THIS IS THE LIFE!

JOY!

That is what I have felt this week!  I feel blessed beyond measure!  I love my family!  I love my daughters!  I love having my entire family HOME in Kentucky!  I love having young children around me! (Thank you, Amy and Kristie for sharing!)  I love that my "adopted" kids take pictures for me!  I love celebrating Christmas with my ward family!  And I especially love celebrating Christmas when the focus in on my Savior!
There has been so much wonderful the past two weeks...  Here's a peek into our crazy busy lives:
Thursday we had all of the Bettenhausen children over with the Waltman kids!  It was so much fun to hang out with these adorable kid-os!  We crafted and watched Peter Pan.

Raisin

Lemonbalm

Raisin and Apple Jacks

Lemonbalm, Raisin, Apple Jacks and Jelly Bean

I thought this picture was priceless!

Friday Scott took me out on a date.  We saw Murder on the Orient Express.  It was so much fun!  Kenneth Branagh is definitely a fabulous actor.  He's one of my favorites!  And he portrayed Hercule Poirot perfectly!

So excited to see this movie... and it didn't disappoint!

The theater was AMAZING!

I loved the recliner seats and assigned seating!

Saturday was the ward Christmas party.  These cute kids showed us the true meaning of Christmas by performing a live nativity.  Check out the cutest wise man, shepherd and sheep.  I missed getting a picture of the cutest angel. 

Apple Pie is my favorite wise man!

Jelly Bean was my favorite sheep!

And Licorice was adorable as a shepherd holding his sheep

Erin is one of our new favorite friends!  We love her so much!

She and Kotten Kandy love hanging out together at church!

She hopes to be joining the church at the end of the month...

And after the party... KIARA LEA came home!  HAPPY DAY!

SHE'S HOME!!!!!!!!!

First hug went to her sister!

I love that they love each other!

BFFs!

The Waltmans surprised Kiara with a cute Welcome Home banner!

This adorable decoration was represented on the banner... Cute!

It looks just like them!

I love watching Scott with little girls... it reminds me of my daughters when they were young.  He is never more handsome than when he's being fatherly!  :-)

Admiring the tree...

And playing with a basket lid...

And I love that Kiara and Cody send me pictures of themselves!  And I especially love that Kiara's roommates also send me pictures of themselves wearing the headbands I sent them!  They are amazing young women!

Amber and Mary

LOVE them!

Grateful they are part of my daughter's life!

Date night to the Hickory

Lighting Chinese laterns

Meeting at the airport as they fly to Kentucky and Texas

Attending church together

I love watching my daughters play together...  It was a fierce game of Battle Ship:

Kiara and I dressed Karmel for the holidays... just for Kotten Kandy:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!