Christmas 2012

Our Christmas celebration began Christmas Eve.
We let the girls open one present because Hadley could not stand it anymore!
Afterwards we went to Eric's aunt and uncle's house.

Santa came to visit!

My parents came up Christmas day! 

My sweet sister who got engaged on New Year's Eve!

 

A Christmas Party and a Visit with Santa

On Wednesday, we had Hadley's Christmas program and party at school.
Here she is before we left. We have had wonderful weather for December.
Some people complain and want cold weather so it will fill like Christmas. Not me, I love that I can
still take the girls outside to play. But as I'm typing this we have had a high of 50. That's freezing to me!

I would love to tell you she did fabulous, but....
she was too busy looking around at everybody with a pensive look on her face.

 

Just a typical family photo....
My girls are wild! In Hollins' defense, there was a baby on the floor that
she wanted. And we don't have ANY at our house!

That night we went to visit Santa, or the Big Guy, as Hadley calls him.
They were so excited! Neither of them have ever cried on a visit to Santa!

 

Cook Family Christmas

This past weekend was a difficult. My heart has been so heavy for
the families in Connecticut. I know those babies are with Jesus but as a mom I couldn't
imagine going through something like that. As a teacher, I also had so many mixed emotions.
I become offended when people blame schools for not having enough security but yet, 
I also feel pride when I hear how those teachers gave their lives for their students.
As a special education teacher, I am so familiar with those students who are "socially awkward" 
and have those severe behaviors and I wonder if I have done enough for them.

This weekend has also been difficult for the girls. This picture
pretty much sums our entire weekend. Both girls have been or are still sick and they have 
been miserable. No one has slept or been happy or eaten.
Wow...really that is all there is to say.



This weekend we went to my parents house to have the Cook Family Christmas.
That is my dad and his brothers and their families.
We had to take golf cart rides around the golf course to
get the girls out of the house and distracted. They are happiest outside!

 

This is Barrett, my sister's soon to be fiance!
Hadley loves him! He is such a great guy! He is so good with the girls!

 

Getting the Christmas party started. The only pictures of the girls together in their cute outfits.

 

Lots of cousins opening presents. Hadley kept asking,"What else is for me?"
She was too cute, but we might need to work more on giving to others who are 
less unfortunate.

 

 

Here's my little Hollins after she lost her dinner. Bless...

 

 

 

 

The girls got more babies, more strollers, and more baby doll accessories. 
We don't have quite enough in our home!

It's Christmas Time!

We started off the Christmas season with our Elf on the Shelf bringing a special snack
the day after Thanksgiving.
The girls named her Ella and we have had a lot of fun with her and the girls loving
seeing what she is going to do next.
But Ella is kind of lazy-she won't move for days!

We went to our town's Christmas parade, which was a first for us.
It was only mildly stressful and the girls did great and seemed to enjoy it!

Hadley did not enjoy the firetrucks. She is my little cautious girl.

Our town also has a weekend long festival called Christmasville.
They had lots of fun activities, but my girls mostly enjoyed the carousel and bouncy houses.

We have made Christmas cookies and baked lots of treats!

We also went to Lights at the Zoo. It was a fun experience-but it will definitely last
us a few years. It was an hour drive and the girls were tired. They also
couldn't figure out where the animals were!

They did have a marshmallow roasting pit which was fun!

 

My girls love some carousels!