Christmas Day

Perfect day.

Santa had sent Audrey and Joshua a message and Santa had mentioned he knew how much Audrey loved pickles. She loved that he brought her a jar of pickles.
I need to explain our tree situation. We bought a real tree and put about 50% of our decorations on it. We also have a fake tree to put all our sentimental and memory ornaments on.  We were going to move the fake tree into the kids play room, but it never quite happened.  Pregnancy.  I blame everything on it.

That Santa.  He is super awesome.  He delivered on Joshua's hope for a big Buzz.

He was so excited he couldn't stand it. Audrey helped him open the rest of the present. My favorite moment of the day was after Joshua had opened his Buzz, and Audrey hadn't opened any gifts yet, Audrey said to Joshua, "I'm really happy for you Joshua!"

The only time Joshua stopped playing with Buzz was to come take a bite of my cereal. I have to eat first thing or I feel sick, and Joshua loves cereal as much as I do. He came and plopped himself in my lap and took over the cereal. I didn't mind one bit.

Santa brought Audrey her video girl Barbie she wanted.

Audrey introducing new video girl Barbie to her American Girl Doll, Norie. "Now they are sisters!"

After we opened our Santa gifts we made a big yummy breakfast...eggs, sausage, cinnamon rolls, pancakes with buttermilk syrup and fruit.  Then we opened gifts.
Audrey had made lots of pictures and put them under the tree for us to open on Christmas. One of her masterpieces.

Joshua thought our Christmas stockings were for his feet.

I loved the labeling of gifts this year. Audrey was my little helper and she didn't ask how to spell anything.
"To Dad, love Audrey and Joshua and Michelle.  Love you. Merry Christmas"

"To Michelle. Love Audrey and Joshua and Dad. We love you so much. Merry Christmas!"

Joshua got a pair of kid scissors that he was obsessed with. He used them to help open every gift, which is probably why it took us so long to open all our gifts! He cried at nap time because he wanted to sleep with his scissors. Nope.

Audrey wanted all of her new Barbies to watch a movie with her while the rest of us took naps.

Saturday night, around 7:00, Audrey decided she wanted to open her big present. It was a Barbie house from her Memor and Fafa. She was so excited!

"Dad will you put it together...PLEASE?"

Dave got some sweet interruptions while trying to put the house together.

The kids loved it.

Christmas was a really fun day.  We stayed in our pajamas all day long.  We were supposed to go to some friends for dinner, but one of their little girls got sick. Instead we took a drive to the church to return the tables and chairs we borrowed for our Christmas Eve dinner (and let the kids play with their new toys in the gym), and tried to find an open place for dinner... no luck. So we came home and watched Beauty and the Beast and had tuna sandwiches, with lots and lots of Audrey's special Santa pickles.  The kids got to sleep in our room again that night (Christmas Eve they fall asleep in their own beds and then we carry them into our room after all the wrapping is done).  It was a fabulous Christmas.


Sunday, Dec 26th. Christmas take two. We are really slow present openers, so we still had presents on the day after Christmas. The last gift was opened around 6:00 pm Sunday night.

Opening a bounce house from my parents. I don't know what I am doing here, but I love Audrey's face. PS. I am wearing an apron. One time I had someone over for dinner and I was wearing my apron and when I took it off she said, "Oh I thought that was part of your outfit!" Ever since then I feel the need to let people know my apron isn't part of my outfit.

Merry Christmas!

Adios Crib

Dave took down the crib today.   Joshua loves his big boy bed and we were only keeping it up as a "threat" if he got out of his big boy bed.  He hasn't. This new little baby gets the pleasure of sleeping in a bassinet in our closet. The crib has been up and has had a baby/toddler sleeping in it since I was pregnant with Audrey:

Picking out the crib at the store. We were SUCH first time parents and I documented everything.
May 28, 2005

Setting up the crib. Bruce and Marianne were so nice to come help set up (and document. Marianne is a documenter like me, which I love).
June 4, 2005. 7 months pregnant.

Goodbye little crib. See you in a few months.

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Great food. Beautiful decorations. Fabulous company. Lots of cute little kids. Great Christmas Eve.

 

Megan always does such a great job hosting. I want to be her someday.
She had costumes for all the kids to act out the nativity. Our sweet little shepherd/wise man. Dual parts.
Don't mind the silly bands.  He has been wanting to wear Audrey's lately. It's not worth the fight to me.

 

Sweet little angel.

 

With a touch of spice.

 

All the angels.

 

Joshua and Seth decided they wanted to be front and center while we were trying to take pictures of all the girls.

 

 

The angels announcing Christ's birth.

 

The wise man riding in on their camels. I love Colby's face.

 

After the nativity, Santa's bells could be heard outside.  The kids loved it.  I know it looks like Audrey is picking her nose, but she's not.  She is saying, "Shhhhh" so she could hear the bells.

 

Pregnant buddies.

Examining our pictures. Not very pleased, to say the least. Oh well. I'm over it.

