Christmas...

Oh Christmas...how I LOVE Christmas! This year was just perfect! Maybe it was the brilliant weather, or all the snow on the ground, or the great family we got to spend the holidays with, or our sweet girls who were very excited - especially Hailey! She is at the PERFECT age for Christmas! I think she'll be the perfect age for a few years to come....which is great because soon enough Paige will be the perfect age. I can hardly wait!

I think one of the best things about Christmas this year was the "Santa Threat". You know, the "you'd better be good because Santa's watching" threat. LOVED it! One time Hailey was being exceptionally difficult (she's three it's normal right?), anyway, we told her she'd better be good or we'd call Santa. Her response?

"Santa doesn't have a phone!!"

Oh.

So we told her that we'd email him...and that did the trick. How times have changed.

Anyway, we were busy all month with our advent calendar activities. One of our favourites was making popcorn garland. The 1 year old dumped the bowl of popcorn on the floor, and the three year old vacuumed it up. What could be more fun? Needless to say, no popcorn garland made it on the tree. But honestly, this was WAY more fun for them!

We hosted Christmas at our home this year, which worked out great! Our kids got to sleep in their own beds - and nothing is more important then a good nights sleep. Ben's family all came up Christmas eve (except his sister and her family who are unfortunate to have to live in the Caribbean).

Grandma read the girls a new book. Hailey LOVED it. Paige learned to say "ho ho ho".

We ate food ALL night long, then got the kiddos into their PJ's and took a picture. Paige of course sent death rays to Jaxson/his bottle. I forsee a great friednship developing between these two cousins:)

We had WAY too many presents under the tree...don't worry they aren't all ours (remember?Ben's family was here too)

We had to eventually wake the girls up Christmas morning - who sleeps in on Christmas? My girls I guess.

Hailey had a lot of fun opening all her million presents...here's the apron I made her (Paige has one too, and if I get around to it, I will as well)

The last present of the day was this beauty:

Yep...it's a pink camo quad! It's real too. Gas powered and all. Don't worry, they'll have helmets and we even have a remote shut down. I'm not sure who was more excited about it...Ben or Hailey. Ben probably. (p.s. it's obviously hard to keep clothes on our girls...whatev)

We spent the rest of the day relaxing - playing with Grandmas ipad.

Ok - I didn't relax at all for the rest of the day...because I was busy making my FIRST ever Turkey dinner! It turned out perfectly! We brined the turkey over night and then rubbed the bird with spices...it was divine!

Overall the Holiday was so wonderful. Can I get any cheesier? I don't think so...but it really was that great. We all got SPOILED! The girls especially. They deserve it though...right? The company was great. The food was delicious. The weight gain was worth it.

We're still looking forward to the get together with my side of the family. Our schedules just didn't work this year...so we haven't got together just yet. But we will!!

Anyway, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas...and I hope you have a Happy New Year!

The Gingerbread house

So we broke down.

We bought a pre made gingerbread house (because we're creative like that).

All we had to do was decorate it.

Somehow things went off course.

I'm not sure who started all the silliness.

Maybe it was Colonel Mustard...


in the library....


with the candlestick?


Or maybe it was this little person...


aiming for a little world dominance?


We had a fun night though, the gingerbread house got about half the given candy on it, and the Heating Technician in our house insisted it needed a HUGE chimney. I love my family.

It's beginning to 'feel' a lot like Christmas

Yes it is...maybe it's because I have Christmas music playing all day long (Boney M, Nana Mouskouri, Bing Crosby etc), or maybe it's because the house is decorated and ready to go, or maybe it's because I have a little three year old who is especially excited this year, or maybe it's because I have the coolest stockings in the whole world, or maybe it's because the Christmas shopping is pretty much done, or maybe...just maybe it's because the girls got to see Santa this weekend. It's Christmas time, and that's all that matters right now.



So, the stockings. My mom knit these stocking for my little family. And they are honestly the cutest, coolest stockings I've ever seen. I'm almost tempted to have another baby so that my mom can make another one....because I want MORE! They're that cute. Don't you agree?


They're also HUGE! So lots of stocking stuffing will have to happen on Christmas Eve.


I love advent Calendars (I've got quite a few and I want more) but this is the main one this year. Each tin either has either an activity or a treat inside, and the girls get so excited when we open one each day. Cute hey?

One of the activities was to make a snowman. However, the organizer of activities may not have thought this particular one through, since the day we needed to make a snow man the snow was all icy and definitely not in snowman making shape. So we make a snow inukshuk instead. It worked for Hailey and her friend Denver....I think.

The advent calendar also told us to make cookies and decorate them...yummy

Other activities in the Calendar include: Eating a special breakfast with Christmas music, drive around to look at lights, watch a special Christmas movie, make popcorn garland, hang a mistletoe and get kisses under it, and make gingerbread houses. We're excited!

In other exciting news, we went to my parents ward Christmas party this last weekend. Santa was there, and Hailey was soooo excited to see him. Maybe a little nervous too.

This picture I had to post for my own memory (it's a bit blurry and I wish I was better with my camera so I could avoid these kind of problems). Anyway, this shows just how nervous she was. She never makes this smile, she never stands this still, she never listens this well. But when she's in line for Santa, she'll do anything.

And Finally our picture with Santa for the year: Paige lasted for all of two seconds before she lost it. Hailey was mesmerized with Santa and could barely even talk she was so excited/nervous. Overall it was a fun evening...and my girls were happy with all the candy they got.

We're looking forward to Christmas this year...it just seems like it gets better ever year. Plus, there might be a very very cool gift for the girls under the tree this year...it's a secret for now, but I can't wait to post about it!!

Hailey LOVED this...your kids need one too

Santa sent Hailey a special message last night.

Follow this link and wait a minute for the video to load:

http://www.portablenorthpole.ca/watch/guest/FMzfZJgmEYifHh-HUAfZ4g

Isn't that so neat??