Christmas morning

This was one of the funnest Christmas mornings we've had in a long time. We all know how much fun it is to watch the kids open presents, but we had it times three! All the girls were so excited... it was especially fun to watch Bethany discover all her surprises.

We hope you and yours had a joyous Christmas too!

bestest Christmas present ever!

My sister sent us a Chili's gift card for Christmas! It's one of our favorite family restaurants, so it suited us well. We used it a few nights ago - why wait? It was delicious and we even shared a cheesecake for dessert. It was a nice break for me from the kitchen during the holiday hustle and bustle.

Thanks Stacy, Chris, and Josie! I wish you could share some of that Wyoming snow with us!

Now, if we can just get you blogging...

we missed it!

I talked to the pediatrician earlier this week and told him that I had asked Santa for an x-ray for Christmas. We went first thing this morning and guess what...

NO SCREW!

All that dirty diaper diggin' I've been doin' for nothin'! It passed unnoticed. We are very thankful for that, at least. Now we can resume normalcy (whatever that is)! Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers during this trying time!

Click here to read what happened originally.

Hooray for Charlie and Lola!

Have you seen this show on Disney? I've always thought it was particularly cute, but now I'm even more impressed. I've been recording alot of the "holiday" episodes of our favorite kids shows. The girls were watching this the other day while I was in the kitchen and lo' and behold, but what did I hear? Jesus! They were talking about baby Jesus in the manger! Most of the shows talk about winter and Santa, some of them go into detail about all the winter holidays, and I've even heard them vaguely reference a "special birth" on Blue's Clues, but this was the first time I'd heard it this specific. It was just a small part of the show, but it was definitely there! Hooray for Charlie and Lola!

http://www.charlieandlola.com/

http://atv.disney.go.com/playhouse/charlieandlola/index.html

mall Santa

We have all of our Santa pictures from the past nine years in a rotating picture frame on the mantel so we can see how we've grown - physically and emotionally. We want to carry on the tradition. All the girls we're very excited. HOWEVER, the evening didn't go exactly as planned. We were going to meet Daddy there after work but arrived a few minutes before him. We weren't technically standing in line, but we were hanging around, and I was even talking to the cashier. There was no line, so everything was going like clockwork, and everybody's hair still looked neatly brushed and combed when Daddy arrived. We walk up to the entrance and the photographer yells at us that they're closing for break and will be back in 45 minutes. NO WAY! I was extremely frustrated. We decided to go upstairs and grab a quick bite to eat. When we came back down, there were 20+ people in line. We waited and waited - Daddy stood in line while I walked around with the girls so they wouldn't get so restless. When it was finally was our turn, the girls hopped right up on Santa's lap, but we couldn't get Bethany to smile for anything. Oh well! The evening turned into a 2-hour ordeal and I turned into a BAH HUMBUG!

piano recital

Sunday afternoon, Katie performed in her first piano recital. She's been taking lessons for about a year now and really enjoys it. She chose to play "Suzy Snowflake" and "Frosty the Snowman". She did a great job and we are very proud of her. A big thanks to her teacher, Miss April!

















Afterwords, there were cookies and punch. I usually let Bethany have something small and plain... Daddy decided she needed one with chocolate...

btw... no screw yet! 25 days and counting...

Getting to Know You - Christmas Edition

Usually, my posts revolve around my girls, but this one is more about me. I received this via e-mail, but decided to share my thoughts with you. Let me know if you decide to join the fun, and I'll come read your list! I haven't mastered the art of tagging yet...
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrapping paper, too easy to peek in gift bags
2. REAL OR FAKE TREE? artificial :)
3. When do you put up the tree? Thanksgiving weekend
4. When do you take the tree down? sometime around New Year's Day
5. Do you like eggnog? yes
6. Favorite gift received as a child? lots of fun gifts, but I think I was always just thrilled with the surprises of Christmas morning
7. Do you have a nativity scene? yes, three
8. Hardest person to buy for? I love the challenge of finding something special for everyone I shop for!
9. Easiest person to buy for? Katie, Anna, Bethany
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? vacuum cleaner
11. Mail or email Christmas card? mail, but may supplement with fun e-cards
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? old: Holiday Inn, new: Elf, animated: all the classics
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I might pick up a few things here and there throughout the fall, but mostly December
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? yes
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? sweets, Turkey Cranberry Ring (potlucks), Apple Cinnamon French Toast (Xmas morn)
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? tree #1 clear, #2 gold, #3 multi
17. Favorite Christmas song? the classics and the hymns, it's not so much the song as who's singing it
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? home, maybe travel right before or after
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? yes, if I sing the song in my head
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? one of each
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? toy commericals
23. What I love most about Christmas? the magic and memories of the season