Live and Learn!

You think I'd learn!! After several years of Christmas' with children I should just "get" it! But every year I go into denial.......but kids love the gifts that speak to their hearts the best!
This year Arlan and I were so excited to give the kids their outside play toys for Christmas...a shiny, pink motor scooter and a slammin', fast dirt bike.
Last year Trey snuck downstairs in the wee hours of the morning and discovered his Christmas gift with none of us around. I was so distraught, to say the least, so this year we had a better idea!

Fence them in!!

Can you guess who was up early and excited for Christmas to begin and who was rudely interrupted from a deep sleep.

They tore into their gifts with the speed of lightning!

And even ventured out into the cold to try out their new gifts

But the gift that they were completely in awe over and played with first and the longest was the gifts the they got each other. I took them to "Santa's workshop" several weeks ago and let them loose to pick out any gift they wanted to for the other sibling. They were so excited to give each other their gifts it was difficult to hold it a secret that long.

Both of these gifts were about a $1 but the gift came from the heart with a lot of thought about what the other would like and they LOVED these things!!

Breanne got Trey those capsules loaded with sponge figures! BUGS!
Trey got Breanne fake fingernails and decorating stickers!!
I heard them each telling the other 'thank you' more then once in the course of the day for the awesome gifts they received!!
Now don't get me wrong they loved their big gifts but I'm convinced the small thoughtful gifts spoke to their hearts about love for each other!

We had a wonderful Christmas together, relaxing and playing!! The best times ever!

Christmas Joy

Christmas is here! Christmas is here!

It's a time of giving!

A time of Fun and Laughter!

A time for sweets and more sweets!

A time filled with Lights and Glitter!

A time for Family and Love!!

But the Greatest part of Christmas is the Story from long ago!

That holds True in our Hearts today!!!

May you have a Wonderful Christmas as we Celebrate the Birth of Jesus, Our Lord & Saviour!!

Love ~ The Beilers

Tink Time!!

I am currently on Birthday overload!! We've got so many of them to celebrate in the month of December it would make your head spin. Breanne is the first one this year and it was all about Tinkerbell. (for a little girl who can't stand the thought of playing with dolls I was shocked when she decided on a Tink party...but we'll applaud her enthusiasm for traditional girlie things when they come)

I started with a Tink cake (I'm pretty sure I swore years ago that I'd never make one of those "Barbie" cake but low and behold here I am breaking my oath) and since the family's too big, one cake is never enough so I whipped up some "flighty" Tink cupcakes too! (notice the pixie dust...you need lots of pixie dust)Since all the cousins (even the WY ones) were attending I decided on some birthday games and this is what I came up with........a Tinkerbell Treasure Hunt with clues to the chest that was filled with pirate prizes for the boys and Tink prizes for the girls.

Here the kids are openning the chest and reading it's contents. We also did pin the star on the magical wand!!

Breanne got lots of fairy dress up clothes from her aunt Lillian so all the girls (even one big fairy at heart - Jesse ) dressed up for the occation.

It's amazing how quickly time flies. My baby is now 4!!! And she thinks she's ready to conquer the world these days!! I can't wait to see all that she does and whom she becomes!! She's a beauty for sure! Happy Birthday Bre!!