Let's Go to the Movies!

Naggy was REALLY creative this Christmas season and we got a big box of goodies full of Twelve Days of Christmas gifts.  One of the gifts was a gift card to go to the movies, and another was some cash for the girls & their parents.  So during our Christmas break, we went out to the movies which is a very rare occurrence for us.  To top it off, we gave the girls their money and let them buy whatever they wanted at the concession stand.  They ate it up!

We went and saw the new Annie.  It was cute and we enjoyed it, although Ava had a really hard time sitting still through the whole movie...probably had something to do with the whole back for fruit snacks full of sugar she ate during the previews!

Gift from Holli

We got home from Christmas in Alto to a message from Uncle Tone and Holli that they had forgotten to give the girls a gift from Holli.  They had left it at our house.  So the girls were pretty stoked to get to open up one more gift before bed.  We took several pictures so Uncle Tone and Holli could enjoy!  :)

Sadie thoroughly enjoyed the wrapping paper and bows.  :)

They were very excited to get a lot of nail polish and nail decorations!  Time for some manicures and pedicures!!

Christmas at Grammy & Pa's

Christmas with Grammy & Pa was great fun this year.  We were so proud of all four cousins who did so well patiently waiting their turns to open gifts.  They thoroughly enjoyed each other this year!

Before wee had a very yummy lunch of Roast and the fixings prepared by Grammy, Grammy had made each kid a Christmas sack and after they patiently had their pictures taken several times, they were allowed to dive in!

Pa had just as much fun with all the goodies as the kids did!  First he and Eady played on the xylophone...

Then he helped Ava put on her new "mood" necklace. 

Carli got a new "mood" necklace too!

Then after lunch and dessert, we finally said it was time to open presents...after we took their pictures again!

Eady was a joy to watch as she was more interested in helping everyone else with their gifts than she was opening her own.  :)

The girls with their stash of gifts.

I love this picture, b/c it is a true smile from Pa.  We gave him the Internet TV at the lakehouse.  He kept trying to remind us to go back and get it but then we'd hear stories of he and Grammy watching Netflix movies when the stop by to "check" things at the lake.  We decided it would be more appreciated and used at the lake.  :)

One of the girls favorite gifts were Frozen blankets from Grammy and Pa.  They sleep with the every night.

We all take turns opening presents.  We even made the kids go last as we went from oldest to youngest.  They did so very well waiting their turns to open gifts.

Both the girls got mini sewing machines from Grammy.  They LOVE to have Grammy make them things and are very anxious to start learning from Grammy!

This like the picture of Pa, I just love it b/c it's a true smile from Andy.

This was Holli's first experience of Christmas at Grammy and Pa's.  Carli & Ava bought Holli a Troup Tiger's shirt and a stuffed Tiger.  We think she liked it!

Uncle Tone bought Holli a Tiffany's necklace.  He was pretty proud and she was totally not expecting it.  Pretty cool.

Sweet cousins.

Uncle Tone has begged, asked and attempted to barter for this clock ever since he got his own office a couple of years ago.  Keith loves this clock.  I don't care one way or the other.  Since we've moved there wasn't really a good "fit" for the clock and after much discussion and back and forth, Keith decided that it was time to pass the clock on to Tone.  I hope the clock is all Tone has dreamed it to be!

 

One of the things I treasure so much is the relationship I had with my grandparents.  It is so awesome to watch my girls build that bond with their grandparents.  Best gift of all!

 

Shauntea the Elf and her Shenanigans

So, we may have not done so well at the elf this year.  We did have Shauntea doing something every night except once but we covered ourselves and blamed the dogs.  Sorry dogs.  But the last week before Christmas we may have just quit taken pictures b/c well, our imaginations were just that pitiful!  But thankful the magic of Christmas covered for us and the girls did not seem to notice.  There's always next year!  :)

Eating some candy for the candy jar...

Cut off a ring from our days to Christmas countdown...

Reading the Polar Express to all her friends the night before we all got to go to the Polar Express... 

There's a story with Frosty.  Ava spends most Friday's with Grammy while I get in a day at work and Carli is a school.  She thoroughly enjoys herself and I think Grammy does too!  One day they went shopping, it was probably a Thursday when we had a weird week and Grammy helped us out by getting Ava from school and they were killing time before getting Carli at her school.  They went to Garden Ridge and Ava fell in love with this Frosty the Snowman.  Literally.  Grammy managed to get out of the store without buying him but Ava did not forget.  When Naggy came down and we went to Garden Ridge, Ava remembered exactly which aisle Frosty was on.  We never let her buy it, but each and every time we went to Garden Ridge we had to go visit Frosty.  Ava was absolutely thrilled when she got up one morning to find that Shautea had brought Frosty home to her!

It was a desperate night when Shauntea ended up stuck in someone's money jar... 

We just LOVE minions... 

Sleepover in the silverware drawer... 

Took a ride on an airplane... 

It was a creative night when Shauntea built a snowman, sign in all... 

And then the next night she took Minnie Mouse out for a ride.  This must have been a weekend to have two good ideas in a row! 

Took a ride on a horse, with butterfly wings.  The story behind this one was that the girls had pictures made that day and as a reward got to pick out one toy at the store.  Thus, Carli got a horse and rider and Ava got butterfly wings.  Shauntea was impressed by their selections. 

It's a weeknight...we need sugar! 

Snowball fight!  Built a fort with pumpkin bread loaves and made snowballs with mini marshmallows...

Playing makeup with Ava's new makeup kit and her friends... 

 

A little tic-tac-toe...

 

And then things started to get a little less creative... 

 

After this night we were done.  We still had about nine more nights to go!  She ended up hiding in plants, presents and other random simple stuff.  Until next year!