Christmas waiting for a baby

Despite being ready for Christmas early, it sort of jumped up on us in the end! I suppose that's because we had to be half expecting Daniel to arrive before Christmas (his due date was 19th December), then he wasn't still coming, but Christmas was suddenly here! We enjoyed doing various things around Christmas that different people in the family had chosen to do, and had a very normal Christmas day full of our usual traditions. Michael and I were both really relieved actually that he didn't come just before, or on Christmas day, apart from anything else because for years afterwards it would have become quite a hectic time!

So here is Daniel as he stayed for Christmas day (taken at 40 weeks pregnant).

Samuel and Peter warm and ready for bed a few days before Christmas day.

Our family on Christmas morning.

Opening our stockings! Our stockings are really just a means to an end - a container that really could look like anything and maybe will sometime, as they're not always quite the right size and shape anyway! The content is one of our favourite traditions, that we began last year, and both years we felt like we would be more than happy to leave it at that. We each pick somebody else's name in the family a little before Christmas and secretly work on something that will be our gift to them on Christmas morning. It shouldn't be something we just buy, though a few materials can be bought if needed. Rather it is something truly from us. A gift of our time, or talents in some way, or giving something that was ours. It was exciting, tends to be quite personal in thinking what would really mean something to that person, and means so much.

There were quite a few presents from other people and a few for the children from us. Michael and I had just wanted some money to help pay for our newish camera (the reason we have some pictures here to show now, and most importantly will have a record of Daniel's early life!) So we opened those gifts throughout the day, around the other things we wanted to do. Here's a taste of our Christmas day...

(Hannah's couldn't fit in her stocking.)

Next, meet the cast if the all-important nativity. One shepherd...

... with her very purple 'sheep', ...

two very wise 'men', ...

joyful angels (who had been practising their singing, and were clesrly very excited to play their part), ...

two camels, ...

a not very grumpy looking King Herod, ...

and Michael and I had the privilege of being Joseph and Mary this year (I fit the part best at 9 months pregnant and was voted in some months ago)! :o)

Couldn't help taking a couple in progress (it got quite funny at some points). :o)

I really enjoyed playing the part of Mary this year (I'm normally various people as needed), and found it very insightful and a little emotional as I read Mary's words from the scriptures while feeling some of the same things she would have been feeling. It meant so much more, and was quite a special experience. Oh and so as not to leave you wondering, Mary walked to Bethlehem rather than riding on a donkey! :o)

There was plenty of playing too. . . .

We had a lovely evening meal, then after clearing up it was time for ...
bedtime stories,

...and some very special new friends.

While still waiting for our little boy to make his appearance, we enjoyed among other things in the few days after Christmas day, our second Kruger Christmas Carol Concert

and a pyjama party (I'm sat on a birthing ball in the corner helping things along while we watched a DVD together on a projector screen).

So we had a really lovely time together over Christmas and Michael and I were pretty glad that Daniel came just after Christmas day, and not before it. :o)

Meet Daniel

Born on Wednesday 29th December 2010, 5.50am at home here in Brighton.
He entered the world just as his big brother Samuel woke up (usual time, but probably helped along a little by Mummy's vocal chords from the previous few minutes!)
Delivered by Ceri - the midwife joined us 10 minutes later, followed not long after by all of his siblings who couldn't wait to meet him.

He weighed 9lb 7oz at birth. Middle name (we're nearly sure) and more photos coming soon.

Michael and I are hoping for a bit more sleep soon, and happier (less tired children) all round. We're enjoying having little Daniel here with us though. :o)

Really cold!

I went with everyone to the girls last riding lesson a month ago (last week of November). It was FREEZING, and turned out to be the day before it began to snow so no wonder! I took a few pictures, but you can see how cold they all look.







Peter and Michael saying hello to a new horse.



Peter and I were especially grateful for a plug-in heater they have in a room next to the arena. It kept us going for a while! The girls needed it to warm up with afterwards too. That lesson was definately the last for the winter months!

I think it was the next day that it began to snow. Peter could hardly be kept indoors for any length of time, except when he got too cold outside. Samuel wanted to be outside too with everyone else, as he always does, but he wouldn't touch the snow for anything (not even with his shoes!)




After shovelling the snow away from our car and drive, Peter really wanted to go sledging. It wasn't the kind of snow for building snowmen anyway, so we went sledging round the corner from our home (or at least they all did - I watched!)





He was of course frozen to the bone when we'd been there just a short time (it didn't help that they were in the shade), and went home with Michael and Samuel after a while. His sisters enjoyed it though, although Rebekah was also frozen through and crying on the way home - as soon as she stopped sledging!

Getting colder

When we went to the London Temple in November, it was a particularly cold day.





Those (like Rebekah above) who wore warm wool socks were just fine going for a lovely fresh walk for a while. Those that weren't were quickly frozen to the bone and had to go inside to warm up!

We LOVED the red of these leaves. The children gravitated straight towards them. :o)









Samuel is fascinated by all animals (where his siblings will walk away from a dog, he walks towards them, and with all other creatures too). He was enjoying watching the ducks with Rachel here.





Hannah, as she often does, had made a little boat from a twig and a leaf, and they were all watching it float down the stream.







When it got to tea time, we drove to nearby Wakehurst Place (a National Trust property we like) and ate out tea in the car. Then wrapping up as warmly a we could we ventured out in the cold again to watch them turn the Christmas lights on on the largest living Christmas tree in the country.