Personal Space

Friday-

Christmas decorating officially began! (Mom likes to save it for after Thanksgiving and none of us are really into Black Friday shopping.) Mom and Dad moved everything out of the living room to thoroughly clean everything before putting away year-round decorations and pulling out the Christmas ones. 

We have been adding to this 

little village since Mom and Dad got married. 

The kids all had to tidy and clean their rooms before they could set up any of their own little decorations in them. In the early afternoon they had all finished. I was exempted from this since my room was already clean.

Uncle Phil came over to play Poker and Life. 

I had somewhere I had to be for several hours in the afternoon. Mom and some of the other adult members of our extended family got massages while I was gone, and everyone visited, rested, and played games. 

When I returned we all worked together making pizza and then ate together (with Nana, Grandfather, Aunt Lauren, and Uncle Phil) and watched "The Christmas Candle." We all really liked the movie! 

Saturday-

Mom and Dad went to breakfast with Aunt Lauren and Uncle Phil while the rest of us slept in, worked on more Christmas decorating, played (blogged for me), and took showers. 

Mom and Dad had errands to run so by the time they got back it was time for some rest time and then to finish getting ready for church. 

Church was very special. I crave the time we have at church all week. Every time we go I get filled up, encouraged, and prepared to go live for Christ through the week. 

At home Nana and Grandfather came to watch a little football with Christian, and Dad worked on getting our tree lighted. Not on fire.

Sunday-

We got up a little earlier than we usually do on Sundays (so at 8:30, definitely not complaining *wink*) so we could get the house tidied up from our Christmas decorating and prepare to share brunch with a new friend from church. 

We invited this guy to come for brunch so that we could get to know him better. (He just started coming to our church in the last month.) His sweet sister was in town for Thanksgiving so we told him she was welcome to come as well. 

They ate brunch with us (primary table topics of conversation; sports and Maui) and then helped us to decorate our tree. 

Ready for ornaments

Plenty of helpers. 

Once the tree was completed (in record time, by the way) the kids asked our new friends to play "Life" the board game. I got roped into that as well and wow that was an interesting game. Lots of fun for sure. 

Then our new friend challenged me to a game of "Speed" the card game. I accidentally beat him.

Everyone was sad when they had to leave and told them that they were officially family now and had to come back as soon as possible, like, tomorrow. 

The rest of the afternoon we had rest time and then had a double feature, featuring "A Princess for Christmas" and "Pirates of the Caribbean 2." Somewhere in there we ate food. 

This past week was so nice, getting to relax our sleep schedules and do less school and focus on family time and memory making. I loved it. Now back to normal work. 

The Herd: Quoted 

"Mia, Gabe, there is something called 'personal space' and you are invading your new friend's." -Mom

"Oh no, I have to be the entertainer. I am not entertaining..." -Me playing Life.
"Um, some people think so..." -Mom, as everyone else laughs.

"This is confusing." -Mia watching Pirates of the Caribbean Two.

"This makes so much more sense the third time through!" -Me watching Pirates of the Caribbean Two.