A very fun weekend

Our fun/busy weekend started on Friday with traveling 2 hours to our brother - in-law's pinning ceremony (graduation from nursing school). Esther did excellent throughout the ceremony and Luke did okay until he saw that daddy was up front videotaping the entire thing. Then he wanted to go see daddy, so I had to take him in the hall.
We were all so proud of Anthony - this has been a 3 1/2 year challenge for their entire family - it was great to see him graduate.
Here are some pictures from the event:

They each got a rose at the end - Anthony gave his to Sarah - how sweet!

After the ceremony we went back to their place and had a wonderful lunch that my sister made (well, except for the chick fil a chicken strips).

Friday night when we got home, Esther was begging to do the Jesse tree, so Kenneth caught up on 3 days worth. Esther loves it when he reads the Jesse tree material and then she gets to put up the felt circle.
The Jesse tree is tradition that my family did growing up and I think my sisters and I all do it with our families. It's a craft tree that you hang on the wall with 25 red felt circles. Each day in December you read some scripture passages and replace one red felt circle with a felt circle that represents what you read about. It starts with creation and ends with the birth of Jesus on Christmas day. So it's a really cool thing that brings Jesus back into all the Christmas festivities, since that's what it's about anyway.

Here's Esther listening as kenneth reads the passages of scripture.

On Saturday we got up early and went to a Christmas activity at a local church here. They had a free breakfast, pictures with Santa, crafts, and huge blow up slide, and a story with Mrs. Claus.

Esther was so excited to get her picture with santa!

Luke was scared to death of santa, but at least he let me get a picture next to frosty.















Luke, making an ornament






Esther going down the slide, she must have done it a dozen times!









On Sunday afternoon we had our class Christmas party at church. It was great because we did it in the fellowship hall and I think all the little kids (there were probably about 20), just chased each other the whole time, so they had fun. They also had a craft for the kids, making ornaments.


Here are the kids making ornaments with some of their friends.

















And after naps on Sunday, we were able to go outside and spend about an hour playing! It was so warm, it felt wonderful and the kids were in 7th heaven. So, that's our crazy but fun weekend. Now onto finishing Christmas cards, baking cookies, and wrapping presents!!