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Christmas Is Coming

A Visit from Saint Nicholas
by Clement Clark Moore


'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle,
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

MORE VIDEO

OWEN + COUSINS = SILLY FUN

Joy and the kids came by the house last Tuesday. We had a ball! We went to the park and even though it was chilly we still had fun.



















Owen seemed to love the Great Big Swing. I thought for sure he would fall off, but he held on for dear life with a huge smile on his face.

My First Fort

Owen and I decided we would make a fort out of pillows and blankets because it was too cold outside. He LOVED it. It was really special to focus on Owen and nothing else. Housework and bills were left aside for the evening and Owen got 100% of Momma's attention. It ended up being a great night!

Williamsburg

We went to Williamsburg last weekend and had so much fun! It was so neat to be in a place that had so much history. Owen loved running around with Gamma & PawPaw, Aunt Jennifer and Mommy & Daddy. He liked looking at the horses pulling carriages and everyone dressed up in costume, acting in characters from that time period. It was a great day and we can't wait to do it again!

Owen shouting his Aunt's name

Video of Owen

Halloween

Owen had so much fun on Halloween! After dinner we took him around the neighborhood to go Trick or Treating. For the most part he liked it, but there were a couple of houses that were scary and he didn't want to knock on the doors. We came home and handed out candy to the children that came up to our door. Owen liked giving candy to the kids. He would give them the most that his little hands to hold and what was funny was the kids would tell him, "Not too much!" Owen and Daddy ate a bunch of candy together so before bed, we had to make sure that Owen did a really good job of brushing his teeth. We hope you enjoyed your Halloween as much as we did!

A Fun Fall Craft for those with Kids

Here’s a fun magnet to make that will hold up artwork, keep track of school projects, or hold the all-important grocery list, all year long.

This craft is also great for a back-to-school project. After all, apples and autumn go together like bacon and eggs! Make a few for the fridge today!

What you'll need:
Red craft foam
White craft foam
Green craft foam
Brown chenille stick
Brown marker
White craft glue
Round magnet
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Pattern



How to make it:
Trace the pattern onto red foam and cut out. Repeat this with white foam.
Glue red foam to white foam with red on top. Use my photo as a guide.
Cut out two leaves from the green foam and use white glue to attach them to the top of the apple, behind the red foam. Let the glue dry.
Cut a two inch piece off the chenille stick and save the remainder for another project.
Hot glue the chenille stick to the back of the foam apple, leaving about one inch showing from the front for the stem. Bend the top of the stem slightly.
Use a brown marker to draw on a few seeds.
Hot glue a magnet to the back and hang on the fridge!
Notes:
You can purchase craft foam in single sheets or in smaller sized multiple color packs. Craft foam shapes are perfect for small items, such as the leaves in this project.
White glue works great on foam, but it will take at least an hour or two to dry enough to be handled. Be sure to have some coloring sheets or games handy to keep kids busy during drying time.
Make several of these magnets at once. Keep a few for your fridge, give one to Grandma, teachers and friends.

Trunk or Treat Party - October 30, 2007

Owen fun at the Trunk or Treat Party Tuesday night. He dressed as a cow and he was the cutest cow you ever saw. We could only get him to wear his hat for a little bit. I think he got hot wearing it.



He played, ran around and had fun with Gamma, Paw Paw, Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Jennifer & ofcourse Mom & Dad. Owen also discovered how good candy tastes. He helped pass out candy to other kids when he wasn't busy opening up lollipops for himself. We had a great night and it was good practice for Halloween.

Autumn

Leaves

How silently they tumble down
And come to rest upon the ground
To lay a carpet, rich and rare,
Beneath the trees without a care,
Content to sleep, their work well done,
Colors gleaming in the sun.
At other times, they wildly fly
Until they nearly reach the sky.
Twisting, turning through the air
Till all the trees stand stark and bare.
Exhausted, drop to earth below
To wait, like children, for the snow.

by Elsie Brady

Deep Creek

For Labor Day, we spent the weekend with Jason's family at Deep Creek. We had so much fun, especially Owen. He loves playing in the water and Jason's parents always rent the same house by the lake. So Owen was in Heaven. He also had a blast playing with his cousins.

AT THE BEACH

This summer we went to the Outerbanks with Jason's family and had a blast. Owen loved playing in the pool, but wasn't crazy about the beach. It took him awhile to get used to walking on the sand. Owen's favorite thing to say while we were there was "It'll hurt you!" We still don't know where that came from. Luckily he only says it every once in while now, instead of everyday like at the beach. In the evening, we got to see fireworks and during the day, Owen and Jason fed the birds.