'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas' Marguerite is humming to herself as she sticks up Christmas tree number one. Having lots more room and space this year this would be the first of three trees put up at 23a Pigeontown Road.
Marguerite and Ben are glued to the Saturday night action.
A couple of days later and Ben is out hunting for a suitable Christmas Tree at the local Glenavy Garden Centre.
'That one there will do squire .... tie it up ..... bag it up ...... and chuck it round to 23a Pigeontown Road if it's not too much bother'.
After picking the tree Ben explored the Glenavy Garden Centre which was all decked out in lots of Christmas Décor.
A couple of years ago Marguerite went round to her friend Allie's house in Massachusetts to have a Ginger Bread house building day. This year she bought a flat pack version out of Tesco and proceeded to stick it together. Unfortunately this pic was as good as it got due to the poor blighter falling to pieces every three minutes. So after an hour it was chucked in the bin!!
After the failed attempt to build the Ginger Bread house Jude and Ben quickly got stuck into getting Christmas Tree number two ready ..... and before you knew it ........
........ there it was ...... Christmas Tree number two was up. Cool wha?
A couple of days later and Marguerite is with Cormac and Riona on a visit to Santa's Grotto in Armagh. 
Waiting excitedly in line at Santa's Grotto are Cormac, Emma, Ben, Riona, Leah and Grace.
The Elves were really, really busy getting things ready for Christmas.
'This place is great craic, it's sick ..... I mean it's just sooo cool .......presents galore, wha? said Cormac. 
Grace and Ben hung little stars on the large Christmas Tree then took a spin around it to check it out.
Riona and Emma are writing up their letters for Santa ........ but were they on the naughty list or the good list?
Ben was on the good list this year so he posted his letter with lots of confidence that he would get what he wanted.
Grace, Ben and Rhiannon visit Mrs Claus.
'So my dear, were you good this year? 'What ........ who me? 'Ehhhh ...... yes'.
'Are you sure about that?
'Yes, I was extra good this year'.
'Emm ..... I'll have to check that!
After visiting Mrs Claus everyone went in for a wee telling of the Nativity Story.
........ along with Marguerite ......
....... to the Elf School. Check out Ben sitting there in the front row all attentive and all .... like butter wouldn't melt ...... wha?
And here is Ben messing around looking into the Elf School.
After a wee song from the big elves ......
...... it was time to go home. Mary, Grace and Ben hitched a ride on this cool sleigh.
A couple of days later and Jude and Ben have taken a stroll down to see the Christmas tree in Glenavy village. Ben just loved that tree and would shout, 'treeee' every time he would pass it for the next few weeks.
Christmas was fast approaching by now and Ben was getting in as much dance practice as he could.
He was pulling all sorts of moves. 
A pre Christmas spin on the bike ......
....... sure why not?
In fact Ben likes to boogie a lot. As soon as a song comes on the radio he can be heard saying, 'Up, up, up', in demanding that all those in the room join in with his dance.
Truth be told he's quite a good dancer ...... even if he does copy Jude's moves.
A couple of days before Christmas and Marguerite is building bricks with Ben and introducing him to 'Steptoe and Son'.
'Ok Ben, this is Rudolph ..... Rudolph is a reindeer ....... Reindeers help Santa pull the sleigh'. 
'Yeee haaa'. Ben thought this was hilarious until ........
....... poor Rudolph coped an unfortunate one as his legs buckled below him. 
Poor Rudolph was never the same after that!Jude had to explain again to Ben that Rudolph could not carry his weight.
Soon enough Ben had Mouse parked on Rudolph.
'What's that? Is it the boss you're looking? You're looking at him, I say, I'm the boss around these parts'. (That's probably what Ben will be saying in a couple of years time!)
Pile up toy style!
Ben posing with the tree. So every year about three weeks before Christmas Marguerite asks Jude, 'Jude, what do you want for Christmas'. Jude always replies, 'sure an auld football book and a record will do ...... sure I have everything I need ..... what more do I need? 'Well I suppose I would love my pic of Brookline up on the wall, that would be nice', rambled Jude. Well this conversation was spoken as Marguerite's Dad was in the house and before you could say, 'which part of Brookline is it' .........
............ Michael (and Ben) had the pic up on the wall in the hallway. Jude took the pic on New Year's day 2013 as he waited on the Green Line 'T' train to pick him up on his way skiing at Wachusett. 
Jude and Ben.
Christmas Tree number three sat in the hallway.
Now it very close to Christmas and time to get all the gifts wrapped ..... here is Marguerite getting stuck into the job with her own little helper.
Two days before Christmas and Ben has finally gotten one of his birthday presents opened and built. His Granny and Granda Crossan got him that great tool bench.
With two more sleeps to Christmas the excitement is really building ...... so let's have another wee dance ...... to settle the nerves like!
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