MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Merry Christmas to all of you!  Lyn and I are enjoying just hanging at home sans any schedule.  Slept in.  Moseyed downstairs to watch TV, check email, drink wassail and just crash.  It's neat to be able to celebrate the birth of Jesus without the typical Christmas "rush."  (We love the rush, too.  It's just cool to have a low-key Christmas Day.)  The Disney World Christmas Parade is on ABC now.  I'm eating a cookie and drinking coffee while the bands and floats are passing down Main Street.

Since we opened presents last Friday with all the family, the big focus of my week was Christmas Eve and the five services we had. The picture above was taken between our 3rd and 4th services last night.  I wish Jennifer, Brian, and Emily could have been with us, but they're out on the high seas enjoying the holidays with all of Brian's family.  (I know they're having a wonderful time!)

The pictures below are of our time with Haley and Lexi on Christmas Eve Eve (23rd) and Christmas Eve.  Since we had no shopping or wrapping or last-minute panic, we were able to just chill with the girls--literally and figuratively!  On the 23rd we joined the masses at Crystal Court and South Coast Plaza so the girls could ride the train and carousel.  We had lunch at Ruby's. Then on Christmas Eve they spent part of the day here with Lyn while we were doing run-thrus and services at the church.

The girls enjoyed riding the "Santa Express" at

Crystal Court.  Haley may only get to ride this 

one more year...they have a maximum height limit.

I love this picture.  I call it "Audience of One."

Haley loves music--duh--and really wanted

to listen to the carolers.  She'd had a conversation

with them before they started singing.  They seemed

to have fun singing to her!

Lunch was at Ruby's.  The girls shared some mac & cheese.

I had a bowl of vegetable soup and Lyn had a very blah salad.

(The "blah" was my assessment....she liked it.)

Anyway, Lexi REALLY enjoyed the bumper car 

on display right beside where she sat!

Then we hit the Carousel at South Coast.  They

replaced the usual horses with reindeer.

Lexi looked really introspective as she rode.

On Christmas Eve, the girls hung out with

Lyn here at the house.  Haley made herself

comfortable on the countertop while she 

wrote Santa one last note.

Lexi enjoyed being Santa's Helper.  Actually,

Mama Lyn's helper--a fresh batch of

Chex Mix was the project of the afternoon.

Before going to church, the girls posed in their

Christmas dresses.  Lyn didn't realize that

Haley had her gloves on.  She wears them

pretty constantly.  You can tell that Lexi wasn't

feeling very well.  She was dealing with a stomach virus all day.

Boo.  :(

Our very best wishes to all of you for a wonderful and

blessed Christmas.  I look forward to posting 

from New York in a few days!

God Bless!