Christmas 2012!

As always, Christmas was a very full and tiring day, but it was filled with lots of fun and happiness!  If there was any sadness or drama, we don't have any pictures to remember it by so I want to say that there was none. -T

Christmas Morning...

Not a bad start to the day when we got them BOTH to smile at the same time!

I want to say they look better than the scary pictures of me when I was a kid on Christmas morning

Enough with the pictures, let's get this party started!

From peas in her stocking to goldfish

Anna's First Christmas

Playing dress-up

Mae sharing her new doll

Happy Anna

Doesn't EVERYONE just LOVE Veggie Tales?  Josh and the Big Wall!

More zoo animals!

Already starting to line them up - so organized.

I was ALMOST able to take a picture without Anna noticing

Pausing the morning for a quick read

Anna!  You don't have to smile for EVERY picture!

Wanting to open "the big one!"

Buuuut...it freaked Mae out so Anna had to open it by herself (it was for the both of them)

Once it was opened - Mae did like it.  Mae played with her new toys...

...while Anna smiled for pictures.

I said, "Mae played with her new toys..."

"...while Anna smiled for pictures." 

Combining her toys into a great imaginary world

The bed was supposed to be for her new doll, but maybe she was already worn out for the day.

Off to Aunt Beth's...

Eyein' down Big Nate...or where he's going with that gift

Mae's no dummy - she knows who passes out the gifts

Enjoying the atmosphere

Enjoying others' gifts - and getting a little rest

Most people relaxing, Morgan and Mae wrestling, and I honestly can't figure out what Papa D's doing.  

The "no look" smile for the camera - or just having fun with Kylie an Uncle Brian

Mom getting a needed break...and Anna finding the camera JUST in time

Back home for a little more...

Papa D and Grandma Weez had dropped off their gifts beforehand

It goes perfect with their new kitchen

Mae's excitement could not be contained

What a great Christmas!  And we even ended the day getting Anna NOT to smile!

Christmas Eve Traditions

We spent Christmas Eve with Grandpa (not pictured), Grandma (not pictured), Aunt Jackie (not pictured), and Aunt Kylee (actually pictured, but only because of Anna's ridiculous smiles).  We had dinner, played bells, watched A Roswell Christmas, and took pictures of NONE of it - except for A Roswell Christmas. Just because we didn't take many pictures though, doesn't mean we didn't have a great Christmas Eve. -T

Oh look, we DID take a picture of the bells

The girl can smile

Why is Kylee so happy and Mae so engrossed?

Roswell Christmas is on our Christmas short list of traditions

Chattanooga Vacation Day 3: Hangin' Around

This day was a day of just playing and relaxing.  Audrey and Mae and so much fun playing together especially with the Nativity Set that plays music; we heard music from that about half the day.  Watching those two was one of our favorite parts of the trip.  We took a walk down to the creek which was a disappointment because there was a big landing down there but you couldn't get to it.  So it was just a quick walk down a very steep hill, look at the dirty creek, and then go back up the steep hill.  It was good exercise for the day though.  We also played games, got in the hot tub, and went to the park.

Many of us didn't even know what the other side of the Nativity Set looked like until much later in the day because it was always being used

Our view down to the creek

This landing was fenced off so we couldn't run around and play down there

This was about as much space as we had to roam around next to the creek

Mae with the cabin way up there

Audrey did find a big stick to play with

Throwing sticks into the creek

A steep trip back

Grandpa kept telling them not to push the button to the music  again and when they did he would have this reaction

This is Audrey and Mae getting ready to initiate the Grandpa reaction

They loved it!

A little Jenga anyone?

It looks like everyone is doing their own thing

Game on!

Good job, Mae!

She was forced to do this - I'm not sure who was more upset about it - Mae or her mother

It all worked out fine though

A ride in the park

Aunt Kylee spinning with Mae

Madilyn and Uncle Ryan doing the running man

Again, Anna was just happy to be there

Disappointed it's dark - they loved chasing each other on the porch