Ever wonder how many shots it takes to get a photograph of my two girls, happy and smiling, at the same time? Apparently more than eleven, since I didn't get a single one where they are both looking at the camera! ...
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White Christmas
Who would've thought we could EVER have a white Christmas in Alabama? I am thirty-one years old and we've never even come close. My pastor and I were discussing this past Sunday how completely unfair it is that Sophie managed to pull it off her very first year! Sit back, relax and enjoy a big cup of coffee, because this post is full of photos from our merry, white day. I woke up bright and early to find that Santa Claus had definitely been by for a visit. I also have it on good authority, that he had a helper run to the gas station in the middle of the night to inflate some Barbie bicycle tires. It seems that Santa forgot they weren't fully aired when he made his delivery! I had almost an hour to myself to make breakfast, set the cameras up and get Sophie up and changed. When Ella still ...
Twas the Night Before Christmas
The morning of Christmas Eve, Ella wandered in our room about 7 o'clock {despite our admonition to SLEEP LATE} and was already talking about Scout and where we might find him. I sent her back out with some instructions that were quickly followed by a squeal. It seems Scout was strung upside down in the living room. Not only did he steal some green yarn from our gift-wrapping stash, he somehow managed to string it from the entertainment center to the ceiling fan and was dangling with the grace of a trapeze artist. As excited as Ella was to see him, she was even more excited that he left a message. We made her wait in suspense all day and finally as the sun was setting, we grabbed a stool and plucked it down. Scout thanked her for her hospitality and for being such a good girl. He ...
Christmas Tree 2.0
After the disastrous tree of 2010, I was at my wits end about what to do. We couldn't skip out on a tree this year... with two little girls at home we needed one for Christmas morning. I couldn't stomach paying for another tree, so we borrowed an artificial one from my parents. I never thought I'd be okay with this, but it really turned out very pretty. I used twice as many lights, tons of ornaments and filled in with gold mesh. I was hoping that if it the branches were full it might could pass as a real tree! The other problem we had was making it tall enough for our house. We have tall ceilings and this shorty looked a little silly. We decided to get it up off the ground by securing it in a large planter and I wrapped the trunk with some silk sari table runners. We hung a metal star ...
St. Nick
Guess who we saw at the gas station, the toy store, and eventually his workshop on Sunday? Ella, Sophie & Santa 2010 And for posterity, a solo photo with Santa to commemorate her first Christmas! Sophie & Santa 2010 ...
Santa’s Reindeer
On Tuesday night we attempted making a little treat for our friends. Ella had a dance party on Thursday night and Friday was her last day at school. She loves giving gifts and we thought something sweet was in order. We got everything we needed... pretzels, nutter butters, peanut butter, candy melts, morsels, M&Ms, sprinkles, lollipop sticks and Scout. Elves make really good helpers! First we split the nutter butters, added a lollipop stick and some extra peanut butter. Then we put them back together again. I attempted dunking them in chocolate, but they kept falling apart. Making treats with four year olds is kind of stressful, don't you think? Instead, I began spooning the chocolate on and Ella made the reindeer faces. THIS is what they are supposed to look ...
My Little Duck Hunter
A few years ago, I bought the original Nintendo gaming system on eBay for SD. Believe it or not, it was in mint condition and in the original box. I got him tons of games for a couple of dollars each and we had BIG fun playing the games of our childhood that Christmas. Occasionally, we pull it out for a good laugh. Super Mario Brothers. Contra. Zelda. Recently, Ella took an interest and we tried teaching her to play Mario Brothers. That was a bust, so daddy gave her a go at Duck Hunt. Hilarious is the only word to describe it. ...
North Pole Express
To the North Pole via the Polar Express! We've been excited since September, knowing that we would be headed to the Polar Express Railway this Christmas season. Ella & I even watched the movie last week to get ready for our little adventure. Ella got her ticket punched by the conductor. I wonder what letter he punched? The girls LOVED standing in the window of our train car watching the world go by. We finally arrived at Santa's Workshop in the North Pole! There were pretty elves to pass out the first gift of Christmas! Sophie & Bunny loved it best! < Santa & Mrs. Claus came on the train to visit the girls There were chefs who served chocolate milk and cookies YUMMY! ...