Merry Christmas from the Metz Family!
We wanted to share some of our memories from this Christmas season - Clementine's first Christmas! Have a wonderful time with your family and friends!

Clementine loves her new noisy toy from Aunt Abbey that she can't wait to share with a new cousin next Christmas!!

Breakfast with Santa at Alum Creek....

Clark was o.k. standing in line to see Santa as long as Lacy was with him. Lacy is such a ham for the camera! This is as close as Clark would get to Santa, but he was determined to ask for his tracks for Thomas and Annie & Clarabel. Clementine had just woke up from her nap when it was her turn to visit with Santa. She wasn't fully conscious yet.

Christmas with the Metzes in Defiance



This is what happens when you tell Andy to clean off the counter. Very nicely done!

Clark liked decorating cookies with Grandma - she gave him a really big one to eat when he finished working.

The kids were thoroughly spoiled in Defiance, and I'm sure the spoiling will continue when we arrive in Tennessee tomorrow to celebrate with the Hastings side of the family. Clementine loved her baby dolls and Clark was ECSTATIC over his Thomas train set. He played with it for hours and was very protective of it. Andy got to play with it for a little while. Everyone else's participation was by invitation only.

Christmas Eve

Finishing the countdown to Christmas, cookies for Santa, reading the Christmas story at bedtime when we got home from Alum Creek's Christmas Eve service......it was a wonderful Christmas Eve for the Metzes!

Christmas Morning!

An Alum Creek Milestone

Clementine reached a major milestone yesterday as a member of Alum Creek Church - her first cradle roll class with Ruth. She lasted for 10-15 minutes. It was a great introduction, though, to this important part of her early life. Ruth is the greatest cradle roll teacher I've ever met and loves both of our children so much. What a wonderful influence and blessing she is - a terrific first teacher for our kids! Clementine is looking forward to all of the exciting things she will learn in Cradle Roll! Even Clark was excited about Clementine going to class and having time with "his Ruth."

First Snow Day!

When Clark saw the snow Wednesday morning he was speechless at first - a very rare state of being for Clark Metz! The words soon came - "I so excited! It's Christmastime! I go build Frosty! I so excited! I so excited! I wear my boots! I wear my snow pants! I so excited!"

After careful consideration (but no crying), Clementine decided she liked the snow, too. She was very content (not overjoyed, mind you) cruising the backyard in her infant sled.

Christmas Decorating Time!

I (mb) love decorating for Christmas. I love the glow of lights and smell of pine for the whole month. Christmas clean-up is very sad. I am ready to have the tree up and Christmas village lit the day after Thanksgiving. Adam made me wait a week to get the tree! How frustrating! Well, Clark helped pick out the tree (sort of - he was cold and tired) while Clementine watched all nice and warm in her fleece and blankets and then we got to come home and start decorating!! The Metz halls have been decked for 2007 - Clementine's first Christmas!