Christmas Day

We had a great Christmas. We stayed home this year because we weren't sure how well Annabel would be able to travel. My parents came down to celebrate Christmas with us.

Christmas morning we got up and opened presents. Well, Maddie unloaded her stocking and then unloaded everyone else's for them. Then she opened her presents ... and everyone else's.

Later, we ate Jared's delicious prime rib. After naps, we made a birthday cake for Jesus and sang Happy Birthday.

Here are some (ok, a lot) of pics from Christmas morning.

Madison getting ready to dig into her stocking



Annabel checking out her stocking

Annabel and Grandpa

Mommy and the girls

Modelling her new princess house shoes

Maddie unloaded Daddy's stocking for him

Now, on to Grandpa's stocking. He got two helpers.

Maddie got a new digital camera. She has been sleeping with it.

Her new dress.

Annabel's favorite: tissue paper

Annabel's stash of new clothes

More playing with tissue paper

Who needs presents? She just needs a box tall enough to try to pull up on.

Daddy was just fast enough to open one of his presents by himself.

Grammy was not so fast

What a great Christmas!

Annabel is crawling

Annabel started crawling about a week ago. I took this video on my regular camera. It is not great, but you can see her crawling.

Now, she is a lot more steady and a lot faster.

When I got home from work this evening, her pants were wet because she had found the dogs water bowl. In the first hour after I got home, she darted across the living room for daddy's cup, pulled Wrigley's tail, and tugged on the Christmas tree skirt. We are going to have to keep a close eye on her now. I don't remember Maddie being so determined to get into everything.

More Christmas Fun

This Christmas season has already been our busiest by far. I have missed taking pictures of much of it. In the last two weeks, we have had a Sunday School class party, one with a few family friends, and Jared and I got to go to my work Christmas party (thanks mom and dad for coming to watch the girls).

Today was also very busy. This morning was Madison's preschool Christmas party. She brought home many of the Christmas projects she has been working on. They have been working hard to help them learn the true meaning of Christmas. Their memory verse for this month has been

Unto you is born this day a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Here is a picture that they made and laminated.

and so many other Christmas crafts




Modeling the elf had she made


After the school Christmas party, the girls also got to come to the kids Christmas party at my work. First, they colored and made a cute little mouse. Annabel was lots of help. She kept putting all of the felt pieces in her mouth.




We managed to get it together (except for the eyes).

Then Santa showed up to hand out presents to all the kids.

and take pictures

We had to be quick because Annabel was trying her best to pull his beard off.

Post Surgery Head Decor

Just before Annabel had surgery, I met a lady on craniokids.org who was starting a charity for little girls with cranio. She is making headbands that can be used to cover their scars. The charity is called Avery's Angels. You can see more about it at

averysangels.net

I contacted her and Annabel received her headband just after her surgery. Here is a picture of her in it.



Annabel won't be able to wear the headband much more for the next couple of months. On Wednesday, Jared took his mom and brother to the airport in Houston. Then they went to pick up her new helmet. The helmet will be used to ensure that her head grows in the proper direction after surgery. It was a clear plastic. Last night we got paint and stickers to decorate it. I thought it turned out pretty cute. Here are a few pics of her in her helmet.

Annabel will be wearing this for about 23 hours a day for the next 2-3 months. Then she should be finished with her treatment.

Christmas to a 3 year old

This is the first year that Madison has really gotten excited about Christmas coming and is asking lots of questions about it.

Last week we saw Santa in the mall and she wanted to get a picture with him. My work has a kids Christmas party that Santa comes to, so I told her we would do it then. This morning on the way to school, Madison asked again if she was going to get to take a picture with Santa at my work. I said "yes, but do you remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas?"

She was silent for a little while, so I reminded her that it is Jesus' birthday. Her eyes lit up. "Will we sing Happy Birthday to Him?!?!"

Me: "Yes, we can sing Happy Birthday to Him. I think that would be a good idea"

Maddie: "Will He be there?"

Me: "Well, He will probably listen and watch us from Heaven" and then after a little thought "but He could decide to come that day".

It is going to be so much fun to celebrate this Christmas season.