Christmas cards over the years

We have fun with Christmas cards. We keep them simple on the years we have a big vacation, and get whimsical - which usually involves something thematic in front of our favorite green garage door in West Bottoms, KC - for other years. My friend, Amy King, and I take each others' family photos for free - neither of us are photographers, but we're pretty pleased with how they turn out (and I think she should be a pro). Here's a montage of our Christmas cards for the past few years - 2014 & 2015 are my faves. :)

 2016 - Greece & Turkey

2015 - "A Cozy Christmas"

2014 - "Magical Christmas"

2013 - Norway, Sweden, Denmark & Estonia

2012 - "Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"

2011 - "Conspiracy Claus"

Merry Christmas!

On Christmas Eve & Christmas, I feel like radiant beams from heaven just bathe us with the Love that binds us. Deep in my heart, this incredible gratitude wells up and seems to pour over into everything. And I get to soak in my family and see the magic in our kids' eyes - love!

 We went to see Mark play at candlelight Christmas Eve and ran into several friends by surprise.

See Mark there on the keys, beneath the letter "E"? He rocked it!

We kept forgetting to do our regular Advent (each Sunday, we read a devotion and add new figures to the manger), so instead this year we did a twist on our Easter tradition and created a sort of Christmas Seder, to tell the Christmas story. The kids beg to do the Seder more often because they love it so much.

Each item on the plate is a metaphor for something in the Nativity story, and we eat them in order as we read passages from Isaiah, Matthew and Luke. (I think Gryffy's digging the shepherd hat - teehee!)

We spent the rest of Christmas Eve reading books, watching movies (including our traditional "Rick Steves Christmas in Europe" and "Shrek the Halls") and bouncing together on the trampoline.

On Christmas morning, after reading the letter and examining the shark tooth left by the Tooth Fairy substitute (Gryffy's class elf, Scout), the kids dutifully sat at the top of the stairs, with the manger empty at the landing, awaiting the arrival of the Baby Jesus whilst belting "Jingle Bells" and "Feliz Navidad." As soon as Jesus arrived, they proceeded downstairs.

 It's blurry, but I love the look of anticipation on the kids' faces!

And oh, the delight of tearing through presents!

 Lorelei is an avid reader; she carries books everywhere and devours them. She had lost her old Kindle and kept borrowing Gryffy's, so she was pretty thrilled to get a new one.

 We all got mugs. I loved this "L" mug from Anthropologie, which matches mine.

I found this Grinch at Barnes & Noble and knew G would love it - green's his favorite color.

And mischief managed - Mark got me a spellbinding black mug that reveals the Marauder's Map when warm!

Some stocking stuffers. Gryffy always talks about his "curly sexy hair" because of this hair gel. Ha!

 And then, the BIG ONE (which I strictly told Santa NOT to get us... naughty Santa): an XBOX!!!
Just look at the kids' stunned faces!

I believe Gryffy's clapping.

 Scratch-off tickets from the lottery.

 And another Easter tradition that the kids now beg me to make all the time: Eggs Benedict. We used to make Holiday Strata, but this has been going strong a couple of years now.

And for our late lunch/early dinner, we made a honey-glazed ham with green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, strawberry spinach salad and cranberries. We'll just cruise through the rest of the week on leftovers.

Gryffy bought Googly Eyes, the game, for Lorelei, so we all played it as a family. It was awesome fun!

Later we cleaned, went on a rain walk (it rained on Christmas!) and then tested the XBox (which has an ancient Greek feature that Gryffy and I totally dig). And now, I think it's time to grab that Marauder's Mug, give it a spike of the Bailey's I got for Mark, and snuggle up for another movie and a Skype with grandparents in Canada.

 Merry Christmas.
And God bless us, everyone!

Hexen Hausen

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is decorating the Trader Joe's Gingerbread Hexen Hausen. Every year, I call and have TJ's reserve a few for our family before they run out. (I've learned. Those things fly off the shelves like Gingerbread witches.)

This year the kids had some neighbors over for a slumber party, so Mark and I donated our decorating kits to the kids, and watched them create.

The girls' houses were beautifully decorated, with scalloped rooftops and daintily applied candies.

And the boys, well...

They were hands-on builders.

Let's get another look at those girls.

And those boys. Look at the glee on Gryffy's face.

I think they're all very magical! (And apparently Caden and Gryffy thought theirs took the Christmas popper crown.)

Christmas Card 2015

We always like to have a bit of fun with our Christmas cards and have a tradition of posing in front of this green garage door in the West Bottoms, KC. We kept it real this year... all in pj's, because that's typically how we spend Christmas. My friend Amy King takes photos of our family, and we take photos of hers - I think she could be a professional! Thanks Amy! Merry Christmas, everyone!

Merry Christmas 2014

This blog's been sorely neglected this year, and certainly not for lack of content! But Christmas Day is a time set apart. Fleeting moments thick with love permeate this morning of surprise and wonder, and they beg to be captured here. Lorelei is 8. Gryffin is 6. There is both an ache and a joy in my heart, watching as they grow and change, but the magic, for now, still lingers.

They still hear the bell.

Welcome to our Casa Connelly Christmas.

 The calm before the chaos. Not a creature was stirring, not even a bunny.

At least, not downstairs.

 But upstairs, the kids in pajamas were waiting restlessly at top step, singing carols as per our tradition, waiting for the Christ Child to arrive.

(Here's Gryffin, pretending to be Baby Jesus.)

 "Jingle Bells, Batman smells…"

 Waiting… how long will the manger remain empty?

 It's time!

Jesus' arrival signaled the end of caroling and the mad dash downstairs!

 It was all Legos for Gryffin, American Girl Doll for Lorelei.

Let's take in the joy on their faces, shall we?

 Gryffin's favorite present… Lego Ninjago.

 Lorelei's big present… a new outfit and hair extensions for Rebecca.

… and matching pajamas from Santa.

 Love them so!

 They're way into rocks and minerals this year. Pretty thrilled with stocking stuffers from the museum.

 And Mr. Dietrich Bonhoepper was not forgotten.

He looks like he had a rough night--Santa and the elves must have kept him up.

 Bunny's got his own stocking.

 I got lazy this year. Our traditional strata didn't sound good, so we went with a Trader Joe's pastry.

Looks like a baked octopus. I hear seafood's all the rage on Christmas morning in Europe.

 Mark got me a "Windy Loo-Poo" stocking stuffer by Poo-pourri. Nice.

 This is what happens when we try for a serious family pic.

 Merry Christmas 2014, and God bless us, everyone! 

(Now off to assemble some Lego starships…)