Christmas will soon be here...

Just wanted to write again and update the blog. It isn't my intention to just do an every other month "unloading" and post a bunch of stuff at once, but again, life has gotten in the way. Since my last postings in November, we have had many rounds of viral sicknesses pass through this house, followed by Strep Throat and prescribed inhalers and now even last night...the stomach flu - poor Faith! It has been a challenge, yet the Lord has gotten us through and dare I say maybe after this little flu - which we pray no one else gets - we will be able to enjoy a germ free holiday? We'll have to see about that one! So here are another nineteen posts that show what's been happening around here in between all of the germs! Starting with Thanksgiving in Columbus and up to our most recent trip just last night to the mall and to see Santa...you can read all about it below...Maybe now that I am caught up again, I can actually blog every couple of days and keep up with it! Enjoy your Christmas...we'll be sure to post photos in the next few days!

A Visit to see Santa...

Last night we took the girls to the mall for some last minute shopping for each other and who did they get to see? None other than the big man himself! What a thrill - I think this year more than ever. I am really looking forward to Christmas this year. They seem such a perfect age and have been so excited about everything this year. And aren't they getting so big? You can read all about the visit with Santa, trip to the mall, going out to dinner and more on the posts below!!

The big moment...

The girls were so excited to see Santa and he spent a few minutes talking with them...mostly Grace did the talking and Maddie was content to watch (and a little shy - notice the finger in her mouth - doesn't she look like Dr. Evil? Lol) Santa listened intently as Grace told him what she wanted...he whispered something in her ear in the next picture...she too listened intently...and as they left Maddie offered him a high five...that is sooo Maddie! The girls talked all about how he really was the real Santa and not just one of Santa's helpers...here are their reasons:

Santa said "Thank you Grace, for the beautiful picture. I am going to bring this back to the North Pole with me and hang it on my refrigerator...Mrs. Claus will love it"

Santa's beard was real!

Santa's beard didn't move!

Another funny thing Maddie said the other day...it just reminded me of the times we live in...we were talking about what we wanted for Christmas and she said she would write Santa a note and when he woke up the next morning, he could check his computer and read her note...no mention of sending it in the mail - she was talking about e-mail! Quinn and I thought that was so cute!

Pre-Santa Pics...

The girls found the Abominable Snowman...

Grace holding her picture she made for Santa over a month ago...leading up to this moment!

Still waiting...just taking in the scenery!

The guy that plays the banjo on the Rudolph cartoon...the name escapes me, but notice Santa waiting in the background!

The Magic Wan

Before our night of shopping began, we started off with some good Chinese food at one of our favorite places...the girls got a Kiddie cocktail on the house, which they just loved! Maddie insisted on wearing her crown from Sunday school and we had so many people comment on how beautiful it was...also provided a good chance to show a testimony for the Lord as the verse on it said, " For unto you is born this day, a Savior, which is Christ the lord." One lady said she just loved it. The girls love the egg drop soup and each of them ate a whole egg roll and some crab rangoon..it was kind of fun not to have to worry about wrangling Faith in the high chair..the girls did so well! And we had to top off the meal with orange slices and almond cookies!

Build A Bunny?

Last night during our trip to the mall, the girls made a special build a bear bunny for Faith for her Christmas present. They love her so much and had lots of fun making this just for Faith! It is a cute long eared floppy bunny that right now is still nameless...when we decide on one for sure, we'll go back and get her certificate of adoption. She even has bows on her ears and a Hello Kitty t-shirt. Here are some pics of the fun they had making her for Faith...

Faith's present (cont.)

School Christmas Parties...

Friday was the big day for end of the year class parties. Grace had a Christmas breakfast - Faith, Nita and I all tagged along.

Grace's gift from the gift exchange.

Maddie singing during her class program...I got all the songs on video, but not sure how to post a video yet...I'll see if I can do that sometime.

She was so excited to have us there...she had been practicing her songs for a month!

BCBC Sunday School Christmas Program 2007

Last Sunday night, the 2 yr olds all the way through high schooler Sunday School classes sang their annual program. It is so fun to see how much the girls have changed and how much they love to sing out for Jesus! They both did a wonderful job and gave it their best...

Grace the OB...

Yes, this is what we do for fun around here...play Dr. to a woman having babies! They are such girls!! These pics turned out blurry...surprising...I won't tell you who took them, but it wasn't me :) Anyway, they were too funny not to post...I was upstairs making dinner when all of the action happened. Grace was the Dr., Maddie was the patient about to give birth...yes, that's a baby under her shirt, not a busty chest!! The look on Maddie's face cracks me up every time I see these...

# 1 All is well

# 2 I think I am having some labor pains...uh-oh!

# 3 Proud Mommy...very relieved

# 4 An after birth cuddle with baby and vital signs check up!

Love that Faith!

Faith loves to look at books and be read to. I caught her in the girls' room one day exploring the bookshelf...

And of course, like all Turner/Denning women, she LOVES to talk on the phone!

The girls' Christmas tree...every year I put this small tree in their room. This year we had multi colored lights, pink and purple miniature bulbs and our assortment of Blue's Clues, Dora, Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears and Sant/Snowmen Ornaments. I have since taken it off of the basket...maybe when I get a chance I'll have Quinn take a picture in the dark with the lights on...it looks so cozy that way...but I'm not an experienced photographer like he is :)

Life at our house...

Here are some more candids taken recently at our house...

Grace and Maddie love to make tents - when they were called to dinner not that long ago, I realized it had been very quiet in their room. They had made a tent in the bottom bunk - complete with light and all sorts of coloring stuff...they love to be creative!

The girls - all three of them love to do each other's hair or even our hair. Faith is sitting so patiently in this picture while Maddie plays hairdresser. Even Faith comes up to me and says "Sit on couch Mommy" and she'll go get a brush and hair clip and pretend to do my hair. I love that they love to play with each other!

Fun in a cardboard box...notice they colored it all over first and then had a blast pushing each other around!

More hairdressing...this time Daddy was the Guinea Pig! Notice the clip, sunglasses and you can't see it, but he has an earring on his other ear! Grace took a baby bottle and pretended it was hairspray...(don't tell, but I see Barbie Styling heads from Santa in the near future...hopefully Daddy and I will be relieved of guinea pig duties)!