Merry Christmas 2015! Advent Memories

Merry Christmas to all our friends and family! This was our Christmas Card picture. I wasn't crazy about the location and lighting, but was trying to do it quickly after mass one Sunday and thought the swing in our new backyard would be a fun backdrop. At least everyone was smiling!




And here are some other sweet moments from the past weeks that I have yet to post on the blog...

Tree decorating!

He was the only one awake when I started decorating tree #2!

Ellie and Thomas had a piano recital on the 12th. 

Some little moments captured on iPhone...

After Sunday Mass

Flying the RC helicopter at our little Christmas gathering with our neighbor friends.

A visit from NeNe and PaPa

Out for a frozen yogurt dinner when Daddy was working late

After this we went to see Christmas lights in the area, and went to confession.

I loved the way the spotlight was shining through the O in JOY.

Working on some photography themes; this was an attempt at a storybook lighting up the face by the tree.

Katie likes to climb on the table, and she also always reminds us to pray and bless the food!

Some little shots of Katie Grace

I love this one with the JOY words in the background!

Playing on the driveway

Backyard fun

And another photography challenge! This one was tricky, but I'm glad for my willing model :)

Our Advent was a wonderful one, as we decorated, prepared, and shared our new home with friends and family. I got a bit overwhelmed the last few days as I stayed up late to wrap presents and woke early for new adventures. But overall, we enjoyed some great experiences and tried to keep the focus on preparing for Jesus, especially by watching the Holy Heroes Advent Adventures videos and working on our Jesse tree. I felt truly blessed to be in this home, near family and friends, with so many things to be thankful for, most importantly the gift of Our Savior.

I pray that your Advent was grace-filled and that your Christmas season is filled with peace, joy, and hope!