Christmas 2009

We did have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS this year and hope you did too, here are some highlights:

Ba-pa Louse: We spent the holiday in College Station with Stephen's family. Ever since spending so much time with family at Thanksgiving, little Lindsey has been asking numerous times a day when we were going to go to "Ba-pa louse" (Grandpa's house). You see Grandpas are the favorite in our family--on both sides, preferred over the Grandmas, strange but true.

So in EVERY prayer she offered and every time we got in the car and especially when we approached the freeway onramps for the past few weeks was the request for "Ba-pa Louse". We were all grateful for the day to arrive.

SHOPPING: We arrived a couple days before Christmas and enjoyed time with Mom & Dad, Joseph (in from Boston), Rachel and Sarah. Much shopping was accomplished as Joseph hadn't done his and a few of us needed some odds and ends picked up.

CAROLING PARTY: We endured a RAINY Caroling Party attempt before only one of 3 were home and we were getting soaked children in and out of the car. The treats when we got home were great though!!

FABULOUS FOOD: In all we ate too much (wontons and fried rice, spinach and artichoke dip, cheese dip, pizza, and Thanksgiving Part II with all the trimmings!!) I watched Mom make her famous pies and now am going to attempt one in the next few weeks (Stephen's excited!), not to mention MOM'S FUDGE (which I had attmepted an apparently failed at in the days leading up to our visit) and more cookies and treats than I even want to remember. Let's just say that I have an OB appointment this next week and the scale is NOT going to be my friend!!

NATIVITY: Then as is McKneely tradition, on Christmas Eve we read Luke 2 from the Bible and dress up so that we can reinact the Nativity story: All my kids wanted to be wise guys!!

At first we had convinced Sam to be Joseph and he dressed up like this,

but then he changed his mind (opting for a Super-Sam yellow cape that Aunt Summer had made him) and we let it fly as a wiseman costume--it was late and they were tired!!
So Stephen did a quick change to be Joseph instead--cute huh? Way to take one for the team!!