Christmas Anticipation

Is there anything more exciting than Christmas morning? If you ask me, I'd say those last few days leading up to the big day are right up there in excitement. If you're like us, the month has flown by, you've been extremely busy and by December 22nd you realize you have just a few days to fit it ALL in!

Checking the mail is the highlight of the season for me, as I LOVE receiving Christmas cards. One day last week a letter came for Bridget...from Santa. A handwritten envelope made out just to her. I was as shocked as she was! I made a few calls and no one owned up to the letter. We did send our own letter out to Santa earlier in the month, and our mail lady did take it that day (I had meant to take it back out of the mailbox before she got there, but she came early that day!) So, I can only guess that our friendly post office may have something to do with this.

She listened intently as I read the letter to her and then couldn't stop looking at it herself. What a treat!

Next up was Bridget's Christmas party at school. Ross loves to tag along to these things and little does he realize that he'll be having his very own class party next year!

While us moms work out all the little details of the party...games, treats, gifts, etc, I'm pretty sure we could show up cupcakes and call it a day!

The sweetest little group of kids!

I heard from a few different friends this year about a local Christmas light display. Apparently, it's been around for years, but this was the first I've heard of it. It was perfect-small enough to walk through with the kids, but big enough to put a great big smile of their faces. Real ponies was a plus too!

I'm not a fan of the unseasonably warm weather we've been having, but at least it gave us a change to go to the beach! Whenever we go in the late afternoon to watch sunset, I always tell the kids, "We're not getting in the water, just playing in the sand!" Riiiight...

This fun beach trip took us right up to Christmas Eve, where the excitement was in full swing. More to come on that magic later!

Present for Mommy

In August, Bridget started ballet class and it's been the highlight of our Tuesday afternoons ever since. The past few months have been spent working on and practicing the sweetest little dance, Present for Mommy, for their 2 holiday recitals.

I was really unsure how these very first performances would go. About a month ago, out of nowhere, our always very happy little girl starting having some big time teary moments...at school, at ballet, at home, at a friends house. The tears would come out of nowhere and she had no explanation for them. Somedays would be tear-free, and as soon as we thought this phase was over, another teary episode would happen.

Nervous does not even describe how I felt on the morning of the first holiday dance recital. I wanted to be optimistic, but all I could envision was her running off the stage in tears. She was so excited though. We did the hair, costume and a little make-up at home and then it was time to go. All the girls arrived and while she was still excited, I could see the nerves working up too.

Making her way to the stage...

But just like that, she danced and twirled and sang along and I couldn't have been more proud of her! We celebrated with a big chocolate donut afterwards!

The next week was another performance and again I was just as nervous. Maybe last weeks performance was just beginners luck? Maybe the larger crowd at this one would be too overwhelming? We waited and played patiently until the show began.

Bridget and Sydney, always together!

All lined up, ready to go!

And once again, a total success!

So proud of you, B!

More Merry and Bright!

As promised, I'm back to show that Ross is most definitely a part of all of our merry and bright Christmas adventures this year, even though he somehow didn't make an appearance on the last post!

Ross in Action:

He's pretty good around tree. He's smashed one ornament to pieces, but for an almost 2 year old very curious little boy, I can handle that. The other day, though, I peeked around the corner to see him standing in front of the tree, ever-so-slowly lunging his little fingers forward and touching the lights and ornaments and branches. He knew it was forbidden and he thought no one was watching. Then he got busted...

More pics from under the tree...trying so hard to get one "magical" picture in front of the tree of the kids. Haven't gotten it quite yet, but here are some out takes...

Ross pretending to enjoy Christmas Classics on TV:

Ross is not a TV watcher all all, but I cozied them up one night on the couch to watch Rudolph. He lasted about 3 minutes, but at least I got this super sweet photo of them together!

Ross meets Santa:

What can I say? I'm one of the lucky few. My kids aren't afraid of Santa or any other larger than life character for that matter.

We even sat on Santa's lap for a second time today and guess what he said, "Whoa, what a big boy! I'll bet you'll be a linebacker one day!"

Ross and Mommy time:

Last week we made an impromptu trip to the beach with some friends while Bridget was in school (feeling a little {a lot} guilty for doing this without B!).

Such a great morning! My 2012 resolution is to get to the beach way more often then we do.

While things are busier than ever, we are enjoying the season so much and getting more and more excited as we countdown to the big day!

Merry and Bright

We are right smack dab in the middle of the most wonderful time of the year and loving every second of it! I think that this year and the next few will those perfect "golden years" for Bridget at Christmastime. Everything is so magical, so believable, and so exciting for her. Ross is still a year away from really truly getting it all, but he is very, very close this year. He gasps in delight every time we plug the lights in and he excitedly looks for our elf every morning with Bridget.

Speaking of the elf, here are few places the little guy has been hiding...

He started out in the usual spots. High up on shelves, perched in a vase, snuggled in the Christmas tree..but has become a little more sneaky this year than ever before.

Who knew our Elf was a Tebow fan too?!?!?

Bridget's Christmas letter has been sealed and delivered to Santa. Getting just 3 things on her list was quite a task. The only thing she really wants is a pair of roller skates.

Those adjectives? All her own ideas and I couldn't agree more!

Her school Christmas concert was adorable and so festive. Such a fun way to get the season started!

Bridget and Sydney enjoying the best part of the night...cookies and lemonade!

Her oldest gal pals...Lily and Livi. So sweet that they are all in school together this year!

Another week ahead of us with a calendar full of Christmas-y things to do!

*Yikes! Just realized there are no pictures of Ross in this post! I guess another post in the very near future will be coming up soon!

Thanksmas

Yes, yes I am guilty of it. The Christmas celebrations seem to start earlier and earlier every year, and in my case well before Thanksgiving. But to me Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks, being with family AND getting into the Christmas spirit. It goes hand and hand if you ask me! So here is a recap of our past week; a week I'm now referring to as "Thanksmas"...

The Thanksgiving meal is by far my favorite holiday meal of the year. Better than the Christmas roast and better than the Easter ham in my opinion! And my very very favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal? Don't laugh, but it's the canned cranberry jelly! Not that it is necessarily the best tasting thing on my plate, but I love mixing it in all everything else..the turkey, the potatoes, the stuffing-yum!! We alternate celebrating Thanksgiving between my parents and Todd's parents and this year it was a Garner Thanksgiving for us. I brought the stuffing and a pecan pie and, of course, the cutest kids in town!

Little hands love to be big helpers!

Best. Stuffing. Ever. Thank you, Paula Deen.

Family snapshots...

Face-Timing with Jody at the Hancock Thanksgiving in Memphis!

So thankful for another year of health and happiness with my beautiful family!

The long weekend continued with decorating our trees, getting lights on the house and baking cookies for our first cookie swap of the year. Ross is being surprisingly good with the ornaments and other decorations and hasn't destroyed anything...yet.

How many people can say the get to put up Christmas lights shirtless? Only in Florida!

My favorite cookie recipe for the season, red velvet cookie sandwiches.

Last but not least was a gingerbread house decorating party at Bridget's favorite big girl friends, Grace and Ellie's house. She did a great job this year on the house and we had so much fun with all the big and little girls!

Hope your Thanksmas was as good as ours!