Preparing for Christmas...(no new news though...)

Well, let me start off by saying we haven't heard anything this week about the adoption. We only know that our papers were being sent to Moscow this week, so we are hoping that they are either on their way or they are already there. I am so glad we have the holidays to keep us preoccupied right now, because otherwise I know I would be feeling even more anxious than I already am!! I am getting to the point where I just want to know if it is a boy or a girl and how old they are!! Patience....
So, I will give you a short update of our Thanksgiving and how we have been decorating the house for Christmas.
Here is Travis with Grammy at the park on Thanksgiving afternoon. We had a really nice day!

Here is Travis with Great-Grandma. They played Connect Four together, I taught them both how to play...then I turned around for a minute to discover Travis was already trying to cheat!! Poor Great-Grandma!!

Here is Travis with his new cousin, Riley. Travis was practicing being a big brother, I must say he did a VERY good job! Riley seemed to like Travis and they enjoyed playing peek-a-boo together. I think Riley will be happy to know he will have someone his age to play with very soon!!

Last weekend we got out the Christmas decorations. We have a "friendly competition" with the neighbors regarding who gets the lights up first....well, we came in 2nd place this year, but only by a few hours!! LOL Daryle didn't put the lights up high this year, he had a battle with the extension ladder, I would say the ladder won! Anyway, I still think they look nice....this picture doesn't do it justice!

Here is Travis with our new addition, the penguin.

Here is our other new friend on the lawn, Mr. Polar Bear.

Frosty is back!!! He has been part of our family for a few years now. Travis loves it when Frosty comes out to play for few weeks!

Ok, now for a funny Travis story. I have several nativity scenes in my house at Christmas time. One is wooden and for kids, another one is sort of for kids (I told Travis he could play with it) and a third one Travis was really interested in because it is a Native American set with a tee-pee, cactus and a coyote. Anyway, I told him he could be "in charge" of those and Mommy was in charge of the big, nice one on the entry way table. So, he was playing with them for awhile. After he went to bed I went to turn the lights off, and this is what I found....

Evidentally, he put all three baby Jesus' in the manger, with all of the animals and people looking on! (Also notice the car inside the manger, I suppose that is Jesus' car??!!) I especially like how they seemed to arrive there by school bus, tractor and race car! I was laughing so hard!! I called Daryle over and we cracked up, I ran for my camera to get these shots!! It sure gave us a good laugh, he is such a funny kid!! Then I went over to where the Native American set was, and all the people were in a semi-circle looking at NOTHING!! I didn't get a picture of that one, sorry! So, the next day I casually asked him why all the babies were together and he said, "They didn't want to be lonely." AHH, of course!!

I hope my next post is the news you are all waiting for!!