Carriage rides and Christmas gifts!

Our local mall does complimentary carriage rides every Sunday afternoon until Christmas and we knew about it this year! Emma loved the ride around the mall with Jackson (the horse) leading the way.







She wasn't much into posing in front of the big ornaments...or maybe she was upset because they had drained the fountains.





Emma received a letter from Santa Claus and read it with Daddy.







I was trying to get some good pictures of the lights on our tree. I want to learn more of taking pictures in the manual setting of our camera. I need to practice!





Shhh! We were making some Christmas presents at our local pottery place after church the last two Sundays. I think that they will be a HIT! Just a glimpse in case they happen upon the blog before Christmas.





Oh yeah...we had our first taste of winter this past Thursday...snow!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

We watched Christmas Vacation with Nana & Papa last weekend. We now have our tree up and decorated. Snow globes are playing Christmas music. Emma is admiring the lights and ornaments. Isaac is watching over us to report back to Santa. We were at Grandad's kantata this evening with GeeGee, Diggie and Granny. Emma was dancing and having a grand ol' time to the wonderful music.

Meet our scout elf...Isaac!

I follow the blog, Bring the Rain. Angie had posted about her family's tradition with their elf, Scout. The elf reports back to Santa each evening about the children's behaviors and shows up in a new spot in your house each morning.



I thought it sounded like a great tradition to start with Emma this year so we went out and bought the set at Barnes & Noble this afternoon. We read the book and named our little elf Isaac since he is acting as Santa's "eyes" and Emma liked the name. :) She was not listening very well this evening and we reminded her that Isaac was watching her and did she want to be on the naughty list to which she said "no, me nice" so I think it will be helpful too. I can't wait until she wakes up in the morning and we look for Isaac! He's sitting on the microwave right now...

Thanksgiving.

We spent Thanksgiving in Indiana at my brother & sister-in-law's home. We enjoyed a wonderful meal, yummy pies, watched the cousins play and snuggled with the sleeping nearly 3 week old Bennett. He was so sweet. :)









On Saturday we all packed up and headed to Build-A-Bear in Indianapolis for our annual tradition with Nana & Papa. Papa was still in a cast from his surgery so he had a wheelchair. Emma loved riding on the leg prop. It was not very busy which was good but it still ended with Emma & Peytonn in meltdowns!













Den decided to name Peytonn's turtle Tantrum since Peytonn was not interested in the naming at all. Emma's bears have all started with L's so Papa threw out the name Libby and Emma said Libby yes. We ended up going with Libby Lu. She'll have to wait until Christmas to meet her other friends Lizzie, Lucie and Lola!





We woke up to snow on Sunday!

Santa arrives via big blue hot air balloon!

Our local mall hosts a "Breakfast with Santa" each year. I bought our tickets on Thursday and found out it was also tether rides with Santa in a hot air balloon. A really cool idea but probably not for our 2 year old with a fear of Santa Claus as is!

We arrived at the mall this morning and there is a big blue hot air ballon being inflated. We go inside for the Chik-fil-a breakfast and activities. The Elves are creating balloon animals so we get in line. Moments later Emma starts pointing and yelling "Santi Caws" over and over again. We looked behind us and Santa & Mrs. Claus were in the air in front of the mall.

We were in Group B so we finish our breakfast and attempt to take Emma's picture with Rudolph. She gives him several high-fives and danced all around him but was not into a posed photo. We went to the reindeer food station and the ornament station...then it was time for our group to get in line outside. It was so cold - like 40 degrees out! Emma was having fun dancing around to the Christmas music and watching Santa go up in the big balloon with other kids...until they call for us to step up to the balloon. She freaked and started screaming. We got her calmed down and told her she did not have to sit in the balloon - just tell Santa hi with Mommy. We get up there and she is clinging to me and teary eyed but she does say "Hi Santi Caws" and gives him a wave and a high-five.

We ran a few errands around town this evening and the same hot air balloon was in the air. Emma kept asking "Why Santi Caws?" and we kept telling her he must be lost on his way back to the North Pole. We have a feeling that hot air balloons will be forever tied to "Santi Caws" after this morning!