December part 1

December... I blinked my eyes and it was here, and then I blinked my eyes again and it was gone. This Holiday season was a different one...we very much missed an important person in our family, but the kids were troopers and of course so excited for Christmas. The camera didn't come out as much as it should have but I did capture some moments so here they are.


Church Christmas dinner/party. The gang minus Brikelle's little friend who wasn't feeling well that night. :(

Taking time to be silly.

3rd Grade Christmas program. School gyms and cameras just don't mix. Bailee is in the front.

Christmas tree at the school.

All ready for church.

Gift exchange with the besties. Nerf gun...oh yeah!

Bailee and Brikelle got these super cute scarfs that my friend's mother makes. My girls were so fascinated with all the different ones their friends have. They both were so excited to get one of their own!

Decorating cookies at the neighbors.

We also went to Alan's children's work Christmas party. The kids got to make all kinds of different crafts and sit on Santa's (the REAL Santa might I add) lap. Camera's are not allowed in the building so I don't have pictures. I do have a picture of the kids on Santa's lap but our scanner isn't working. So if you want to see it you'll just have to come over!

December part 2

We got to enjoy having my parents here at Christmas for 2 weeks. It was nice to spend the time with them, especially during the holiday season and of course the kids absolutely loved having them here. My friend taught me a very simple sugar cookie recipe so the kids frosted and decorated them on Christmas Eve. We also did our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of ham and all the yummy sides that go along with it. Christmas day was full of lots of excitement and as always the day was spent in pj's while playing with all the new toys. We woke up the day after Christmas to a winter wonderland outside. It was beautiful and with church being canceled we got to stay home and enjoy it!

Decorating Mom's sugar cookies that actually turned out!
They were Mmm,

Mmm,

good!

So colorful and pretty!

Just a cute Christmas Eve picture.

So happy to have Grandma and Grandpa here for Christmas!

Kids gifts from each other. It's tradition to open them on Christmas Eve.

His collection is almost complete...he just needs Ham!

Other than missing someone, it's pretty darn cute!

Christmas Eve stories. 'The Littlest Angel' is my Dad's book from when he was a boy...it's very, very fragile now. It was tradition in my family to read it every Christmas Eve along with other stories. I love carrying on traditions!

Christmas morning...anxiously waiting to see if Santa came!

Santa must have come!

A keyboard for Bailee.

The one thing she wanted and asked for was an Ipod. Santa brought a Zune!

You can never go wrong with Lego's.

Santa brought this little girl a cute little kitchen...

and some chapstick (her favorite thing)...

and her own Jessie doll and Bulls Eye too!

The one and only thing he asked for!

Santa must have known that Braden had outgrown his old bike.

Taking it for a test ride.

Our Christmas snow...a day late.

So pretty!

L-O-V-I-N-G it!

He must be from Utah...

Toothless

Before Christmas our Braden Boy lost 3 teeth in 10 days. I was excited for him to have his two top teeth missing for Christmas, just like Bailee had at that age. I like to sing to them "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth..." Braden just lost another tooth last night and he has another one that will be coming out very soon. At this rate I'm going to have to go buy baby food for him to eat! I think our tooth fairy is a bit tired...and broke!