Merry Christmas!!

Family portrait taken Christmas night

Matthew opening presents Christmas morning

My grandma with all her grandchildren and their spouses (Matthew is the first and so far only great-grandchild)

Making Christmas cookies with Mommy

Riding the Christmas Train with Mommy

How the Russell family celebrated the Christmas Holiday...
1. Marc and I took Matt to see the tree lighting on the square downtown.
2. My mom and I took Matt to ride the Christmas Train.
3. Santa stopped by our house just to say "Merry Christmas".
4. We made Christmas cookies together.
5. We saw all of our family (including grandparents and great-grandparents!).
6. Matt sat on Santa's lap at Bass Pro Shops...(the picture was FREE!!)
7. We sang "Happy Birthday to Jesus" (a tradition my grandmother started with us when we were kiddos!)

I can not believe this was Matt's third Christmas! Time flies!! He is definitely growing into a little boy now. He loved EVERYTHING about Christmas! He danced and sang to the Christmas carols, he gazed at the tree and demanded we turn it on every morning, he laughed at our snowman and lights in the yard and LOVED opening his presents on Christmas morning. I love this time of the year and I am so glad that my little boy does too!

Lullaby

I have been singing songs to Matt since he was born. We sing together all the time but especially at night before bed. Lately, I have been asking him what songs he would like for me to sing to him. He usually requests "Pop Goes The Weasel", "Baa Baa Black Sheep", and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". After singing his requests, I always sing the following three songs "Jesus Loves Me", "How Great is Our God", and a little song I made up when he was born that follows the tune "Are You Sleeping". Sunday night when I started to sing Jesus Loves Me, he sang with me! He then sang the other two songs as well. It was so precious!! My heart melted when he grinned at me and sang the words to the lullaby I made up for him..."mommy loves you, mommy loves you, very much..." It was priceless!

Little Boy's Best Friend...

Man's best friend is proving to be little boy's best friend too! Matthew LOVES his puppy. (Who happens to be a three your old German Shepard.) I often wonder if she is as crazy for him as he is for her! The poor dog can not just "chill out" when Matt is around. He is constantly taking her ball, her bone, poking her eyes, and pulling her ears or tail. He thinks it's all "fun." She is totally irritated. Thankfully, she has a gentle nature and doesn't seem to mind...too much.