Christmas Morning!

We had to wake up early on Christmas morning to be able to fit in all of our celebrations. The girls were still pretty sleepy when they first saw what Santa had brought.
Maggie, however, was ready for her treat immediately.
It didn't take long for Addison to find and wear her Rapunzel dress either!
We had fun playing with Belle Hopscotch in her Calico Critter House.
Then Ansley discovered her chair!
We opened stockings:

Exchanged gifts with each other:
And soaked in the excitement!

We had to wake up early on Christmas morning to be able to fit in all of our celebrations. The girls were still pretty sleepy when they first saw what Santa had brought.
Maggie, however, was ready for her treat immediately.
It didn't take long for Addison to find and wear her Rapunzel dress either!
We had fun playing with Belle Hopscotch in her Calico Critter House.
Then Ansley discovered her chair!
We opened stockings:

Exchanged gifts with each other:
And soaked in the excitement!

The Night Before Christmas

When we got home from Grandmama and Granddaddy's house, we gave the girls quick baths and set out our cookies for Santa. We tried to get some sweet pictures of them by the tree in their Christmas pj's but we missed the boat with Addison. She was DONE. These are the best we could do.
Once we got the girls tucked away in their beds, Santa paid us a visit. More on that to come!

When we got home from Grandmama and Granddaddy's house, we gave the girls quick baths and set out our cookies for Santa. We tried to get some sweet pictures of them by the tree in their Christmas pj's but we missed the boat with Addison. She was DONE. These are the best we could do.
Once we got the girls tucked away in their beds, Santa paid us a visit. More on that to come!

Holt Christmas

On Christmas Eve we headed to my grandparents house to celebrate Christmas with my mom's side of the family. We were glad that all 4 of us were able to attend. I was barely over my bout with the virus and Ansley was still pooping through all of her clothes all day long, but alas, we celebrated.

This was her in outfit number 1. She loved saying "ho ho ho" and finding ornaments on the tree this year.
I tried to get a good picture, but that girl was squirmy...
Christmas dinner at my grandmother's house is one of my favorite meals of the year. Granddaddy's beef tenderloin was probably his best ever this year. I did not partake in my favorite peppermint parfait because of lingering queasiness, but everything else was so good. Look what little girl got to sit at the kids' table this year. They are all getting so big!

My big girl could hardly contain her excitement. This year truly captured the magic of Christmas for kids.
We used to play gift card Dirty Santa, but this year we each brought something that was special to us and read a story where we passed gifts to the left and the right until the story ended. Whatever gift you had at the end of the story was the one you kept. It was an interesting change. Aunt J and Grandmama were sweet to get the kiddos some gifts. Here they are opening them.

This last one makes me laugh. My baby HATES baby dolls. She makes mean faces at them and throws them. If I hold one to "comfort" it, she gets jealous and hits it... This one moment captures her actually smiling at her baby doll. She promptly threw it about 2.5 seconds later.

Here are some pics of other family members:

Our annual cousin shot:
Can't believe they sat long enough to catch these:
Finally a better one with my baby girl:

On Christmas Eve we headed to my grandparents house to celebrate Christmas with my mom's side of the family. We were glad that all 4 of us were able to attend. I was barely over my bout with the virus and Ansley was still pooping through all of her clothes all day long, but alas, we celebrated.

This was her in outfit number 1. She loved saying "ho ho ho" and finding ornaments on the tree this year.
I tried to get a good picture, but that girl was squirmy...
Christmas dinner at my grandmother's house is one of my favorite meals of the year. Granddaddy's beef tenderloin was probably his best ever this year. I did not partake in my favorite peppermint parfait because of lingering queasiness, but everything else was so good. Look what little girl got to sit at the kids' table this year. They are all getting so big!

My big girl could hardly contain her excitement. This year truly captured the magic of Christmas for kids.
We used to play gift card Dirty Santa, but this year we each brought something that was special to us and read a story where we passed gifts to the left and the right until the story ended. Whatever gift you had at the end of the story was the one you kept. It was an interesting change. Aunt J and Grandmama were sweet to get the kiddos some gifts. Here they are opening them.

