Preparing for Christmas

A picture tour of our life the few short weeks leading up to Christmas:

First it snowed. 

The first snow of the season always carries a bit of magic in its flakes. It brings with it some pretty sweet pajama-clad, fire place running, fill your soul type of mornings. You know the kind little girls dream of when they think about being a Mommy some day. :) Those do happen sometimes.

Snow Snacks. 

Mini chairs, licorice and the Christmas devotional on TV.

Bringing Mister Tree home. Every year it feels like the tree is part of our family. 

That's wierd huh? Maybe we need a pet.

More snow snacks. They never quit!

We always make a big deal out of the star.
Scratch that. Cache and I do. Devin obliges.

Ta Da.

Bedtime stories and prayers around the tree.

Christmas shopping dates with this guy, who is too young to spill a secret. 

Probably our last year of that! He also wore that hat 95% of December.

Decorating giant sugar cookies at their big brother's school party. 

The camera died before I got one of Cache! Sorry buddy.

Afternoon quiet time.

Secret Santa who delivered manger pieces and Christmas Stories all month leading up to Christmas day. This right here may have been the funnest part of the whole season! Thank you secret Santas. We love you. It really added a sweetness to this Christmas that we would have missed.

The notorious jingle bell that got stuck on Gage's finger and sent me into the biggest panic I've almost ever had as a parent.  

Our second snow came on Friday night pizza night. So while the boys were outside in the cold,

us gals stayed warm inside making our own snowman.

New fallen snow gave away our secret Santa's foot prints.
So after the babes were sleeping, Devin and I laced up and solved the mystery of the secret Santa. :)

Then Devin made me this. :)

Noah was baptized a few days before Christmas. Sweet boy.  Sweet day.

Now all 3 of "the boys" are official Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.

Don't these 3 cousins look like such grown up, well behaved gentlemen?

Don't worry they are not.

They have grown up a bit though in the past 8 years:

(Christmas 2005)

Christmas Sunday. All our nursery kids dressed in their Christmas best. Oh I loved it.

The boys:

The Girls:

Waiting to see Santa!

Word to the wise: Check to see if it is dog day in Santa's village before you go. We waited in line for 2 hours in the cold while listening to at least 20 barking dogs some dressed like Christmas elves and all the owners high pitched baby voices as they told them how cute they were over and over and over....

Patiently warming her toesies with her hot chocolate while waiting for Santa.

2 of the 5 Carlton boys came to play.  

Cameron sweetly listens to all of Naomi's barbie princess chatter and played house with her. Bryson and Cache are kindred spirits.  They played Monopoly and Chess for 3 hours! Funny boys.

And that's it. We were officially ready for Christmas to happen.

End of Orton family pre-Christmas picture tour.