A Very Merry Christmas

The cookie elves hard at work. . .

Mr. Jingles, our "Elf on the Shelf", hanging out in the dining room. . .
December 23rd

On the eve of Christmas Eve, we had a wonderful family gathering. My parents were in town, my Uncle Frank and Aunt Cheryl arrived with my PaPa, and Stacey and Chris came for a visit with Owen. It was so nice to have everyone together.

PaPa meeting Owen. . .

Christmas Eve
On Christmas Eve, we attended a family service at our church. The service was designed with the children in mind, and was centered around carols and the re-telling of the Christmas story. The highlight of the service for Claire - live sheep, a donkey, and a camel!

Goodbye Mr. Jingles (or "Baby", as Emma referred to him). See you next year!The girls setting out cookies for Santa in their matching princess nightgowns from Nanny and Baba. . .
Christmas Morning

Wheeeeee!
Princess Claire "primping" at her new vanity. . .It was love at first sight for Emma and her pink-haired baby doll.Until. . .
We finally got Claire's doll with super long blond hair out of the box. It has been a battle of the dolls ever since. Next year, Santa might have to consider making things in double!
Look who showed up for PaPa - Holiday Bear!!
December 27th
Happy Anniversay Nanny and BaBa!
(Don't mind Claire in her sundress. It's a phase.)

What a Merry Christmas we had! Well, we did have to make a little trip to the pediatrician on Christmas Eve to find out that the reason Emma kept us awake (for five hours!) the night before was because she had her very first ear infection. However, antibiotics were prescribed and all was "merry and bright" after that. We were so blessed and grateful to be surrounded by family, and the girls were at the perfect age to experience the "magic" of Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Born for the Stage

"Deck the Halls"
(Claire is 2nd from the left.)

In the photograph below, Claire is the child grooving and clapping to the music at her Christmas program. She may have been the only one clapping, but she sure had fun putting everything she had into the performance.Claire and two of her sweet classmates, Clarke and Caroline.

We have been busy, busy around here! Friday morning, Claire had her school Christmas program, and on Saturday she had two (yes, two!) holiday dance recitals! Claire did such a great job at all performances, and was very entertaining to watch. Claire definitely does not shy away from the spotlight, and thoroughly enjoyed herself through singing, dancing, and clapping. She also enjoyed waving to her "fans" (Mommy, Daddy & Nanny) in the audience. We were very proud of her!

Pictures With Santa!

Informing Santa of their Christmas wishes. . .Claire with her "peppermint pipe". . .

Since we had a little photography issue at "Donuts with Santa", I decided to take the girls to see Santa again tonight. Emma is definitely warming up to the idea of the strange bearded man, and was excited to see him. She did get a little nervous about initially sitting in his lap, but in the end (as you can see in the photos) she remained quite captivated by the details of Santa's fancy suit.
Claire moved on from her ornament request, and informed Santa that she wanted lip gloss and make-up for Christmas. Santa graciously added the word "washable" as he made a mental note of Claire's make-up wish.

Donuts With Santa

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This morning our neighborhood held its annual "Donuts with Santa". It was as cute as always, and Claire was super excited about the donuts and Santa (in that order). Emma, on the other hand, cried on Santa's lap. However, at one point, in true Emma fashion, you could see her gazing at Santa's beard almost longing to touch it. Unfortunately, her fear won the battle over her love for hair, and Mommy had to step in for the picture.
Now, speaking of pictures, you may be wondering where they are. Sadly, we spent the entire morning "taking pictures" on a camera that did not have a memory card in it. Therefore, these precious memories will have to remain solely in our hearts and minds forever.

Owen!!

Pictured above is my sweet nephew, Owen, and me meeting for the first time. At that time, he was only 1 day old! Below are pictures from Owen's recent trip to our house to meet his cousins. We were honored to be the destination of Owen's first road trip, and it was so fun to have some time to get some more snuggles in. The girls were thrilled! Every now and then, Emma still looks around and says "baby?".

Owen passed Emma's "Hair Test" with flying colors!Owen after his first real bath. . .definitely the calm after the storm!Come back soon!!

Thanksgiving 2009

Claire spent most of her time coloring NeNe and Bo's outdoor dog statue. This was just the beginning. . .

Emma and her buddy "Popo" (Topo to the rest of us). . .

A House Divided
Auburn vs. Alabama
It was a close one!!

The girls entertaining themselves by running down the hall during the game. . .
Holiday Lights at Bellingrath Gardens

Claire's favorite1st Santa sighting of the year! Emma was pretty unsure, but no tears!
Breakfast picnic with pink eggs!

This year we made our way down to Jeremy's parent's house in Daphne, Alabama for Thanksgiving. It was a wonderful trip, and we had a great time visiting with family and friends.