Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve morning we made our usual trip to the mall for a last minute visit with Santa Claus, followed by lunch with my brother Dan and his family. In the evening we celebrated Christmas with my family. It was wonderful to watch our niece Alissa experience her first Christmas and watch the joy radiating from all of the kiddos. The evening was a great start to our Christmas celebrations.

It's Great to Be on Christmas Break!

Pumpkin pancakes and games with Hillary and Joey

Our gleeful bathing beauties

Time for homemade pedicures

Pretty toes ready for Christmas

Gathering with friends around the "Rockefeller Center" Christmas tree (I had to put that in, Sue)

Being entertained with carols and giggles...

...and more giggles

Hannah knitted her first scarf

Ava decided to sing while she worked...she used the vaccum as a microphone

Sleepover time with Lia

Hannah's Birthday Hoedown

For Hannah's 8th birthday, we invited some of her closest buckaroos over to our corral for a root-tootin' and foot stompin' cowboy hoedown. We waited until Christmas vacation to have her friends giddy up on over. After playing Hot Horse, cowboy tag, and scarfing some grub, the buckaroos took a crack at creating their own gingerbread farms. Cow cakes topped off the afternoon. It was a rip roaring good time. Yee haw! Now I'm done with the cowboyisms. :-)

If Hannah stays friends with this great group of cowpokes, I would be a happy and blessed mama!

Two junior cowpokes crashed the hoedown...can you spot them?

Megan, Hannah, Tyler, Sydney, Chloe, Grace and Pieter

Chow time!

Hot Horse...aka Hot Potato

Twins! Hannah is modeling her new hat from Chloe

Gingerbread farm

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Here's how we're counting down to Christmas (Photos below)

1. Family time at the Greenhouse
2. Tour of Tables with the B. ladies
3. Reconnecting with some old (dear) camp friends - Rachel and Nikki D.
4. Babysitting the world's cutest niece (decked out in her Red Wings outfit)
5. Hot cocoa and hanging out with Kristin and Leah (in Ava's old shirt)
6. Cookie exchange with my Small Group ladies
7. Getting our Christmas tree and decorating to Christmas music
8. Celebrating Christmas with my dear friends, Kristin and Sue
9. Visiting Santa and his reindeer (this is the first year Ava didn't cry with Santa)
10. Receiving special presents from our friends in California
11. Christmas caroling (no picture)
12. Christmas program at church
13. Christmas Around the World with Doug's parents

Can you tell we love the season of Christmas?

Our Little Dancers

Both Hannah and Ava are taking ballet this year. This is Ava's first year and she is loving it! Can't you tell by the picture with her class below? :-) This is Hannah's 5th year and she is really starting to look like a ballerina. I love watching her dance - she has such grace and poise. In December they each had a mini-recital for parents during their normal class times. They both danced so beautifully.

Happy Birthday Mom!

You make 70 look pretty great! We love you, Mom! We wish you many more years of happiness and good health. xoxo