Thankful Thursday - I just love this time of year!

I don't know about your family, but Christmas time is a very special time of the year for our family. There is just something magical about it, isn't there? I love that we get to take time out to focus on our Savior's birth, I love getting together with family and friends, and I especially love watching how excited my children get to do things like decorate the house and other family traditions we are beginning with them. December is such a crazy time, but I love it all! The shopping, cooking, worship, quality time with loved ones, fires in the fireplace, Christmas lights, giving gifts and all the warm scents of the season. So fun! We began decorating the day after Thanksgiving this year and have been doing a little bit every day this week. The women's' ministry at our Church is doing a first annual progressive dinner and my house is the dessert home in the rotation. I am so excited, but getting my house "ready" with 3 kiddos has been an interesting process. There's no pressure when you are the pastor's wife and there will be about 60 women in your home, right? ;)

Here are some pics from this week:

Daddy putting the star on top of the family tree after the kiddos finished decorating it. (I let them put the ornaments wherever they wanted and then have been casually arranging and moving them around when I get moments where my perfectionism kicks in. They did a great job though. )

A-town was so enthusiastic about the whole decorating process. He kept saying over and over, "I am so excited!I am so excited!" Too cute!

Here is one of our little snow bunnies. Audrey has finally figured out the whole 'posing for the camera' thing and she had me take like 15 pictures of her like this. I was lovin' watching her smile her big and beautiful smile!

Little Miss Ainsley as snow bunny #2. Love this girl!

You know how this goes pressing my luck to try and get a 1 and 2 year old to both look at me and smile at the same time. E for effort. :)

I hope you are having a great start to December and that you are daily reminded of the "Reason for the Season."