This last one makes me laugh. My baby HATES baby dolls. She makes mean faces at them and throws them. If I hold one to "comfort" it, she gets jealous and hits it... This one moment captures her actually smiling at her baby doll. She promptly threw it about 2.5 seconds later.

Here are some pics of other family members:

Our annual cousin shot:
Can't believe they sat long enough to catch these:
Finally a better one with my baby girl:

Eagle's Nest Christmas

Before 2011 says its final adieu, I need to catch up on Christmas posts.

Despite all 4 of us being plagued with the stomach bug during the entire week before (and both girls were on antibiotics for other illnesses on top of that), our family managed to squeeze every bit of fun out of Christmas.

The girls had a big party at school, and I snuck away from my 7th period AP kids who were writing their hearts out on a style analysis of Anna Quindlen's "The Name is Mine." (Side note: I figured out a long time ago that if I am going to have to grade a bunch of essays before Christmas, I might as well assign something that I am going to WANT to read... Oh how I love Anna Quindlen.)

Here is Ansley waiting for her present:

Here she is walking with her buddy Molly. They are 6 weeks apart, and Ansley is about to move up to the 1-year old room with her in January. I have mixed emotions.

Here is Addison opening her gift. I did not know it at the time, but she was running a 103 temp that day. Bless her.

Here are the three musketeers. You can even see Juli Claire and Stella behind them.

That afternoon we went to Jack and Juli Claire's to make Christmas cookies. Here are the sweet kiddos decorating them:

It started out innocently enough...

But it quickly turned to this:

And then this...

They thought they were beautiful. :) While the cookies were baking, the kids made thumb print manger ornaments with Wren.

And then we enjoyed these yummy gingerbread cookies. See, we managed to salvage a few!

Before 2011 says its final adieu, I need to catch up on Christmas posts.

Despite all 4 of us being plagued with the stomach bug during the entire week before (and both girls were on antibiotics for other illnesses on top of that), our family managed to squeeze every bit of fun out of Christmas.

The girls had a big party at school, and I snuck away from my 7th period AP kids who were writing their hearts out on a style analysis of Anna Quindlen's "The Name is Mine." (Side note: I figured out a long time ago that if I am going to have to grade a bunch of essays before Christmas, I might as well assign something that I am going to WANT to read... Oh how I love Anna Quindlen.)

Here is Ansley waiting for her present:

Here she is walking with her buddy Molly. They are 6 weeks apart, and Ansley is about to move up to the 1-year old room with her in January. I have mixed emotions.

Here is Addison opening her gift. I did not know it at the time, but she was running a 103 temp that day. Bless her.

Here are the three musketeers. You can even see Juli Claire and Stella behind them.

That afternoon we went to Jack and Juli Claire's to make Christmas cookies. Here are the sweet kiddos decorating them:

It started out innocently enough...

But it quickly turned to this:

And then this...

They thought they were beautiful. :) While the cookies were baking, the kids made thumb print manger ornaments with Wren.

And then we enjoyed these yummy gingerbread cookies. See, we managed to salvage a few!

Gingerbread Lane has a new resident.

Meet "House of Bubba," according to Addison. She also said that Dora and Captain live there sometimes...

Daddy was the builder/engineer:

I was the icing decorator, and Addison was the boss. She bossed us up and down and all around, and she was the Candy Queen. She decided where every type of candy and every little piece would go and occasionally consulted me... Just occasionally though... :)

Don't I just look awful here? Almost like the mean Elphaba Wicked Witch... I must have been concentrated or frustrated and definitely unaware of Patrick snapping a picture. BTW, Thanks, Patrick... Gotta keep it real, though, I guess, and I like this one of Addy-Belle. She looks so proud. Ansley-bug was our mascot of the event, and she was usually in the lap of whoever had the camera.

This is our first masterpiece.

The green tree was Addison's craft mentioned in the previous post. It was the perfect addition to our little abode.

Meet "House of Bubba," according to Addison. She also said that Dora and Captain live there sometimes...

