Christmas Pictures

Before I forget...my friend Carrie took some family pics of us for our Christmas card this year.  They are beautiful and here are just a few of my favorites!

Christmas is Coming!

The fun and excitement and special activities kept us very busy in the week leading up to Christmas.  Lots of time with family and friends is what the season is all about.  

The weather in December was very un-Christmas-like, but we took advantage of it and headed to the beach one night for dinner and sunset.  One of my New Year's resolutions for this year was to get to the beach more often.  I guess I did get there a little more often than in the years past, but there is just no denying it...the beach is hard with kids!  It's a dirty, sticky, sandy mess and it seemed like we always went on extra windy days.  The kids do love it and they are not really sit-and-build-a-sandcastle kind of kids.  They are more like let's-jump-and-play-and-splash-and-go-as-far-in-the-water-as-we-can kids.  Not an easy task when it's just me with them, but maybe every year as they get older it will get easier.

We hosted a gingerbread cookie decorating party for Bridget and her classmates.  She loves her classmates so much it's always fun for kids to see each other outside of the classroom.  She was thrilled to have her friends over and everyone had such a fun time. 

It was not until just a few days before Christmas before I find some time to do some baking.  Bridget loved helping, but mostly enjoyed making a mess and eating the cookie batter!

This was likely one of her biggest challenges of the month...unwrap the kisses, don't eat them and wait for the peanut butter cookies to come out of the oven!

Always ready for a picture:)  Where's Ross, you ask?  Ross has had a particularly grumpy month and cooperating for pictures was not high on his priority list...

Playing outside and venturing into our backyard "woods" for the first time.

The kids school parties were so fun and festive.  I LOVED being there and I surprised the kids and had Caroline (home from a school break) come along with me.  The kids each presented us the most special and heartfelt handmade gifts they made at school. These are the special things that I'll tuck away and save forever.  Thank you again to their teachers who spend so much time and effort on all these projects.

Crafting and snacking

Homemade reindeer food

Ross' placemat...cutest thing ever!

Ross' class had a book gift exchange and he got a great book that he loves!

We had just a few days left before the BIG DAY!  It was beautiful and magical and those pictures to come soon!

Oh What Fun!

Christmas is here and we are enjoying every moment with the kids.  Their excitement is quite possibly at an all time high with both of them being so aware of the holiday excitement.  Every morning is so special as they both race our of bed to find "Elfie", our magical little Elf who returns to the North Pole each night to report to Santa, then rushes back to our house to find a new spot to relax for the day.  

Elfie really does know it all...he brought Bridget a new knock-knock joke!

Just hanging out...

Christmas movies are the best and we can't get enough of them.  I have a hard time saying no, even to the 100th request to watch one of them.  Even Ross, who has just finally started to become interested in watching TV, is enjoying all of our favorites.  They are especially loving 'The Polar Express' this year.

Our wonderful preschool had their annual Christmas concert earlier in the month and it made me so happy to see BOTH of my kids up on stage singing and having fun.  They wore Christmas pajamas and Santa hats and they did such a good job.  I might have (okay, definitely) shed a few happy tears while watching them.

More proud parent moments when Bridget performed at her Christmas dance recital.  She looked so beautiful and despite some nerves leading up to this performance, she shook them off at showtime and seemed so comfortable and confident on stage.  These sweet little performances make all the work leading up to them seem so worthwhile.  Every weekly class, every pricey costume piece, every email we get reminding us of hair style and make-up instructions...SO worth it to watch her shine on stage for 3 minutes!

Our letters to Santa went out this week too...

And a big thanks to Daddy who decorated the outside of our house earlier this month.  It looks perfect and we love admiring it at nighttime!