Hap, Hap, Happiest Christmas...

I ran into Target yesterday for a roll of wrapping paper and walked out with a gingerbread train kit and a bunch of other stuff. Target has a way of sucking me in and causing me to buy more than I really need!! Anyway, I thought the gingerbread train looked like something fun to do with Benny (once Nat and Andy were in bed). We'd never done this before, but Ben decided that "ours turned out even better than the picture on the box!" I don't know about that, but it was something fun, festive, and cheap to do with my bud.

Ben wanted me to showcase his little tree on the blog (it opens it's eyes and mouth and sings some annoying holiday jingle). It's displayed proudly on the nightstand in his room and he decorated it himself with ornaments he got from his Mamaw...if you look closely you'll see Santa's bare butt right next to baby Jesus in the manger...lovely.

Wrapping presents while watching one of the dumbest movies ever...The Other Guys (Mark Wahlberg/Will Ferrell)...don't rent it!

My poor big guy is sick. He has an ear infection, nasty cough, and sinus stuff...just in time for Christmas. Luckily, he's on a an antibiotic for the ear infection, so hopefully he'll feel like a new guy in a day or two. I've been reading a chapter book to him every night before bed...Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He loves it and begs me to read him "just one more chapter" when I tell him that's all for the night.

We headed over to Angy and Pappy's house tonight to check out their Christmas decorations and visit with some of the fam. Words can not adequately describe the amount of holiday decor Angy displays in her home. I tried to capture some of it below because it always makes me smile and feel a little claustrophobic all at the same time. We loved hanging out with the Adam's family, Granny, and, of course, Angy and Paps!

Mike's Uncle Rich gave him a "Moose Mug"...remember Cousin Eddie and Clark drinking their eggnog out of these in Christmas Vacation? I love that movie...even if it is a little crass. :)

Clark: "Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?"

Eddie: "Naw, I'm doing just fine, Clark."

This is the small and simple (ah ha ha ha) village that Angy creates in her basement every Christmas (she starts working on it in October!). Have you ever seen anything like this?! It takes up about 50% of the floor space! Ben loves it! Angy has a bunch of cats and, apparently, they wreaked havoc on the village this year, knocking down a bunch of trees. I can't imagine how frightening it must have been for the little people living in this snowy little town when the giant, man-eating, tree-stomping felines attacked!

Benny and his good buddy and cousin, Ellen, checking out the village!

Here's some more holiday decor on display in Angy and Pappy's house...it's something else!! I said to her, in a sarcastic tone, "Wow, Angy, you really cut back this year on the Christmas decorations." She said, "Oh, I know, I didn't get much out!" Whoa! :)

As fun as it is to be with family, decorate gingerbread trains, watch silly holiday movies, and give/receive presents this time of year, we believe that the TRUE meaning of Christmas is SO MUCH more! Happy Birthday, Jesus! Thank you for stepping down from your throne to become the least for me. Thank you for loving me when I don't deserve it. Thank you.

I'll leave you with this video...I shared it last year, but I just love the words and how it depicts what matters most...