Christmas 2012

We had three fun days of Christmas celebrations this year!  We started celebrating on Christmas Eve Eve. We made a gingerbread train instead of a house this year and we had a lot of cookies to make for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Santa :-)

Then we let the kids open their gifts from us.  Keegan has been begging for a guitar for months.  Ava made a G book at school and it has a picture of guitar on it and he will randomly bring it to me, point and whine "Gar." 

Little Rockstars

Our Christmas Eve service was early afternoon this year so I didn't get an annual picture of the kids in front of the tree.  Instead when I walked into the living room, I found this.  I knew better than to try to pose them for a photo if we wanted to keep our Christmas spirit :-)

Before worhsip....

Christmas Eve at Grammys's house...

This was the best of 8 pictures of all 3 of them.  Two half smiles and Keegan not screaming is as good as it gets.  We woke him up from a good nap for dinner, pictures and presents and let's just say he didn't start enjoying the evening for an hour or so.  Doesn't he look so enthused?

Little Elves passing out gifts.....

Ava was sooooooo excited!

Keegan even started to have some fun :-)

Christmas morning!  Santa came!

Christmas Day at Nana's house....

We watched the rain turn to snow around 2:00 that afternoon.  It was so beautiful to watch!  We had about five inches in our back yard that evening.

Both kids were exhausted and really wanted nothing to do with it until the next day. 

Ava loved it!

Keegan did not!  He hated being bundled up in layers of clothes.

But he thought the snow was cool.  I had asked him all morning "Keegan, what's outside?"  He would go look and come back to me with his arms up in the air and say "I unnow!"  We laughed and laughed.  He really didn't know.  This was his first snow :-)

Snow Dancer

Ava's Snow Angel

It was such a beautiful way to end the Christmas season. We will always remember this White Christmas!

The Big 3-0

Last Thursday I entered my 30s and as we do every year, we headed to Northpark for my birthday.  We listened to Santa tell stories, checked out the trains and ate lunch at Corner Bakery.  We heard so many amazing choirs sing.  The kids would just freeze and watch them until we coaxed them away.  It's such a wonderful place at Christmas time and we always enjoy our time there so much! 

My very favorite thing about my birthday is getting texts, emails & phone calls!  Jeff thinks I'm a dork but I count them every year and this year I had 22 birthday wishes! Thank you to all of you that made me feel so special.  I'm constantly reminded of how thankful I am for you.

Celebrating after dinner with family :-)

And friends!  Thanks to the conspiring of my amazing husband and sister :-)

Love these girls so very much!  They love, they encourage, they make me a better person and I'm so thankful for them.

I was so afraid of turning 30 all year long.  I think I started dreading it the day I turned 29. I loved my 20s.  I loved my college years and getting married and having babies.  I always say I want to freeze my kids at their ages but lately I've realized that I really want to freeze all four of us at our ages! 

Older people tell me all the time (especially in grocery stores) "You don't know it yet but these are the best years with your little ones and they go by so fast."  But the thing is, I do know it!  I feel like I'm right in the middle of the best years of my life and all I can do is take pictures and videos and watch the time pass. 

A few weeks ago I felt so convicted knowing that my heart should be thankful for 30 years and all that it has included.  And I am!  I'm thankful that I turned 30 and I'm so thankful for the family and friends I have around me!

Holiday Happenings

The last few weeks we have enjoyed a lot of time with family and friends.  Last week was super-hectic with Ava's school Christmas party and dance recital but we've had so much fun in the evenings watching Christmas movies and driving around to look at lights.  I love how excited the kids are about Christmas but I know how sad Ava is going to be when the lights and stocking come down.  Every place we go there is Christmas decor and she is always quick to point it out.  She sings along to all the Christmas music in the car and at home. Our favorite thing to do this year is to keep count of the the car antlers that we see when we are driving around.  We hit 20 last week and decided that every 20 deserves a candy cane when we get home. 

Keegan has done a great job of leaving the Christmas tree alone but I have his gifts wrapped in Mickey Mouse paper and he pulls them out all day to show me "Icky."  He doesn't even know that there's something fun inside.  I can't wait to watch him tear into his presents for the first time.  And it's less than a week away!  Here are some pics of our last couple of weeks......

Decorating cookies with princess Abigail

Christmas tree crafts with sweet Kenlee

 Lights in Deerfield!  Our favorite!

 Way more excited about 'driving' Daddy's car than the lights

Christmas Party at school

"Icky Mouse!"

The best gifts under my tree.....I know I say how thankful I am all the time but I am hugging these two a little tighter and longer the last few days.