taking forever. i'm not quite sure if it was b/c she was so tired or we just didn't get what amelia was hoping to get. so adeline finished opening amelia's gifts. (i'm sure next year the situation will be so different).

adeline going through her stocking

amelia yawning through her gifts. this is about as excited as she was the entire time.

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miraculous drive

so after breakfast we loaded the car up & off we went, driving to avon lake for 3+ days. i was prepared for the crying & whining & packed a very substantial 'fun' bag for the 2 1/2 hour journey. BUT WE DIDN'T NEED IT. the girls watched the curious george movie & laughed. they played with each other. they only went through one snack bowl each. amelia slept for a wee bit. adeline would happily start to sing jingle bells randomly. it was amazing. (is this how other people's kids have always behaved in the car?!) somehow we made the 2 1/2 hour drive into a 2 hour 3 minute drive. wes & i just looked at each other as we pulled into the driveway: brilliant christmas gift, a quiet & pleasant car ride.

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christmas afternoon & evening at the gerbicks

my in-laws totally rocked the doll situation, folks. our girls now each have an oak doll cradle, share an oak doll bunk bed, have an oak doll high chair, an oak doll stroller, an oak doll ironing board...seriously. if you want to get some serious doll playing action in, come to our house. these doll toys will live longer than me!

the girls in front of their tree (i think this is actually the 26th of december. my foul.)

sorry for the sorta boring post. i'm pretty tired & have had headaches & migraines for the past 2 days, so...(& no, i don't think it's b/c wes is home. i fear what our house would have become over the past 2 days if he wasn't home. maybe rubble?).

it still shocks me that tomorrow is thursday already. how? where have i been?