advent day fifteen: home for the holidays

computer issues last night -

grrrrr.....

so here is yesterday's post.

i sent out invitations today for our christmas party!

i am very, very excited!

even though we went to high school in maryland,

three of my beautiful high school friends now live in denver.

also, my jr/sr high school bff is flying out to denver for the holidays

so the five of us, 

along with hubbies and kids, 

are getting together for a big christmas party!!

december 13th is st. lucia day

and i didn't post the photos from our little celebration.

we are american girl doll fans around here.

my now 23 year old daughter nicole, grew up with a kirsten doll.

although we've never lived in sweden,

we are captured by this sweet swedish tradition.

so now on st. lucia day, 

gabi and i dress kirsten up in her traditional st. lucia costume and accessories 

and read again the charming book, 

kirsten's surprise, a christmas story 

gabi had some wonderful news today!

she auditioned earlier this week for the up and coming middle school play.

then, she was chosen for call backs - a good thing.

this morning, the cast list was finally posted outside school.

she made her way through the crowd of students trying to get a glimpse of the results......

she was chosen to be the understudy for the lead role

as well as being given another smaller role.

quite an honor for a sixth grader to be the understudy for an eighth grader.

she is thrilled!

advent:

look who is here!!

margo is home for the holidays!

welcome home, baby girl.

she had quite the entourage pick her up at the airport.

she was expecting boring, old mom...

but instead, caleb, josh and sebastian surprised her.

we didn't get to see margo until we all met up at 

the second night of the fairview winter choir concert.

at the end of the evening's performance, 

it is a fairview choir tradition to invite all the

choir alumni to come and join in the annual rendition of 

silent night

margo never wants to miss the opportunity of

sharing this experience with her brothers.

it's my best to see them singing altogether.