Christmas Eve/Morning

This time of year is so special to us watching the kids have that Christmas joy.

The kids got Santa's cookies and milk ready, as well as carrots and water for the reindeer. 

They could hardly contain themselves before bedtime!

 After watching Polar Express the kids fell fast alseep.

 Every year I rope off the top of the stairs with a note that reads, "Please wait for the music." Once they hear the Christmas music they have the go to tear through the crepe paper and make their way down to see the gifts.

And they are off!

 Proof Santa was here! They even received a note from Micah as it was his last night to be with us on Christmas Eve.

 Oh, the joy!

 What would a gift for Emma be without a stuffed animal. Within about 2 minutes of this picture our little Houdini managed to remove the squeaker and about 3/4 of the stuffing.

 Jason got these hand carved candle holders from India for me and his mom. They look so nice when a tea light is lit.

 Snap Circuits, Chess, K-Nex, Dream Lite, Ninjago, Legos, Paper Airplane book and Avengers movie are some of the items Jackson got.

 Dream Lite, My Little Pony, Little Pet Shop, Zoobles, Fur Real Dog, Brave movie, Spot It game are some of the items Grace got.

 She is "organizing" her toys. Like mother like daughter.

 Yaya made us this amazing crocheted blanket! We love it!

 The rest of the day we relaxed, played with new toys, watched movies and had dinner with the Greens. It was a fantastic, memorable Christmas!!

Yaya's Here!

Yaya arrived and will be here with us for the next 14 days. We are so excited to have her here during the Christmas break.

On her first day here we headed to the Strasbourg, France Christmas Market. I have heard that this is a beautiful one to see, so I couldn't wait to see it for myself.

Love this one of them!

 I wish I would of taken more pictures of the streets. They were beautifully decorated with the most amazing detail. 

 One of the main streets had the Swarovski crystal chandeliers hanging down the middle. They were all different and very beautiful!

Christmas Caroling

 Jackson class (along with a few other first grade classes) went Christmas caroling at the local KMCC mall on Friday. This boy LOVES to sing! He has been singing these songs for weeks for us, so it was finally nice to see him in action with all the other kids. 

They did a fantastic job and drew a nice size crowd while singing.

Check out that tooth! That is within days of coming out. We have asked him if he wants us to pull it, but he says since its his first tooth he wants it to fall out by itself. Fair enough...but my goodness!

Here is a video of one of the songs he sang.

(If you get emailed my blog, you will have to go to the link below, "Jackson's song" to view it:

Jackson's song

Jackson's 7th Birthday

Jackson is 7! Where have the years gone? 

We started something new in the Scherden home and have done away with big, lots of friends, busy birthday parties. We told Jackson he can invite a few friends to go bowling and dinner of his choice after. I have to say it was one of the best birthday celebrations. He enjoyed having just a couple close friends and Jason and I loved being able to focus on him and his special day.

                                           

Breakfast #1                                                  

Breakfast #2

Jackson with his friends at the bowling alley. Luke is a friend in his class and Alex is our neighbor from across the street.

 The gang eating at Macaroni Grill.

 Happy Birthday Jackson! We are so proud of you and all you have become at the age of 7. We know that the Lord has a great plan for your life and look forward to seeing what He has in store for you in the many more years to come!

Grace's Dance Class

It was parent week at Grace's dance class. She loves it and can't wait to go every week!

Part of the class is ballet and the other part is tap. She will have a recital in May that they are practicing for now. Can't wait to see what that will be like!

He's Back!

Our elf, Micah, arrived for the Christmas season! 

The kids were so excited to see him when they woke up. He left them some gümmi bears and thanks to Pinterest some chocolate frosted donuts that looked like reindeer.

We know our years are numbered in doing things like this with the kids, so we are enjoying all we have with our little friend.

Even though they know that Micah is watching and "reporting" back to Santa, I tell them that our heavenly father watches them all the time. We talk about what the real meaning of Christmas is---Jesus' birthday!

I'll be sure to post a few more pictures of where Micah hides in the days to come.