The ladies.  Megan. Shaylin. Amy. Tori. Me. Mandy.  (We missed you Genevieve)

Group shot.  Shaylin & Luke. Tori & Mark. Dave & My Nasty Self. Mandy & Colby. Megan & Chris. Amy & Clay. (Missing Genevienve & Jeremy).
It was such a fun night.

After we got home we put out carrots for the reindeer and cupcakes for Santa (a new tradition, cupcakes instead of cookies), and put the kids to bed.  They were so excited.  I love Christmas with small kids.  It makes everything so magical.
Last year Dave and I saved all the wrapping until Christmas Eve, thinking it would be so fun and Christmasy to do it all on one night.  We were wrong.  We were up so late.  This year we were a little more on top of things and had 99% of the wrapping done.  We were able to not feel so rushed and we really enjoyed being Santa's helpers.
I was going to check on the kids and I walked past our Christmas card wall and I got a little emotional (pregnancy hormones I'm sure).  We have been so blessed to live in great places and meet really amazing people.  One of my favorite things about Christmas is receiving Christmas cards in the mail.
We are truly blessed to have such great friends and family.

Seeing Santa

Joshua has been asking to see Santa for quite some time, so when the time finally came, he was really excited. We got to ride the "Polar Express" (hence the pajamas) to see Santa.
The kids with the train conductor.

 

With the big man himself.

 

This is the same Santa as last year, and just like last year, he told me he thinks Audrey looks just like Reese Witherspoon. Ha. I don't think so.

 

Joshua asked for a "big buzz" (a big Buzz figurine) and Audrey asked for a "video girl" (the Barbie that has a video camera for a necklace and the screen is on her back.  I kinda want one too).

 

Doing some crafts before we had hot chocolate and cookies and headed home. Fun night.

 

 

Favorite Day

Today is my favorite day of the entire year...Christmas break has officially started! For my kindergartener, and my 36 year old husband, there will be no tests, projects, literature reviews, (husband, not kindergartener) or school for the next two weeks. This is our last Christmas break with Dave being a "resident" (read: student) so we are going to live it up. Merry Christmas!

Dear Santa

 

 

Christmas Recital

Yesterday Audrey had her ballet Christmas recital. Everything about it was absolutely darling. They usually have to wear blue leotards and pink tights and yesterday they were able to wear Christmas colors.

My sweet ballerina.

Dave surprised all of us by coming to her recital. He walked in about 5 min late and Joshua yelled, "Daddy!". Audrey saw him once he sat down. She was very excited to see him there.

She was so excited he was able to make it. After she saw him she turned to me and mouthed, "I knew he would come!" It melted my heart. It made everyone's day.

Joshua kept himself entertained by pretending to video tape everyone.

Tiny dancer.

Audrey forgot her ballet bag and had to borrow a pair from her ballet school.  They came untied and she was very distraught about it.  I had lots of stuff on my lap and sweet Dave went to tie her shoe before they started dancing across the floor.

Sweet friends.

Holiday Favorites

My favorite things about this time of year:

Two From Galilee
I love this book. My sister in law Kristin was reading it a few years ago and I borrowed it and read it right before Christmas. It added so much to my Christmas season. It is about the love story between Mary and Joseph and it made the Christmas story come to life and made me see things in a whole new way. Highly, highly recommend it. I plan on starting it tomorrow. That's my goal. After I clean my house.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

These cupcakes are a new favorite. My friend Genevieve put them on her blog and made them for me once. I have made them several times and each time feel like a Martha Stewart rock star. I also love the cookie dough recipe. No eggs! I can eat it guilt free while pregnant! And eat it I do. Your taste buds will love me, your thighs, well...

Recipe here.

CHRISTMAS FONDUE
My friend Mindi would make this fondue at her Christmas party every year during dental school. Amazing. I have made it the last two years here in Texas and it makes me miss her, and all our dental school friends. It is so good, and so easy.

2 packages of cream cheese, softened.
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 cups of milk (whole milk makes it even better)
3/4 cup parmesan cheese

Beat cream cheese and salts.  Mix in milk (will be lumpy). Pour mixture into pot, cook on med-high, stirring constantly.  When lumps are gone, add parmesan cheese. Continue cooking until parmesan is thoroughly mixed in.  Sauce will thicken upon standing. Serve with french bread, cut into pieces.

CARMEL APPLE CIDER
My sister Sara is one amazing cook.  Everything she makes is delicious.  She made this for us one year and my holidays haven't been the same since.

1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 cups apple juice
bring cream and brown sugar to boil over med hear, stirring constantly. Add 6 cups apple juice, stir until warm.

Whipped topping:
beat 1 cup cream and 1 TBS brown sugar until thick.  Top cider with cream and toffee bits (or a crunched up Skor bar)
*I like it better without the toffee bits.  I also loooovvveeee this drink cold.  If there are leftovers, save them and drink it for breakfast the next day.  It will guarantee a good day.

Hope you enjoy these as much as I do! Merry Christmas!