December 2014

We had a wonderful Christmas season, but I will be the first to admit that it was far from normal! We were in the midst of moving, so we were packing up rather than unpacking Christmas decorations! See below for a few (certainly not all) December happenings.

We didn't decorate for Christmas in our old house, because it went on the market on December 3, and we moved into our new house exactly one week before Christmas, but we did manage to get out our Nativity Little People set. Henry had lots of fun setting it up and it gave us a chance to talk about baby Jesus quite a bit. It plays Away In A Manger, and he would dance around to it as it played.

Annie practiced sitting up in December with pillows or boppy behind her a few times, but then on her own with no problem rather quickly!

She was pretty happy about the new found scenery!

With the  majority of toys packed away, we got creative with our play!

What a good dog.

We took every opportunity to wear Christmas PJs!

Annie's first Christmas-what a happy girl!

Henry is happy to pose with his sis anytime!

This ended up being our Christmas card. I wasn't going to do one, but after I started receiving everyone else

's I couldn't resist.

Henry is all about setting up photo shoots for him and Annie. This is one he did himself (he told me where to put the Bumbo). Then he says, "Take our picture, Mommy!"

Sweet siblings

The weekend prior to Christmas we went to Lexington to celeb

rate with Steven's family.

Annie ended up with an ear infection, so she and I spend Saturday morning at their pediatrician while everyone else saw the girls in the Nutcracker, but we all went to Camden's basketball game Saturday night and then did Christmas celebration (opening gifts and eating an yummy brunch) on Sunday before church. Kaia is so good with Henry and he loves her, too!

Sunday night we went over to Diana's for dinner and to open Grandpa and Grandma DeWitt gifts.

We had Christmas morning at our new house! We put ornaments on the fake pre-lit tree on Christmas eve!:) We also went to Christmas eve service and did our last Advent reading together. Henry loved "doing" Advent each night and opening up the little cardboard door to get out his piece of chocolate each evening.

Annie got a baby stroller walker as one of her gifts. She also got an elephant ball popper (Henry is playing with it in the background) and some Eric Carle stacking blocks.

Maggie got all excited when we started opening stockings, but I totally forgot to get her something! Normally she has her own stocking with a rawhide in it. Good thing she easily forgives.

Henry got a power wheels Jeep (given to us!) as his big gift. He was super excited that Annie could get in it, too. He was also pumped that it had a key and a radio!! His other gifts were puzzles and magnetic wooden letters for the fridge.

Here he is taking it for a spin on Christmas morning! Side note-he has lots of fun with it, but we are going to have to work on teaching him to steer his power wheels! It is pretty powerful and all he wants to do is push on the gas pedal, so those things don't always mix!

Annie got some books in her stocking along with some baby's first Christmas ornaments. Henry got chap stick, a lollipop, bubble bath, a net, and a chocolate truck in his.

On Christmas morning, we put Annie in the high chair for the first time. She loves the straps!!

We made a birthday (breakfast) cake for Jesus, and sang happy birthday that morning.

We had a fun morning together-look at the happy look on Henry's face over that cake!

The next day we went to my folks for the day to eat and open gifts. Here is Emma helping Annie out.

Everyone had fun opening gifts!

Lee and Marie got Henry this cute train set.

Henry loved "helping" Emma with her bracelet maker.

I had lots of kitchen help each day!

On December 10th, I went to Henry's Mother's Day out Christmas program and they sang a few songs for us-very cute. Henry sang each word, and I took it as a good sign that he was smack dab in the front center of the entire group of 2 year olds. :)

Afterward we had pizza and snacks together-I got to meet some of his friends' moms and the kids were so cute interacting together!

While I didn't do as much as always, we did manage to do SOME holiday baking!

This is just one of many pictures I've taken of Annie doing her very favorite activity at the old house. I would put her on the counter when I was cooking and slowly but surly she would get a hold of the paper towels and get more and more until she was flailing a big wad of it all around. Her face would change from pure joy to pure concentration as she worked on this special project!

More cute Christmas PJs!

This was Henry's expression when I told him we were going to visit cousins.:) He loves them!