December 18: We spent the day at Kyle's Uncle John & Aunt Donna's home, celebrating with the Boyett Family. It was a blast. We had prime rib and all the fixins, and so many yummy goodies! Uncle John carried on the family tradition of reading the Christmas Story from Luke 2. We played White Elephant (with not much blood shed!) and enjoyed all the kiddos. There were four little ones there...ALL GIRLS!!! An almost 3 month old (Rowynn), an 11 month old (Kinley), an 18 month old (Finley), and a 21 month old (Abbie)! We also learned that Abbie's mom and dad will be adding another bundle of joy to their family! Yay for babies! Finley & Abbie played really good together!
Here's Abbie & Finley playing with stickers!
That Sunday we spent the night in Ft. Worth and celebrated an early Christmas with Kyle's parents! We watched some good movies, ate some Brix Pizza, decorated our missions tree and prayed for missionaries. Finley loved decorating, and re-decorating Grandma's tree. She also loves taking a bath in their huge garden tub. The girls got some great gifts including matching necklaces (for when they're older), a bath time bubble machine (huge hit), toothbrushes (or as Finley calls them, "teeth"), Ro got a music jewelry box and a coat rack, and Finley got a collection of musical instruments and lots of other goodies. Kyle got a wireless thermometer, and his parents bought his ticket to a writers conference in February. And momma got a BRAND NEW CAMERA!! We got lots of other goodies, but most importantly, we got to spend some time with family, a huge blessing! On Monday we all headed to the Gaylord Texan to enjoy some lunch and had a blast looking at all the pretty Christmas decorations! The girls looked so stinkin cute in matching outfits from Grandma & Grandpa! Grandpa bought Finley and adorable orange sock monkey and let her ride with him on his scooter!
The next couple of days we just enjoyed each other's company. Kyle always tries to take two weeks off around Christmas, and we've enjoyed that so much! Finley loves having her dada home and I love having the extra help. We went on Tuesday and spent my birthday money on a bunch of art supplies at Hobby Lobby for Finley & I to do together. Then on Wednesday morning we did "Santa." Still not sure how we're gonna handle Santa with the kids, but for this year they just enjoyed opening the presents. Well, Finley enjoyed it, RoRo just kinda sat in her swing and looked around! The both got fairy wands, Beauty & The Beast (one of my faves!), some clothes, music toys, books, rattles (RoRo), stickers, and play-doh. Finley thought the movie was a book and got really frustrated that she couldn't open it to read. And once she saw the stickers, eveything else got put on hold. She loves putting them on her nose, her sister's nose, and our noses. Can't complain, because I'm the one who started that! After that we loaded up the car, plugged in the portable dvd player (an early Christmas present from my parents!) and headed to Louisiana.
We were in Louisiana for a week and jammed a lot into that week! We did an ornament exchange with our family friends, the Veulemans. Mom made homemade vegetable soup, we had fun looking at everyone's ornaments, and Finley got a ladybug pillow pet, from Gigi which she loves! She just carries it around and plops her head down on it.
The next night we went to Natchitoches to eat Mexican food and look at Christmas lights. If you've ever seen Steel Magnolias, this is where that movies was filmed and the Christmas Festival in that movie is based on a real festival held the first weekend in December. This year was the 84th Anniversary. We didn't go to the festival, but we did look at the lights. Both girls really enjoyed all the ligths!
That night we also did gifts with my parents, sister and bro-in-law. The girls got a ton of goodies! They each got a box of diapers, wipes, bath stuff, matching red coats, clothes, bracelets, and monogrammed blankets. They also got a rose cottage playhouse, a recordable book, a plush turtle full of balls, a cleaning station, and other goodies. Finley got a pink guitar, and a ton of other goodies. Rowynn got a plush laptop, ruffle bloomers, some cute clothes. Finley had a lot of fun opening the presents...and even more fun playing with them! The girls also got a goat bought in their honor through Gospel for Asia!!!
Aunt Sissy Got Finley some pretend make-up and my grandparents got both girls some clothes and really nice keepsakes. Auntie & Uncle Bobby got the girls each a sterling silver bracelet from Santa Fe and Rowynn got a precious purple hat with bows and Finley got a pink butterfly back-pack. My brother-in-laws grandmother also got the girls Elf cabbage patch dolls! They were so cute. Finley kept trying to feed her doll cookies.
Christmas Eve was spent at my grandparents house. We had a yummy appetizer spread and did gifts with the grandparents, aunts, uncles, & cousins. Finley showed off her mad flash card skills and loved helping everyone open their gifts.
The next day (Christmas Day) we went back to my grandma's house to celebrate with the extended family. And when I say extended, I really mean extended! My grandmother has about 20 or so siblings, so the Armstrong Clan is quite large! We had tables of food and lots of laughs! The girls were so cute in their matching red dresses.
That Monday afternoon we got a wonderful surprise with some friends from Houston, Aunt Tina & her girls showed up to visit! We stayed in LA until Tuesday night, and left after my mom made me an early birthday dinner. It was so yummy-roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn-on-the cob, and my favorite, PEACH & BLUEBERRY COBBLER.
The drive home was tortuous! It rained about half-way, and Rowynn cried pretty much all of that. We finally got home about 12:30 that night (or morning) and crashed. I got up the next morning and took Finley in to the doctor since she had been coughing...a double ear infection and cold! Yuck! So we headed to the chiropractor so she could be adjusted to get some relieve and then I went and picked up her prescription. She seems to be feeling much better now. Just hoping Rowynn will stay well!
So all-in-all it was a good Christmas! Lots of laughs, yummy food of all kind, good friends, sweet family, and most importantly, celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ!!!! Here are some of my favorite pictures!
Dad seeing his surprise gift...an AIR COMPRESSOR!
Mom and her ring she has been coveting wanting
Me & Rowynn Faith
Don't you just love it...pretty much sums up a family with two little ones...you're never gonna get that perfect shot...
I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
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