Daddy was the builder/engineer:

I was the icing decorator, and Addison was the boss. She bossed us up and down and all around, and she was the Candy Queen. She decided where every type of candy and every little piece would go and occasionally consulted me... Just occasionally though... :)

Don't I just look awful here? Almost like the mean Elphaba Wicked Witch... I must have been concentrated or frustrated and definitely unaware of Patrick snapping a picture. BTW, Thanks, Patrick... Gotta keep it real, though, I guess, and I like this one of Addy-Belle. She looks so proud. Ansley-bug was our mascot of the event, and she was usually in the lap of whoever had the camera.

This is our first masterpiece.

The green tree was Addison's craft mentioned in the previous post. It was the perfect addition to our little abode.

2nd time Santa=Success!

Saturday morning we had breakfast with my dad's family: Grandmama and Granddaddy Dean, Aunt Gail and Roger, Grant, Suzanne, Murphy, and Mann...and Addison and me. At about 1:30 a.m. the night before, Ans woke us up with a frightened cry, and we went upstairs to find our poor pitiful sweetie a victim of the stomach bug. It has been a rough one that she is still recovering from... So Addison and I went to this gathering as a duo. Here is Addison peering out of a rocket ship that the big kids colored and adventured in.
Addison was making an ice cream cone Christmas tree. I was trying to "help" but should have known she wouldn't want any. :)
I think she licked more icing than what made it on her tree:
The best we could do of these 5 cousins who are always busy movers:
We missed Ansley a bunch!

And then... we went to see 2 of Santa's reindeer! We heard from the North Pole that Santa was going to be bringing some of his reindeer to Brentwood, and wanting to avoid the germs at home as long as possible, Addison and I decided to go see them. We talked Savannah into joining us too...

Addison and Savannah named these two Cupid and Donner, but they were really Dancer and Clarice. I couldn't believe it, but these two girls even pet the reindeer.
While we were standing in line, sweet Savannah said to me, "Kiki, I need to tell you two things. We have to make sure that Addison gets to tell Santa what she wants for Christmas this time, ok. And then I want us to eat at Subway Eat Fresh together." I love the way she looks out for her cuz. Here is a picture of them together on Santa's lap.
I had one happy little girl that night. As she was drifting off to sleep that night, she said, "Momma, Santa Claus is just sooooo nice. I think I'll be a good girl tomorrow too, okay?"

Thanks for the pictures, Linds. :)

Saturday morning we had breakfast with my dad's family: Grandmama and Granddaddy Dean, Aunt Gail and Roger, Grant, Suzanne, Murphy, and Mann...and Addison and me. At about 1:30 a.m. the night before, Ans woke us up with a frightened cry, and we went upstairs to find our poor pitiful sweetie a victim of the stomach bug. It has been a rough one that she is still recovering from... So Addison and I went to this gathering as a duo. Here is Addison peering out of a rocket ship that the big kids colored and adventured in.
Addison was making an ice cream cone Christmas tree. I was trying to "help" but should have known she wouldn't want any. :)
I think she licked more icing than what made it on her tree:
The best we could do of these 5 cousins who are always busy movers:
We missed Ansley a bunch!

And then... we went to see 2 of Santa's reindeer! We heard from the North Pole that Santa was going to be bringing some of his reindeer to Brentwood, and wanting to avoid the germs at home as long as possible, Addison and I decided to go see them. We talked Savannah into joining us too...

Addison and Savannah named these two Cupid and Donner, but they were really Dancer and Clarice. I couldn't believe it, but these two girls even pet the reindeer.
While we were standing in line, sweet Savannah said to me, "Kiki, I need to tell you two things. We have to make sure that Addison gets to tell Santa what she wants for Christmas this time, ok. And then I want us to eat at Subway Eat Fresh together." I love the way she looks out for her cuz. Here is a picture of them together on Santa's lap.
I had one happy little girl that night. As she was drifting off to sleep that night, she said, "Momma, Santa Claus is just sooooo nice. I think I'll be a good girl tomorrow too, okay?"

Thanks for the pictures, Linds. :)