It's snowing again

It's snowing again here in Dallas! That's three times in a month. I love it! It's so pretty to stand in the kitchen and watch snow falling while I cook or bake. Today Annabelle and Ava were over playing. They all decided to go outside and play in the snow. After they were wet and cold they all came in!

Best gift of all

Chris and I finally got a playset for the backyard. This was the kids big gift this year. It will not be topped in the future just in case you are wondering. :) I'm sure it will be the best investment spent on toys. Bennett would rather be outside than inside so as soon as he's big enough he'll be out there all the time. Now we have to be there with him at ALL times. He's fearless which is a little scary for us. Pop-pop came over on Saturday and helped Chris start putting it together and then Chris continued working until dark and then he worked from first thing Sunday until 5:00. He is the best daddy!! The kids were so excited and ready to play. Ella wanted her friends across the street to come over immediately.

That's a lot of parts!

All finished! The middle swing is missing b/c we needed to get a toddler swing.

Fun times!

Merry Christmas!

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas... I never thought I'd actually sing that song and actually have a white Christmas but we did! YEA! I didn't really take any pictures of the snow though. It was so pretty and there's still remnants as I write this days later and prepare for the next winter mix for tomorrow. The kids had a great Christmas and got way too much. Bennett was happy with one thing and opened presents throughout the day. Ella pretty much sped through her presents. Bennett loves his new train table and really loves to destruct the train set once assembled. I suspect I'll be an expert train track assembler by New Year's. Ella received more Barbies than her little heart desires. Her favorite was the set of Princess Barbies. She walked around with the box and asked if she could open it all morning. They loved everything they got and couldn't be happier!

Bennett found sister's bike first!

I like stocking stuffers!

The kids final present was a note from Santa to look out back (notice Ella carrying the Barbie box).

The green slide is for their new playset!

This year I made homemade cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast. Yum!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your families!!

Christmas Eve

Wow, what a sight we had on Christmas Eve and Christmas for that matter! Snow on Christmas Eve in Texas! Who'd have thought? Certainly not me. I spent a couple Christmases in Maryland as a child and never had a white one. At first it started snowing and wasn't sticking but we probably had three inches Christmas morning. I spent the morning baking cookies for Santa, of course. Chris prepared lasagna so it'd be ready to put in the oven after church. We got ready and left extra early in case the roads were bad. We went to our former church to their children's service. I spent all of the second half in the foyer walking around with Bennett watching it on TV. :) Ella enjoyed it. Brooke, John and Brooke's parents joined us for the service. The kids got ready for bed and Ella put out her letter for Santa with the many pictures of items she thought sheneeded with a plate of cookies and milk. She then went out in the freezing cold and put out the reindeer food that has special sparkles that light up so the reindeer will find our house. Then it was time to read the new Christmas books they got for their "first" present. They open one gift on Christmas Eve and it's a new Christmas book for each. Since Ella LOVES Fancy Nancy I thought she couldn't go a Christmas without the new book out this year. Bennett received The Christmas Baby. Just one of our Christmas traditions.

Aggie's (our elf in the tree) last night at the house until next year

The kids saying, "Ho, Ho, Ho."

Ready for church

Reindeer food

Cookies and milk for Santa!

Night, night!!

Christmas Program

Yesterday the 3s and 4s had a Christmas program at Ella's school.  It was so cute.  The 3s were pigs, sheep and cows.  Ella was an adorable pig.  She's been practicing her songs for months.  I wake up in the morning singing, Jesus was born on Christmas day...  We ordered the DVD and hopefully when we receive it I can figure out how to upload it to the blog.  Bennett really wanted to be part of the program too.  He ended up with Chris in the back of the church.

Santa again

Today we went over to Watters Creek to visit Santa and two of his reindeer!  The reindeer were as cute as could be eating while the onlookers took lots of pictures.  Thankfully the line to see Santa was short and quick.  I'm guessing most people are at the malls waiting in long lines.  Not only did we get a short line but we got to take our own pictures for free.  Second visit was as successful as the visit last weekend, no tears!  Ella was not too sure this time and backed away but I put her up there and she told him what she wanted - this week a bike.  He replied, "A Harley?"  I'm pretty sure she had no idea what he was talking about. ;)

'Tis the season

After last year's very sad tree we decided to hold off a little longer this year. We all went to Home Depot after dinner Saturday night and picked out a tree (in the cold). On Sunday Chris put up the new LED lights I bought and ran out, of course. While I took Ella to the third birthday party of the weekend he and B went to Super T to buy more lights but they were out, of course. Chris was leaving for Denver on Monday so I went to the fourth Target and found more lights and finished up the lights after the kids were fast asleep. Finally, on Tuesday during Bennett's nap Ella & I decorated the Christmas tree while drinking hot cocoa and listening to the "Holly" station on XM. Last year she wouldn't drink it but this year she has figured out that she does take after her mommy and has a sweet tooth after all!! Is she really going to pass up a drink topped with marshmallows?!?!

Lighted tree

Ella hanging the first ornament

Enjoying hot cocoa

Our tree!

Last weekend the kids were invited to Leighton's fourth birthday party. He is one of Ella's good friends. They've been friends since they were tiny babies. We met in January after their first Christmas at church. The past two years he's had Santa come to his party. Last year Ella was skeptical about Santa but this year she was ready to sit in his lap and tell him what she wants for Christmas. I was prepared for Bennett to cry immediately as most children do at his age but surprisingly he gave Santa a big smile. He didn't last as long as Ella but he did last long enough for a couple pictures. We're going to see Santa again this weekend with daddy. Hopefully round two will be successful as well.

Meet our elf! We introduced the kids, ok really just Ella, to Elf on the Shelf this year. It's a great book that comes with the cute elf. The elf has magical powers and watches the kids during the day and then reports to Santa every night on their behavior. I love it! After you read the book for the first time your child chooses a name for their elf, you go to the website and send the name in and then print out a certificate. We came up with all sorts of names and Ella wanted to name her elf Aggie. You know who was thrilled about that! So far Aggie has only forgotten to find a new location once - opps! It's pretty fun to watch her look for him each morning.

Fall family photos

We had our family pictures taken a week before Thanksgiving.  Jennifer Zindler did a great job.  She has taken our pictures before.  I just love her work.  Here are a few of my favorites.