Y Christmas

The Y Christmas party was a Thursday night, so M took us girls to see Santa before we headed down the mountain for the night.

My first gift of the season....

one of my friends from class was also there and got the same present.

The food and decorations are always so beautiful and made my staff members.  What a talent!

Woodward Christmas

The first Friday in December was D's Christmas display open house at his work. The night before it opens to the public, staff and their families can walk through, enjoy some cocoa and cookies and see the traditional Christmas displays.  I was being a goof ball when M was trying to take a pretty picture by the huge tree in the center.

Looking at the Nativity display.

Trying to warm up by the fire while waiting for our turn on the "sleigh" ride.

Of course we had to thank the horse for pulling us around the loop!

When we went inside to use the restroom before heading home, we found a very fun sick in the women's restroom.  M thinks that we had more fun there than the rest of the night!

The next Saturday, Santa came to visit D's branch in Loveland. 

In addition to visiting with Santa, we got to decorate Christmas cookies...

and eat them!

We got a couple tattoos....

and waited patiently for the balloon artists to make us a creation.

And above all, we enjoyed just being silly!

Christmas Carols

For Advent, I sang a Christmas song in church.  C helped me practice, but when it came time to sing she didn't want to.

After church we had a church Christmas carol party.  We had a soup dinner and then headed to a couple nursing homes before coming back to the church for desserts. 

I sang really loud along with everyone else. 

Carrie turns 3

C decided for her birthday she wanted chocolate cupcakes, so Saturday afternoon she helped M mix them up. 

 

After they cooked and cooled, C decorated them all by herself.  Notice the tongue of concentration!

 C celebrated with her preschool class during the day and then had a party at night.  The original plan was for M to get off early and pick up the pizza on the way home.  She forgot that I had swimming after school, so we were a little late coming home.  By the time we picked up the pizza all the guests were at our house and it ended up being more of a "surprise" party with everyone yelling Happy Birthday when C walked through the door.  I think C was a little overwhelmed with a house full of guests.

After the guests left, C went out to take her annual birthday picture by the oak tree.  Not too much snow, not like at Carrie's birth or 2nd birthday.

When we went out to New Jersey, C got a second chance to open birthday presents.

What a great birthday!

Silliness

I decided I needed a sleigh this year, so M let me make one with the carseat box we had just gotten.  I made a really good sleigh and brought almost one whole evening worth of etertainment.  The jingle bells didn't really fit through the string M had gotten for the reins, so after some frustration I put the box away.

 

I found a new pair of slippers in my closet and just had to show them off.

The car dealership M goes to get her oil changed has a great playroom, complete with a white board and magnets.  Last time we went, I played teacher and tried to teach C how to spell.

One morning for breakfast, C and I couldn't decide if we wanted cereal or yogurt, so we had both and shared it!

Getting ready for Christmas

One slow Sunday afternoon between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we headed over to Aunt J's house to bake Christmas cookies. I helped with the dough the night before and putting the first few batches on the cookie sheets.  But I left M to frost them herself.  The recipe was G's recipe but M and Aunt J added lemon frosting to them and decided they would be really good with lemon flavoring in the dough.  So the next batch Aunt J made had lemon flavoring and lemon frosting in the sugar cookies.

While M finished frosting, C and I found some games to play upstairs.

There was excitement in the kitchen, when K and T saw a mouse come out from under the stove.  The mouse had relatives that had been caught in the pantry in the week prior, but somehow this mouse escaped to live another week.  While Uncle L and T tried to trap the mouse, Aunt J made herself comfortable out of reach!

The first Sunday of Advent, I got to be the candlelighter at church.  It was a huge responsibility to carry the lit candle all the way down the aisle. 

Helping Pastor L light the Advent wreath.

C got to carry the unlit candle back at the end of the lighting.

The beautiful downtown Loveland Christmas lights on the way to gymnastics.  M thinks it was the first time she had actually ever been downtown Loveland during the Christmas season.

For the Christmas program at church, M had the two littlest angels.

Growing Up

It was time for C to move out of her carseat, so I got a new one so that C could have mine.  I even helped M put it together.

The new car seats in the car.  Ready for the commute to school!

The old car seats still in the van.  Our last time sitting in them.

 

The nursery at church was recently painted and we wanted to show off the Noah's Ark. 

Look how fast we are growing up.  M has the cutest two little girls in the world!

So grown up at 5 1/2.

The little 3 year old!