Now THAT'S a Nativity

 Made our annual stop at the incredible Nativity scene at Cristo Rey.  Gets more amazing every year!

 Enjoyed all the flags & traditional piñata as well.  It's cool to teach the kids about the meaning of the 7 points as the 7 deadly sins... little more awe-inspiring than a donkey or Dora.

 Loved this table!  Nativity scenes from all over the world.  So different & yet all for the same amazing event.

They have a beautiful Church as well!  Nice way to spend our Epiphany afternoon.  

Christmas Day

Christmas morning came early! We were amazingly able to wrangle our kids downstairs for a quick breakfast & back upstairs for Church clothes before we joined the cousins around the tree.

It looked like the North Pole exploded under the tree! Here's Rebecca with a new hair brush for her doll from her stocking.

Teresa wasn't really interested in more gifts... just chocolate.

You can never have enough NERF!

New clothes for her new dolly

The dress fit great but the shoes... well she obviously doesn't get her feet from our side of the family! Grandma decided to stuff them with tissue paper to help her out.

I love little Peter. I could just snuggle those blonde curls all day long!

More new dolly duds

That's how I felt, too, Nicholas.

After Santa presents & packing most of the van, we headed off to morning Mass. The Church looked even more beautiful than usual.

Afterwards we went up to visit baby Jesus in the manger.

A quick brunch & we were on the road again. Thanks for a great time Red Family! Off to Green we go... (That's rather Christmassy, don't you think?)

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Just as our empty tree became a Jesse Tree became a Christmas Tree,our empty stable was filled day by day during Advent to a full Nativity scene on Christmas
now became the newborn King awaiting His Presentation