Christmas Lights!

Of all the gifts this year, I think this is the one that really "MADE" my Holiday!
On our doorstep one night we found a bag of Christmas M & M's and a note that read:
We love Christmas here at that Beach House and have fun decorating our house! It was nice to know that someone else enjoyed our efforts!

Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve and John is dressed in his favorite Christmas shirt and ready for the day!

Kevin & Corban

A nice picture of all 8 Worthington Cousins

How they normally look...

I love the girls funny faces...
Grace & Ella can pull the best faces...
Parker got some Blue Antonio Banderas Cologne... it smells really good! We were all ooohing and aaahing about how all the girls are going to LOVE him and he was blushing!
Dex always loves some Legos! Lego announced this year that they would be discontinuing the BIONCLE line!
Mom knows the lady that sold Nat's parents their current home years ago. She was in her house and recognized the painting and asked about it. They gave her a copy and Mom framed it and gave it to Erin & Nat. It is the home that Nat grew up in. Great Gift Mom! Way to GO!

I gave allllll the nieces and nephews on both sides (Worthington's & Beach's) Marshmallow Shooters! They were a big hit! For some reason they weren't allowed to start an all-out Marshmallow War!

Annika was HIDEOUSLY excited about the toe socks Grandma gave her for Christmas. Annika kept touching me with her toes and totally grossing me out, which only led her to do it more! Her toes felt so long and she definitely has MONKEY Toes now!
Grandma brought homemade pitzels and Corban WENT TO TOWN on them! He loved them and couldn't eat them fast enough! We grew up with my Grandparents Meme & Pepe Martino making Pitzels. My grandpa would make them a lot thicker so they didn't crumble so easily. I'm not a fan of Anise flavoring, so one bite was all I could ever take.

We are home now. John dressed Brillo in his Christmas Pajamas...
and the boys unwrapped their Christmas Lounging pants...

and it was off to bed to wait for Sugar Plums to dance in our heads!... I mean for Santa to come.

Oakwood Christmas Sing-A-Long

This was our last Elementary School Christmas Program... the boys are growing up! :o(
And this new camera sure is sensitive, the slightest movement and I get blurry pictures!


Luckily, our cute Ashley (niece) goes to Oakwood too, so we'll get to enjoy the Christmas songs from her for the next 6 years....then Aaron!!

Christmas Orchestra Concert

Dexter started playing the Viola last year and is quite a superstar... especially when you know that he NEVER practices. Never. Ever. EVER!
I told his Orchestra teacher and she laughed and said that she was the same way. Her mother would always say, "Just think how good you would be if you actually PRACTICED!"
The day started out pretty hectic with Brillo (our dog) being sick and I was at the Vet with him at 8am. Dexter called me about 8:30 to tell me that, "Aaaa, Mom, I forgot that today is the Orchestra Concert and I forgot my viola and I need nice clothes and it starts at 1:30. okay. At 11:30 when I dropped off all his "supplies" he told me that the concert didn't start until 2:30. okay. So after taking Brillo back to the vet for more tests and running in to work, I made it back to the school at 2:20, only to find out the concert REALLY didn't start until 3pm. UGHGH! I still hadn't showered and was suppose to be at my part-time Holiday job @ 5pm. So I ran home, took the quickest shower EVER and made it back to the concert on time with camera rolling...
Oakwood Orchestra Christmas Concert




Dexter performed as a trio with Reid Dimond & Ethan Anderl. They played We Three Kings.

Bye Bye Bye Baby Rex

Chris, Jessi and Rex had to head back to Texas to pack up and move to North Carolina. Chris will be stationed in Fort Bragg.

The cousins came over to say their goodbyes. Lucas entertained himself until Chris and Jessi got there. We could hear Darth from the kitchen...just breathing...breathing that scary Darth Vader breathing!

Brillo wasn't too sure about this black mask thing that sounded like it needed an inhaler!
As soon as Rex got there he ran to Kristen and just wanted to cuddle. He was just clinging to her I think he didn't want to go home to Texas!


Back again for more hugging!
Oh! or maybe it was because he thought Aunt Kristen could get him through the gate ;o)
We had to do a little bit of unwrapping of Christmas gifts. Yes! We HAD to! and this was not regulation "Beach Family Christmas Gift Opening" but this was a gift that might break on the trip home and needed to be properly packed, so we HAD to have them open it! A glass pie plate for Jessi with the BEACH name etched into it and the Army Strong Star.
Rex got some trains to play with on the truck ride home
Mike Beach Family
John Beach Family
Steven Beach Family
Good Bye Chris and Jessi and Rex! Drive Safely!!! Good Luck in your new adventure! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Candlelight Christmas

Haley invited us all to enjoy the Candlelight Christmas at the This is the Place Heritage Park opening night on November 27. It was chilly but it was so much fun... pioneer living warmed our hearts! First a train ride to see Father Christmas...and the reindeer, but they weren't out...it was opening night so we decided to give them a break.

Beach Grandkids
Beach Boys
Hi John! (the flash is pretty bright when it is pitch black outside!)
Beach Girls bundled up!
Steven Beach Family
Aaron loves his Cuz'n Parker!

Throughout the park they had different areas where you could go inside the buildings and make some pioneer crafts. This stop...
Keegan made a Christmas Spider
Miss Ashley did too!
Dexter and Parker made a beeswax candle...
and a wooden ornament...
There was a live nativity...
complete with the stable animals...


The next craft stop we made candy cane ornaments...
and John was the master Danish Woven Heart Basket maker!
Elf Wonderland!
Aaron kept running under the ropes to play in the playhouses. In the summer these are open for the kids to play in.
The kids got to write a letter to Father Christmas and then they could burn it and the smoke would take their wishes to the North Pole. Parker and Dexter didn't want to write Father Christmas until they heard the word "FIRE"... "We get to BURN something?"... THEN they were up to the task!
Lucas's picture for Father Christmas
Dexter asked for his brother to be nice (nice request)
Parker just asked for his brother to disappear (naughty request)
BURN BABY BURN! Sending our wishes to the North Pole
Even Lesley sent a letter to Father Christmas asking for a boyfriend. We told her she better be specific... "a boyfriend that is marriage material, treats her like a queen, not gay and has a good job", then I reminded her she better put a time frame on this. So HOPEFULLY, if Lesley has been a VERY good girl this year and Father Christmas grants her wish, she'll have a FABULOUS boyfriend by next Thanksgiving!
I think Keegan was saluting his wishes off to Father Christmas and the fire was quite mesmerizing and warm!
By the end of the night Lucas was crying for Parker and Aaron was crying for Dexter to carry them on their shoulders... some wishes were granted immediately!
Happy Christmas to ALL!!!!