How are we behind if I can't do laundry?

Did you ever think Wally could look like Steve Tyler...yikes!

You should see our laundry pile. It is sad. Out of desperation, Wally did some of his clothes in the bathtub. Yes, I suppose I could go to the laundromat or ask a friend, but I keep thinking we'll be back in our family room soon! I really do think it will be soon. Wally is putting the finishing touches on the molding, and we hope the floors are ready for furniture tomorrow. However, we discovered something is leaking near our washer hook-up!!! So, I don't know if we will be able to do our laundry after all.

Mr. Eggplant's got the idea, no worries about laundry. A bow tie will do.

All that to say, we're halfway to Christmas and I haven't even posted about Thanksgiving. I guess you are becoming accustomed now to having immense picture posts from me.

Here goes. First, be looking for a new post soon on baby boy: ANOTHER ultrasound tomorrow. Everyone keeps saying how tiny I look, and apparently the doctors are getting nervous about it. Now I am too! Can't wait for it!

But back to Thanksgiving. We had a lovely time at Grandmama and Grandaddy's. We had much quality time with Great Mama and PaPa who very sweetly lavished attention and much book reading on our two kids.

Great Mama doesn't know what she's signed up for!

My kids could have books all day!

Uh huh. We get home, and they go through book withdrawal.

We were happy to get a surprise visit from Aunt Clara and Uncle Brooks especially since we won't be seeing them over Christmas.

We also enjoyed seeing some friends/cousins who have some kids right around our kids' ages. Very enjoyable.

And Uncle Averett very sweetly shared his motorcycle with Alden. Alden's looking around like, "Can you believe this everyone?" Alden's living on the edge of danger just about all of the time. Trips out to our library or store are wrought full of daring escapes and Houdini-like attempts. Today, he even managed to get a child-proof bottle of infant Ibuprofen open. Of course, he helped himself. Thankfully, there's nothing to fear after that ingestion, but I really feel like I need tunnel vision on him 24/7. I don't know what we'll do when baby comes!

Back at home, we began minor decorative attempts for Christmas, but with our house still in renovation mode, it's pretty much impossible. We do have our advent tree up and lights outside, but sadly when the snow came, we didn't have a tree or anything else to make it feel like a white Christmas.

"Helping" Daddy. We made the LED switch for the exterior. I only wish I could have found warm icicle lights that were inexpensive, but these do make me think of snow...which we got for free!

Sledding fun.

All on his own.

Rhianwen was incredibly helpful making our snowman...do you sense the sarcasm?

What sweetness. I love family time when we're not having to referee.

Rhianwen asked me: "Mommy, is our real Santa going to come to our house?". I had no idea what she was talking about since we had just been discussing how Santa is imaginary and based on a normal man in history. So I asked her what she meant. She said, "You know. Our real Santa. He gave me a candy cane." Then I remembered at a rest stop last year we met a nice old guy who was all dressed up as Santa with a real white beard. He gave her a candy cane, and I let her eat it with visions of stomach pumping dancing in my head. (I figured he was nice, married, with a wife in the car). Still, I'm not sure if I made the right decision even now.

Each year I enjoy focusing on Christ at Christmas more. His birth is really worthy of celebration, and just because we don't know when he was born doesn't mean we can't throw him a birthday party sometime each year. I'm so grateful that all of the things we do and ways we decorate at Christmas reflect the precious reality that He was born here to save sinners like me and my children.

We visited a live nativity which was a lot of fun. Of course, the kids didn't want a picture with Mary and Joseph, but all of the animals were great. They got to feed them, we went on a wagon ride, and Alden and Rhianwen rode on a camel! I figured I'd better forgo the experience since I am quite far along in pregnancy. I could just imagine my doctor's face when she asks, "Any questions?" and I say, "Um, yeah. Is it ok if I ride camels at this point?"

The great adventurers after their ride.

We 3 princesses of Orient are? (Rhianwen with some friends after their ride.)

Funny dinner table conversation:

Alden: Who loves me? God?

Wally: Yes, and who else loves you? Daddy loves you.

Alden: And Mommy loves me, and Ronwen loves me.

Rhianwen: I love Daddy, and I love mommy, and I love Alden.

Alden: I love chips.