Family Visit #2

G's parents came into town before Christmas and we enjoyed a fabulous visit with them. When they are here, their goal is to spend as much time with the children as humanly possible. They let the boys set the schedule, choose the day's activities, you get the picture. Basically, they are at the mercy of 3 little monkeys who are smart enough to know that Grandma and Papa will do whatever they want, whenever they want.

These are some photos of their visit. Here is G looking through his London for Kids guidebook with Papa as they decide on an outing:

First stop, Pizza Express:

Onto the Chelsea game:

Papa helped the boys find the perfect Christmas tree:

And this is how we got the tree home, yes we're all in a black cab with the tree end to end through the open windows in the back:

The trimming of the tree:

Playing trains was on the agenda for the following day:

Christmas crafts with Grandma and Papa, a definite hit with the boys:

Another evening was spent doing floor puzzles:

Grandma and B doing their special made-up game:

Not to be left out, S jumped on Grandma's lap as soon as it was vacant:

Family movie night, made even better since Grandma joined in the snuggles:

We celebrated our Christmas together with Grandma and Papa on the last night of their visit. I'm not sure who I enjoyed watching more that night, the children who took such joy and delight in opening their packages, or watching Grandma and Papa taking that moment in and seeing it through their eyes. Such a special Christmas memory for us all!

Happy Birthday to our #1 Dad

G's birthday celebration was on Friday and started with VIP club seats at the Chelsea game:

Little G certainly enjoyed the star treatment! This was the 3rd waffle prepared for our little prince as the first had a fruit topping on it, the second had whipped cream, and here is the third that finally suited his discerning palate:

After the game, we enjoyed a family dinner out at our favorite "American style" restaurant:

G's big day was topped off with cake, ice cream and a SKYPE call from family back home in Texas .

Happy Birthday, G, you are our #1!

Christmas 2008

As this blog is serving as our family photo album . . .

Christmas Eve Moments to Remember

We attended the Lessons and Carols service at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Eve. Hoping that it was family friendly as most churches here do not have a creche (nursery), the Nelson family made it for all of 20 minutes of the service, and I am being quite generous on that time estimate. Seems the little voices of B and S, as angelic as they are, were not quite in tune with those of the choir. Nonetheless, being in that most holy place, surrounded by the beauty and majesty of the cathedral and knowing that we were all there to celebrate the miraculous birth of the Christ child, made it Christmas to us. I will never forget sharing that moment, albeit brief, as a family.

Here we are on our way into the service:

and on our way out:

Once we got home, we set out with our pre-Father Christmas preparations. Here is B perfecting his working knowledge of the role of serving gentlemen to the king, or in this case, Father Christmas, as he is testing those cookies to make sure they are not in any way tainted. He took this job very seriously:

I love this photo of S (notice B's hands have not let go of that cookie):

And here is G working on a collective letter to Father Christmas. This is something he does every year:

S has perfected the camera-ready smile:

Preparations have been finished, boys have been bathed and the Christmas story has been read . . . and now off to bed!

Another moment I have to record for posterity . . . I went in to check on the boys a good hour after we had tucked them in, B was in a sweet slumber as was S, but as I went over to G's bed, he was laying perfectly still, covers pulled up and nestled right under his little chin, and as I went to kiss his tender cheek, his eyes quickly popped open. He looked so worried because he was just too excited to fall asleep and he just knew Father Christmas was getting close to our home. He knew his precise location because we spent a good half-hour tracking him on Google Earth (thank you Papa)! He went downstairs for one last location check and then fell fast asleep. Another sweet moment that I don't want to forget!

Christmas Eve Video

The magic of Christmas:

As a Follow-Up

Would you believe that the very day I posted our online Christmas card the box containing our "real" cards showed up at my mom and dads home?

Coincidence?

I don't think so.

The good Lord was just waiting until I humbled myself before everyone I know so that He could make sure I was really with Him. Thank you Lord, I've got your message!

Happy Christmas

From our family to yours!

The Nelson Family

On Christmas Cards

Okay, by now you know me well enough to know that I would never send our holiday greetings via email and blog entries. I hope you are waiting for the rest of the story because I do need to share a little background information with you.

You see, months ago I started on Christmas card project 2008, purchasing cards during the summer, picking up postage in August when we were in the states for a visit, snapping a photo of the boys back in October, all so that I could complete this project by mid-November with cards in the post by December 1.

December 1. That was my mail out date. Was being the key word here.

I had the bright idea to save on international postage and ship the cards to my mom and dad with regular US postage already on them. Then, the plan was for my mom to receive the box, take the cards to the post office and mail, again on December 1.

Back in mid-November, all was going well with my Christmas card 2008 planning timeline. A good two weeks before Thanksgiving I was at the post office up our street sealing that box and getting it ready for its journey across the pond, all the while feeling a bit high and mighty that I was done with Christmas cards, and they were done early so that hopefully they would be some of the first in the post for our friends and family to receive.

This is the precise point in which my plan obviously started to fail. And I think it had to do with the fact that I was getting mighty puffed up and a little too proud for my britches. I'm beginning to understand that my Christmas card intentions may have been a little out of line with what they should have been. I was feeling high and mighty trying to create the illusion that I've really got it all together, you know, 3 little boys at home, an international move under my belt and my Christmas cards were going out on December 1. Yep, that really shows that you've got your act together. Right.

Now comes the rest of the story.

After almost daily check-ins with my mom and her postman, the cards are nowhere to be found. Gone. No way to track them gone. Gone also is the image that I was trying to create of someone with her act together!

During the first few weeks, I held onto much hope just knowing they would turn up and then be sent out, a little later than I was planning, but out all the same. As the weeks drew on and after much analyzing about where my plan had failed, I found the time to really examine my Christmas card objectives and I found them to be a little skewed to say the least. I wanted them in the post early so that it would be a reflection of how together I thought I was. I think that is why the good Lord is looking down on me right now having a good giggle at my expense. He's having the last laugh because it seems to take lessons like these for me to get things right.

This season is not about the perfect picture in the perfect setting of the perfect family for the perfect Christmas card that will go in the post on December 1.

It's about reaching out to those you love and sharing the miraculous and glorious birth of our Savior.

That's it.

That's what it's all about. All of the other is just "fluff". The decorations, the trees, the packages, the parties, even the Christmas cards, sure they are wonderful and certainly add to the merriment and anticipation, but may they never make us lose sight of what this season is truly all about. That very special night over 2000 years ago when a precious baby was sent by God for me and for you. The ultimate gift, wouldn't you say?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 3:16-17

A Little Sibling Rivalry

or in this case, revelry!

We enjoyed dinner out with Rob and Cynthia and proved that there is indeed a difference in the alcohol content here!

Rob before:

and Rob after:

That's a little brotherly love for you right there. I'm quite sure Rob was thanking his brother right about then!