Christmas was GREAT!

The Coles family had a GREAT Christmas this year ... both boys were home, the girls loved every second of the holidays, and all the presents were hits! Santa was very good to everyone :)

Katie was in our church's live nativity. We were astonished when she had MAJOR stage-fright ... to the point of taking off her angel costume & declaring, "I QUIT THE SHOW!" I managed to get her back in the costume and up to the altar with everyone else, where Katie proceeded to have an absolute blast, complete w/ waving and winking at all of us!



Christmas Eve service at church was wonderful. The teens from Sunday School carried the nativity figures up to the altar one by one and then held candles while the congregation sang. It was so peaceful and beautiful ... I always love a church lit soley by candelight, faith, and hope.

The poor boys ... their birthday kind of gets lost every year w/ all the hustle and bustle of Christmas. We did have an ice cream cake & sang to both of them (separately, as we wanted the girls to be able to sing to at least one of them & James wasn't home until after the girls were in bed), and they opened their birthday gifts. It makes me so glad that I always gave them a 'half-birthday' party in the summer, just so they'd get some attention of their own!! I can't believe they're 19 ... both such responsible young men.

The boys both slept here on Christmas Eve (after poor Jake had his Rodeo towed home from Dedham ... the axle broke & he didn't make it to Christmas Eve service) and woke up to open presents w/ their sisters.

The boys then spent the rest of Christmas Day with their father, while we trucked to Weymouth to spend the day with Shawn's sister & family, and Nana & Pop. The best gift of the day was Sean's present for Pop ... a BIBLE!! Yup, that boys got some sense of humor ;) Managed to get a good picture of Nana, Pop, Nancy, and Shawn ...

Mackenzie's birthday follows on the heels of Christmas, January 4th. She turned 4 this year, and we held the party on the 3rd so James could be there (he had to go back to base on the 4th). It was just a family party, but Mackenzie was thrilled and got lots of nice presents. Best present of the day (I think) is her brand spankin' new 2-wheeler (w/ training wheels of course) & helmet!