Christmas all wrapped up.

So this was Christmas.

The Cookie Plate. I missed baking cookies with my mom this year and I missed taste testing one of each of her cookies, so I had to just make batches and batches so I could get my fill. Plus, baking Christmas cookies is just a happy tradition I have and want to let Chloe have. Oh the butter. Lots and lots of butter.

The lineup: candy canes. Snowballs. Gingersnaps. Chocolate Crinkle (a new addition) fudge. Pretzel-Pecans (a new addition that Chloe and B-rad made). I also made several loaves of this amazing cranberry almond bread. So baking was a hit.

We only delivered cookies to our friends in the ward with small or no families. We wanted them to feel loved. Plus, this lady here is one of a kind. She is so sweet to our little family. I forgot my camera at the other houses.

Christmas Eve we did the Nelson tradition and went bowling. I was so happy and surprised when B-rad pulled out coins and gave us money for stikes and spares and wearing christmas colors. That's what my dad does.

She earned money so she bought some candy. My score was Uh-mazing. 153. 3 strikes in a row followed by 4 spares and another strike.

Always twirling.
Never meets a thing he is afraid of.

Christmas Eve dinner by candlelight then into Jammies to watch Christmas movies then hear the Luke 2.

Christmas morning. She ran downstairs as fast as could be and squeeled with delight. Santa came!
This little man was interested in the 3 oranges and nothing else.

We were SOOO spoiled. We have the best families in the world and SANTA really loved our family, too. Thank you , thank you, thank you. The Nelson's did a homemade christmas. Here are the gifts B-rad and I received. So cute.

Christmas day we played in our beautiful "white christmas". We sledded and just sat in the snow.

We loved Christmas. We hoped you loved Christmas, too.

Merry Christmas

Christmas is coming

We attended a little program at Chloe's preschool and then we stayed the morning while she made crafts and had a story.

We made gingerbread houses. Chloe sporting her candy cane jams from "our elf" Kennedy.
We drove to Peoria to see this awesome Christmas light display. For sure the whale was the coolest.
And here she is singing Rudolph. The school had us make them their own "winter wonderland" shirt. I think they all look so cute.

Say what?

We just finished watching Polar Express and she stands up and turns to me and says right to my face, "mom, I believe."

Today we're watching Frosty the Snowman and she says to me, "see, that little girl is wearing shortsleeves in the winter."

I told her the story of Goldilocks after we finished Little Red

I say, "Once upon a time there was a little girl who's nickname was Goldilocks." Chloe turns to me and says, "no, her REAL name is Goldilocks."

"When I get older I am going to marry my dad in the temple."

The hospital will always be "the hostipal".

"Princesses don't wear brown."

"Princesses don't wear boots."

"I'm thinking we should go to Steak and Shake."

We got to open a Christmas present early and she was shreiking with delight as she ran into the kitchen where I was standing, "dad, we don't want mom to miss out."

And the reason I wrote this post, dedicated to her, was because she is just saying and doing the cutest things lately. We just love our little Bluebird so much.

Christmas time

The first snow. Doesn't matter how cold it is. Doesn't matter how dark it is. We played in the snow and caught snowflakes on our tongue. The other day she ate ice off of the car.

On a side note: I was looking at her the other day and noticed she had bangs. I asked her, "did you cut your hair?" And she says, "oh, yeah, this part." Like no big deal mom. She actually did quite a fine job and she has some nice trendy side bangs. Good thing it wasn't Ezra's hair or the top of her head. I made her repeat to me: 'I will never cut my hair with scissors again.'

This is the house that we drive by for fun. Really. Rumor has it a guy used to live across the street who did the same thing and then he moved. I saw that these plastic guys sale for 34 bucks at the store.
Same house. Just the side. They are packed in about 4 or 5 deep. There is another house by us that has the same amount of teddy bears. The big question is where is he storing these things. It doesn't matter because it brings a little Christmas Joy to me everytime we pass by.
She loves to "decorate and undecorate" the tree. We had to "edit" our tree this year because of the wanderings of cute EZ. So try putting pipecleaners in circles of various sizes. They look really cute and colorful on your tree and your preschooler will have fun removing them and putting them in different spots. We also cut circles out of colorful construction paper for a little something extra.

I have 3 of my 5 homemade gifts done.

we have been receiving packages in the mail!

We have watched "Santa Comes to town" 5 or 6 times and Grinch about the same.

I love Christmas time.

It's December 1st!!!

We've been waiting for this day for awhile around here. Bring on Christmas!!!

I love the season.

I love the snow.

I love the coats and sweaters and hats.

I love walking around the mall and wishing.

I love the activities and the comings and goings.

I love the presents.

I love being with family.

I will miss being with family (sniff, sniff)

I love the Christmas music.

And I love the reason for the season-Christ!

And so much more that I haven't thought about yet because I was waiting for it to be

December 1st!!

We'll be filling our tummies with candies and cookies and doing some of these things.
And lots of loves for this little face and his cute sister. He's getting so big.
Happy December to everyone.