Christmas 2012

Christmas this year has been full of change for the Elwers.

Partially due to financial necessity but also just due to realizing that if this day is really about Jesus's birth and we need to make room for him {This all started here. With Dave Snow's message "Peace a Christmas" on 12/1/12. You really should listen to it!}

Do we want to be teaching our boys about their savior and his humble beginning or about a man in a big red suit who brings them tons and tons of presents? No matter where you fall in that discusion, we just decided to scale back. We didn't throw away the Christmas tree or cancel Christmas, we just played it simple. {I would be more than happy to scale back further next year ... but we will leave that to be decided later}

Here's our two Christmas Days {one with each side of the family}

Grammy and Papa's Christmas was on the 24th

 If you are at all interested ... we made Paleo Biscuits and Gravy for breakfast ... very yummy!

 Papa reading the Christmas story ...

 Grandma's Christmas was on the 25th

Looking for his name. 

John-Paul's favorite part was of course the wrapping! 

Christmas Super Nintendo ... happens every year and we love it!

Praying you all had a sweet time with family and friends as you celebrated the day that The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. 

Bennett's Christmas Performance

My sweet boy had his first ever performance.

He did not enjoy the wings he had to wear. But he loved singing the songs!

 He only got distracted during this one song which given his family history is doing pretty good!

He also really loves his friends and teachers and was really glad to get a sweet new book.

Christmas Traditions

I love traditions and here's two I didn't want to let pass by without highlighting ...

Every year we get together with a group of friends we've known since high school for what we like to call "Thank-mas". We haven't gotten together with this group since the end of May but isn't it the best when you can just pick right up as of you haven't missed a day?! Such great memories with all these precious friends ... especially with the crazy Norwegian troll that keeps making his way back to the gift exchange each year...

And then there's Dessert Night!  This is always such a treat and this year was no exception! As usual the evening was magical, the tables beautiful and the ladies couldn't stop talking to listen to the singers! Ha ha! {You think I'm joking don't you?!} This year was an extra treat for me because I had absolutely no responsibilities! I just showed up, sat at a table of other moms with young kids and chit-chatted about GMO's, food allergies and preschool learning websites! Ha ha ha! Typical!

Light Looking with the Grandparents!

Last friday night we headed up with my parents to look at all the lights at the Mission Inn in Riverside!

As expected it was pretty fabulous! 

Bennett was overcome with the "snow" and even had to stop and make a snow ball! 

The preciousness of this boy was just too much to handle! 

Upon walking inside we found Santa who Bennett refused to speak too ('ata boy!) but would give a high-five to and then watched him very intently for as long as he could as we walked thru the lobby. 

The whole evening was great and the lights are just so magical!

There also may or may have not been some cupcakes to follow ... but people who eat paleo would have for sure not participated in such tomfoolery :)

 And then last night we went out with Grandma to do light looking locally at our favorite Bainbridge Circle here in Murrieta!

It was awesome as always and made me really sentimental about the last two years when we came with just Bennett-boy.

We had a great time exploring the cul-de-sac!

The music and dancing lights are always so much fun and it really does get better every year!