Mewwy Chwismas!

What a magical Christmas season this has been. With both girls old enough to "get" Christmas, we have just relished every moment. From letting them stay up late to drink hot cocoa and watch Rudolph on t.v. to driving around to look at Christmas lights, this is the first season that has lasted forever for the four of us (remember those days when you were a kid when it seemed like Christmas would just never come?!)!

But it came. Today the girls woke up to open their gifts from G.G. and Poppy and their new pajammas from us (girls gotta have style for Santa!), and they were squealing with delight! Bela loved her new "shoe bammas" and Emma couldn't wait to put on her Ariel ones! Then we headed to the store so that Emma could pick out her new dress and shoes for church- she was so thrilled! And after a great nap (yes, even Emma napped, a Christmas miracle!), the girls were ready for mass and then JESUS'S BIRTHDAY PARTY (hosted by Braden's boss!). They had a blast just being goofy, eating treats, and mingling (I'm not sure where Emma gets her social bug from, but she just takes off to "say hi to the kids", all of them.) On the way home, they watched the Polar Express (okay, Bela sawed logs, that poor kid loooooooves her sleep!). Once we got there, they sprinkled reindeer food out on the lawn, put out the cookies for Santa, and literally ran to bed (thanks to Daddy who said he heard Santa, and poor Emma hit the panic button thinking he wasn't going to stop since she wasn't sleeping!). Too cute!

Couple of funny things......when we got to church (we decided on the less crowded close church that we rarely go to, so perhaps it was a little unfamiliar to Emma?), Emma asked, "Are we going to dip Bela in the water?" We snickered at the comment, but Bela insisted on spending the rest of mass saying "Now dip Bela water?" super loud. Oy yoy yoy....... And Emma's matter-of-factness has been quite funny this Christmas. When we were making Christmas cookies and Bela kept sneaking dough, Emma asked if she could eat some too. I told her no to which she replied "But mom, Santa can't eat all of these cookies, he'll get a belly ache. He could share with me." What am I supposed to say to that? Also, while we were hanging our stockings yesterday, she asked how Santa got in the house. I showed her the fireplace and said he came down the chimney. Emma got up in the fireplace and looked at me with a puzzled expresssion and stated simply "Mom, he can't fit down there, he's too big." At least "He's magic" still works at 3. What am I going to do at 4?

Thanksgiving Day Quest

Were we brave or just silly when we decided to trek around the country with two little ones?! Whatever the reason, we did it and we're all still alive! From sunny South Carolina all the way to Buffalo, the girls did great! And thank goodness we have dual DVD players! We enjoyed seeing cousin Lukas and staying with Uncle Benger and Aunt Gretchen.....and of course, their "woof woof" Pebbles too! It was wonderful to have a little friend for the girls in their travellings.

From there, we headed to Detroit where we finally picked up a camera in the mad rush of Wal Mart on Black Friday (ours busted a few months ago!)!! Woo hoo! So now we can document the kids' lives again!

Here are some pics from the trip as well as some holiday extras. And yes, we decorate Christmas trees even down here :) not palm trees!