Christmas Eve

December 24, 2012

So, yes, I know I am posted backwards.  Bear with me; I am way behind in my posting, so I figured it was easiest to start with the most recent and work my way back.  '

Christmas eve is usually spent at Kathy's house.  Usually, she hosts a big fiesta on Christmas Eve.  This year the fiesta was on the 23rd.  This meant Christmas Eve was a quiet family night.  The four of us went to church (and I got no pictures). Then we went to Kathy's for a small dinner with the Halters.  The kids continued the Halter tradition of opening one gift which somehow is ALWAYS new pajamas.  Given their ages, its hard to find matching jammies that a 9, 12, and 15 year old would be seen in.  So Emmie & Grace match, Tommy not so much.  

At our house we read The Night Before Christmas, like we always do.

Christmas Day

December 25, 2012

We had a very nice Christmas here at the Halterhome.  We saw the Halter side of the family and Grandma Joyce & Poppy Don, then we saw long-time friends the Binsfelds to end the evening.  We wish could see ALL our family on Christmas, but we send our love to the Elliotts and Hinses, Hynes family, Tadlocks, Hartmans & and Gonzalezes and everyone else!

Here are our highlights from Christmas day.

Tommy's favorite gift- a foam ball from the Dollar store.  I swear he's played with it nonstop. 

Snow globe tradition continues...with  a Disneyland 2012 snow globe

Grace looking for gifts in the waaay back.

Tommy modeling his new sweater.  

Tommy photo bombing 

Kathy & Emmie at the Binsfelds Christmas night.

Grace & Poppy (Dave Binsfeld in the background)

Poppy with his local grand kids

Tommy & Grandma Mary - aren't they festive in the green & red?!

Grace & Grandma Mary 

Mac with his indestructible toy that he has since destroyed

What? A photo of me?

Grace in her dance studio gear.

Grace's sign from mom 

Grace listening to music on her new mini speaker

One of my favorite gifts... a balancing Santa .  Now I can stop drooling over Poppy's,  I have my own to enjoy! Thanks Kathy & Emmie.  

Lights, Lights, Lights!

December 2, 2012

After much effort by Grace, our house is all lit up! She worked really hard and strung lights on the trees with her parents merely holding the ladder (and figuring out the extension cord placement, oh and buying the lights).  Grace also wanted lights on the short brick walls, so voila! Let there be lights.  She is very proud and we think it looks great!  P.S. Tom hung the lights on the roof line.

It's Beginning to Sound A Lot Like Christmas

As I am baking my Thanksgiving pies, I am listening to my Holiday play list....Christmas music makes me so happy.  I was going to list my top 3 Christmas songs, but I love so many that I can only give you my top three of the night and even this was hard to choose:

Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses

Gabriel's Message by Sting

Christmas, baby Please Come Home by U2

Boo!

October 31, 2012

It's the end of an era.  For the first time, the Halterhome did not carve pumpkins, did not go trick-or-treating with the kiddos, or attend a neighborhood Halloween party.
We had so much going on over the weekend, we never had time to carve pumpkins.
Tommy basically gave up trick-or-treating last year with the minimal costume consisting of a hat.  This year Grace went to help a friend run a home-made haunted house.  She and her friend Alex dressed as scary as they could. Yes, Grace's idea of scary is more silly.  I told her I thought she was dressed up as an olive.

And finally, our neighborhood block party has retired.  Kids are too old for all the effort.  I think the parents have more fun at Halloween these days anyway.
Happy Halloween!

Who's That Girl?

September 29, 2012

Grace went to a Bat Mitzvah today.  It's her second - actually the first was a Bar Mitzvah- and she has another one next weekend.
These girls are looking so grown up.  I guess that happens, but 7th grade still sounds young even if they think they are all teenagery.

Grace dressed for the Temple ceremony

Dressed (fancier) for the evening party

Most of the whole gang leaving for the party

The whole rest of the gang

The cutie pie in the blue dress is the honoree next weekend. Can't wait to hear how the party went.  Now I have to stay awake until 11 pm.