Cookie for Santa

Here are the goodies that girls set up for Santa.  2 cookies for him, carrots for the reindeer, milk (in the fridge until just before we go to bed upon LK's request for Santa not to have to drink room temperature milk).  This is clearly set up by little girls - notice the symmetry of the cards, the ornaments that the girls made for him out of paper and paperclips, and the purple bow that was added simply because it matches the paper.  They were chattering about how they hope he writes them back.  You bet he will! 

Lily Kate is lying in her bed belting out "Happy Birthday to Jesus" as I type this :)

December Recap

December may have been the busiest month of the past year.  We have managed to pack in tons of Christmas parties and school events.  Here is my attempt at capturing some of the moments.  

Our friends, the Powells, have an annual gingerbread house decorating party.  The parents attempt to decorate, the kids the see how much candy they can sneak in their mouths, and there's a prize for the best house at the end.

 Here is our hot pink gingerbread castle.  Can you believe it didn't win?  :)

 Here's the winner, June and Caroline's Rudolph house. Adorable.

 Steph and Hadley

Lily Kate also decorated a mini house at school.  Those kids packed on as much candy as they could, most of the houses were collapsing from the weight of the candy. 

The girls were in the Christmas play at church.  The theme was Christmas around the world.  Charlotte was from China and LilyKate was from Persia.  I wasn't sure if Persian women wear a jewel on their foreheads, but Kate was.  

 getting out those pre-show jitters....

 Towards the start of the show it became apparent that Lily Kate had to go the bathroom.  She was wiggling and dancing throughout the entire show.  She had a line (that she was very excited about) and as she stepped down and walked to the mic I was so nervous that she would stand in front of the whole church and pee on herself.  But, in true Kate fashion, she delivered her line perfectly and then walked back to her spot.  When the play ended Parks scooped her up and ran to the bathroom.  

There she is in purple.

 Charlotte smiling

 Hadley sat with me and watched the show for about 6 minutes and then she began yelling "YAY" when the audience would clap and once she spotted Kate and Charlotte she just yelled "SISSY" the rest of the time.  

 .......so she and I walked around while Parks watched the show

Charlotte's preschool had a Christmas performance.  There she is with the same goofy grin in a different outfit.  

 This one's blurry, but I had to capture her friend, Evan, and her.  They stood next to each other during the performance.  They were holding each other's hands, hitting each other's hands, he was licking her cheek, and she was pushing him away.  I am counting on the fact that everyone only watches their own child at these things and no one noticed.  His mom and I are friends, so that's good.

 Cookie reception afterward in the classroom.

There was also a big performance at Kate's school.  Here are Charlotte and me waiting for it to start. 

...and here it is

When did she get so grown up??

 There was a breakfast for all the kids and their families and Santa was the surprise guest.  The girls were thrilled.  

We hosted our annual ornament exchange (no pics of that, I've learned I can't host and photograph at the same time).  We went to see Enchanted Airlie's lights one evening with friends.  That was really cool and I did take pictures of that but my SD card ate them.  I don't want to talk about that, I'm still sad.  

Yesterday after church I asked if the girls would take pictures by the tree. 

Hadley wasn't interested.

 the big girls were

 It always turns into this, surprisingly no wrestling this time.

 I was looking through the shots I took on my camera and Hadley was looking with me.  When I finished she said "me, me" and went and sat still in front of the tree and smiled at me.  How hilarious is that?  (too bad she poured my glass of water down the front of her dress right as we got home)

 Kate snapped this one and then Hadley was off again.

This month has felt, at times, like a race from one event to the next.  We have, though, been really careful to sit by the fire almost every evening and read the bible and other books about the real Christmas.  Tonight as we read Kate said, "l'm going to close my eyes and see it in my head" so I have been trying to do the same.  The sounds and smells of animals in the barn.  The pure amazement from the young parents that a baby from God really came to be just as they were told.  The shepherds being visited by angels, the black night sky being filled with hundreds of angels singing.  It really is wondrous.  I am thankful tonight that Jesus saw fit to come to us, to put the rescue plan in motion, starting in a humble stable. 

Merry Christmas to you.

Thanksgiving in Texas

We had a great time in TX for Thanksgiving.  Lily Kate sat with my parents' dog, Shady, on her lap for the majority of the trip.  It reminded me of when Hadley was first born.  Kate was smitten.

 My Grandma Cynda and Hadley

 All the men, my dad, my grandfather, my brother, Kyle, and Parks

 This is the only picture from the bounce house that wasn't blurry.  Lots of movement there.  I got some funny blurry shots of my dad and I going down the bouncy slide!

 Every time we go to Houston we eat at my dad's favorite restaurant.  Lovingly called, "the Taqueria".   It's pretty darm good.  The kids always throw pennies in the big fountain out front.  I tried to get a group shot of the cousins.  Clearly, they were being goobers.  

 Charlotte didn't even want to be in the picture with them.  

We also went to the Houston zoo.  Here are Jack and Scott crawling through the Piranha tank, yikes!

Charlotte and Scott at the petting zoo.

Scott, Kate, and Charlotte popping out of the Meerkat holes.

Kate and Charlotte on the Merry go Round.  

Preschool Thanksgiving Feast

We had a Thanksgiving Feast in Charlotte's preschool class.  Here she is singing with her class.  

 Ready to feast

 She was being so sweet to Hadley, sharing all her food with her.  It was really a cute event, the kids ate turkey (lunchmeat), cranberries (craisin) trail mix, pumpkin pie, and lots of other kid friendly spins on the usuals.  It was a fun time.

Halloween Festivities

Halloween is just about over now and after this post I'm crawling into my bed.  It was an eventful day.  We started in Charlotte's classroom for her Halloween party.  

 Charlotte singing during a mini presentation by the kids.  She seemed to know all the words and hand motions.

 Here she is with her girlfriends.  This picture makes me think of highschool girls squeezing into a picture. 

 Samuel & Charlotte, always loving to be together.  

 Samuel & Grace

 Charlotte decorating her pumpkin cookie

 The masterpiece.  I may or may not have tossed it in the trash when she forgot about it.  No person needs to eat that many sprinkles. 

We spent less than an hour at home for lunch and then back to Kate's school for her fall party.  They didn't wear costumes to school, but were told to wear their favorite hat.  She calls this beret from Nona her fashion hat.

 Sitting on the carpet, estimating how many "eye balls" (candies) were in the jar in hopes of winning the jar full.  I'm so glad she's not the best estimator in the class just yet. 

 Snack time

Home for a few hours, then over to our friends' house for a potluck dinner and trick or treating.

 Jacob & Lily Kate, the "big kids"

 wearing the glow in the dark glasses from Nona

 Banner with Kristen (due in early Dec)

 Trick or Treating & the only (sad) picture I got of Charlotte all evening.  It is hard to get that girl to stand still especially with so much going on.

 Precious Charlie & Grace.  He was an astronaut.

Lil skunk getting tired.  

I was tired too.  We had a great day.  My only request is that I want Halloween to always be on a Friday so the whole family can sleep in the next day.