Twas The Night Before Christmas…

Things were definitely stirring in our home the night before Santa came. Getting the girls ready for bed was especially exciting for both the girls and us knowing that Santa was near.

And then it happened! Santa came and he left some very fun toys for the girls.

Avery wakes up very early so we heard her tinkering around and this is what we found when we snuck out. She was already playing with her kitchen:

While we waited for Livy to wake up, Avery played with her kitchen while I drank Peppermint Hot Cocoa and Daddy manned the video camera:

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Family Christmas

My family starts celebrating Christmas weeks before Christmas day. My mom has a large extended family so it allows everyone to get together without having other obligations. We celebrated Christmas early in December with my mom’s aunts, uncles, cousins, etc (more like an extended family reunion) and then again the next day with my aunts and uncles, cousins and their children on my mom’s side. I also enjoy this because most of my cousins now have their own children and its so fun seeing them as they grow which unfortunately is only a couple times per year. I do enjoy this stretching of the season as it really makes it fun!

I snapped a few shots before we headed to the “K” Christmas at Aunt Marilyn’s house:



Livy was very fond of Uncle Scott and snuggled up (which is very rare because she is always wanting to wiggle out of your arms):

Nana and Papa made sure there were lots of presents for the little ones at both Christmas parties.The girls are sharing here:

December also happens to be my baby sister’s birthday and this year was her 25th! Jeff and Hillary came to Austin for this special occasion so we went out:

I tried to think of fun things to make with Avery throughout the month (using Pinterest because I’m addicted) and came across this cute Rudolf idea for one of our projects. However, my dough puffed up rather than staying the shape I originally made it so I had to pinch it back into shape 😦 Avery didn’t mind. She just wanted to eat the cookie dough. I also could not find red hots at the grocer so we improvised. This reindeer makes me laugh. Avery made the antlers and I put his face on:

Next on the agenda was visiting Santa to make sure he knew what to bring. I posted a few pictures earlier but while we waited, Avery rode the Polar Express.


This was her very first up-close glimpse of Santa and then she started screaming:

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Our Christmas Card 2011

Christmas is this weekend and it’s such a fun time with the girls. Avery really has grasped the spirit of Christmas this year. This morning St. Nick filled the girls stockings with goodies. He came about two weeks late so he must have been really, really busy making his rounds this year.

I acquired a new business on Monday so I’m feeling the pressure of trying to tackle everything right before Christmas. However, I did manage to take off (somewhat) on Tuesday to join my Mom and sisters on a mini-trip to Fredericksburg. That was fun! I especially enjoyed the pineapple jalepeno Margaritas that I’ve been craving all year from Clear Creek. Thank goodness for iphones and really late nights so I could make the trip.

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Visiting with Santa

We took the girls Friday to see Santa. As you can see, Olivia thought Santa was pretty scary. Avery was excited but also a little unsure. We’ve been asking her what she wants Santa to bring her for Christmas and she tells us the exact same thing she told Santa: a purple present and a hippopotamus! I told her I’m not sure Santa can fit a hippo in his sleigh. She said, “Yes, he can!” She also tells me everyday that she wants to go to the North Pole. I’m not sure when or why she decided she wanted a hippo.

These are the pictures the company took. They didn’t turn out great but they are funny!

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Lyla Bee

This past weekend was cold and rainy but we had two family Christmas parties which sure did brighten things up. Matt and Dawn had a professional shoot scheduled for this weekend but had to cancel due to weather so they asked me to do their Christmas pictures for them. I was excited to do them! This was my first photo shoot ever for someone other than my own kids. We did it on a very, very windy day while it was drizzling outside because there was no other time to do it. I think they turned out really cute. Of course, Lyla is very easy to shoot!

Lyla Bee (love this pic):

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Tree Star

The Sunday after Thanksgiving, we gathered all our energy and decorated our home with Christmas pretties. Our outdoor lights were already up thanks to someone we hired but we turned on some Christmas tunes and decked out our tree and house. I didn’t put out my village this year because I don’t have anywhere to put it right now. I love it but lacked the energy to find a place for it. Avery helped put ornaments on the tree (and we had a few casualties that crashed to the floor) but she was most interested in the Tree Star! Her interest is due to Land Before Time where Little Foot carries a Tree Star that his mother gave him through his journey to find his grandparents. All she wanted me to do the entire time was to put the Tree Star on the tree despite me reminding her that it goes on last. That reminds me that I need to pull out her book, “The Christmas Star” so she understands the true meaning of it.

We also started Elf on the Shelf. That little Timmy the Elf seems to like hiding in the same place over and over again ;). He is supposed to find a new spot every night when he comes back from giving his daily report to Santa. I guess I need to help him find some new hiding places!

Eating a puff and giving me those eyes:

On another note, we’ve been shopping for a new baby monitor. I came across a new monitor that I wish we had when Olivia and Avery were newborns. It’s the Angelcare AC1100 and it has a sensor that detects if the baby stops breathing. According to a lot of reviews I’ve read, it is extraordinarily accurate in detecting this. It also has other features along with video and digital sound.

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