Merry Christmas!!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!! I know I am a little late, but hopefully most of you received our letter and got a little update on our baby girl.  We pray that everyone had a very Merry Christmas and we pray that the Lord has blessed you in 2012. May He continue to bless you in 2013 through the good and rough times.  Christmas was little more real to Hannah this year. It just amazes us how much more she understands each year. She really digged decorating the tree this year.  Through all of it, we only lost one bulb, thanks to the new wood floors that we have now. It made quite a crash once it hit, but it was easy to clean up and we continued on. She still needed reminding that the decorations had to be spread out, but she really did a great job of helping.  

She is very proud of her H.

Hannah is hanging the 2010 ornament. I got this idea from
a friend- every year I label an ornament with the year
and write important events that happened that year. Obviously 2010 was
very important- the year we met Hannah for the first time.

Very concerned about every single one. :)

Trying to see how the family pictures would turn out
with the light and this was a sample that I love of Hannah.

Merry Christmas Grandma and Papa!

The picture was a little easier this year, but still a challenge to get everyone smiling at the same time.

Meeting Santa Claus... much better this year!

So the last few years Hannah has been a little hesitant to visit with Santa Claus, even though it is really Baba behind the white fluffy beard. A few weeks before while in the grocery store, we met Santa and she took a candy cane from him with no problem. So I thought, maybe this year would be better. And it was.  Every year, Roger's work family gets together for a Christmas gathering and they purchase a gift for all the employees kids.  So while waiting patiently for Santa to call her name, she sat and watched all the kids sit on Santa's lap and open their gifts.  I kept whispering in her ear, remember you will sit on his lap and tell him what you would like for Christmas. Then you will open your gift and say, " Thank You."  She did just that.  I also asked her if Santa looked familiar and she didn't quite get it. I kept asking her where Baba was, but she couldn't find him. :)  After Baba left to change back to his normal self, Hannah kept looking for him. Once he finally came out, she ran to him and showed him what she got from Santa. We still can't believe she didn't figure it out. Maybe next year...

putting her new gift to good use...




Just some shots in front of the tree in her Sunday's best....

 

   

Christmas Morning...

You must always start the morning with a cup of warm milk.  Hannah insisted that she lie under the tree to drink her milk. Then we opened presents. Her first present is always her new pajamas- stole that tradition from my sister.  That is why she is dressed in different Pj's in the third picture. She was very excited to finally open her presents since they had been sitting under the tree for the last week.  She needed no help this year, she just tore right through them.  She received a few games and bubble bath ( she was really excited about that) from the Weinsteins.  We got her a few sticker books that require her to match the stickers with the picture on certain pages. It really makes her think about what she is doing. The only bad thing is she has to do it with an adult, so the stickers get on the right pages. :)

opening her pajamas

fruit snacks from her stocking

Nail polish- with mama's help.

Christmas with the Grossmans

The Grossman crew drove to our house this year and we had a good time.  Of course Hannah sucked everyone's attention including her favorite cousin, Jordi and her new cousin, Kyle. The days always starts with eating of course, then we continue with the variety show- a Grossman tradition. Basically anyone who wants to perform during the show just tells Aunt Robin and she creates the order of events.  This year Hannah sang "Away in the Manger" along with some motions. She was very quiet, but did a great job and of course clapped for herself when she was finished. :) The show always ends with the Grossman version of the 12 days of Christmas.  It was a little more difficult this year, since Mom Grossman went to be with Jesus, but we still all managed to sing the last line each time, "...Grandma sleeping in a chair."  We all knew that she was playing along in Heaven and snoring for us while we sang. Then after the show, we hand out gifts and open, which then turns into a paper throwing fight- never too old to do that. :) 

stickers with Jordi

stickers with Kyle

Crazy girls!!

The Reichards always have a beautiful song for us-
they are blessed with beautiful voices.

Hannah singing "Away in the Manger"

Rachel signing "Silent Night"

One of Hannah's gifts was a music set- lots of noise, but also lots of fun.

Making Gingerbread Houses

Hannah and Jordi worked together

Kyle and Alli's house. Much perfection as you can see...

Rebekah's igloo- we ran out of houses. :)

Kaitlin's house- more perfection...

Hannah and Jordi's house- we had a lot of trouble keeping the roof up
and we ran out of white frosting, so we had to use black. We said the roof caught on fire. :)

Christmas with the Schaetzle Family...

The Schaetzle Christmas always begins with reading the story of Jesus' birth and Papa praying.  Papa got us all teary eyed this year, because we are so thankful to have Baby Caleb with us. Sorry I didn't do a very good job taking enough pictures and none of Caleb. He is doing well and starting to be more aware of his surroundings. Growing so fast already. Then we rip through all the presents that Grandma and Papa spoil us with.  Hannah got a lot of cool presents this year, but one of her favorites right now is her new doctor's kit- as you can see below, she put it to good use on Baba. His checkup turned out ok. :) 

Shelby in her new hat.

 The glasses are suppose to be worn by Hannah, the doctor, but Hannah
thinks the patient should wear them-checking Baba's temperature

Giving Baba some medicine

Finally got her to wear them long enough for a picture.

Hannah received Dora sunglasses and since
there were 4 in a package, we shared with Shelby.

Playing in the snow...

We were so thankful to see an early snow this year, which doesn't always happen.  Hannah and I couldn't pass up the chance do a little sledding and build a snowman.  While I pulled her on the sled, her words were "Mommy, don't go super fast!!"  I told her that I was hardly moving, but she insisted that I was going too fast. Then she wanted to pull me. I told her I was too heavy, but she tried anyway. :) Then we decided to build a snowman and finally use a snowman kit that we received a few years ago.  We decided to build it in the front yard, because we were afraid that the dog we were babysitting would pee on it. When we were finished building and taking pictures, we were walking into the house and Hannah said, " I hope no one takes our snowman." I just laughed visualizing someone coming and carrying away the snowman. I was more worried about the pieces being lost in the snow, which I had said while building, but she took it as the snowman. For the next few days, she kept saying, "I hope no one takes our snowman." Thank goodness, he is still there, all in one piece. 

pulling Mama in the snow.

Through all this blogging, I am constantly reminded of the great blessings God has given to us. Every day we are so thankful to enjoy another day with Hannah.  We pray that you will be blessed this year - maybe not through adoption- but through God's only son, Jesus Christ.