Christmas time!

We spent Christmas with my family while we were in Indiana the weekend of 12/19. Bennett, Peytonn & Emma were all spoiled by Nana & Papa. A work bench with tools for P and Emma received a kitchen with plenty of pots & pans. Clothes, clothes, clothes too. Nana loved the plate Emma had handpainted for her and Emma loved showing Nana how she did her handprints. We didn't manage to do our annual Christmas photo in front of the fireplace at their house. Maybe next year? We also took Emma through the Christmas lights at the park...she loved it!












We gave Nate one of his favorite presents, a MAJOR award. lol If you've seen A Christmas Story then you understand what I am talking about...that movie has been a staple in our family for as long as I can remember. I had to introduce Jon to it about 5 years ago - his family had never heard of it!




We went to our 4:00 PM church service on Christmas Eve and Emma was enthralled when the lights dimmed and the sanctuary was lit by candlelight. She kept making Daddy raise his arm higher and higher. We then had Jon's dad, sister and grandparents over for Christmas Eve dinner...unfortunately his mom had to work that night. Gee Gee & Grandad had the Wubbzy that Emma had asked Santa for so she was crazy for awhile! She had seen him in stores and wanted him so much but I don't think she realized he stood on his head!








After they headed home, we headed outside to toss the reindeer some food out on our porch so they would know to stop here. Emma loved tossing it all around!






Emma was so into Christmas this year...we read her board book, Christmas in the Manger about 5 times on Christmas Eve and she kept telling us to Shhhhh! for Baby Jesus. She loved the star in the book too. She loved keeping up with our elf Isaac. She loved decorating our Christmas tree and looking at it every day. She asked to go see Santa at the mall and actually walked up to him, sat on his lap and talked to him without a single tear. She loved handing out presents. We were in a little rush Christmas morning but she opened her presents and stocking before we headed out to Aunt Sally's house for brunch. She loved her camera and the pictures aren't too bad!








These are from her VTech camera:






We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and I hope you all did too! Happy New Year!

Emma and Santa Claus

We were planning on seeing Santa while we were back home visiting Nana & Papa but we ran out of time with Aunt Debbie's funeral and trying to visit everyone like we usually do when we're back home. Plan B was the Santa at the mall here that we met a few weeks ago during the hot air balloon fiasco. Emma decided she wanted to see Santa on Tuesday and she did so well - walked right up to him and let him sit her on his lap. She told him she wanted a Wubbzy and Christmas feet. lol We're not sure what Christmas feet are because she said no when we asked if she meant shoes or a Christmas tree. She also told us she wants a "quick-amera like Daddy's" which means camera, by the way - we think she picked up "Click" from Go Diego Go!

**Ugh...I apologize for the picture being so wonky - it is the picture we bought and our scanner doesn't do well with glossy photos.

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!