New Years

We didn't have any big plans for New Years, so when Grammy, Pa, Uncle Tone and Deborah asked if we wanted to join them at the lake we were free to go!  The girls have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Deborah.  They have so much fun with her!  They spent much of the night playing with pool noodles.

We had some very good burgers and enjoyed a fire outside while Uncle Tone put on a fireworks show for us all.  Carli LOVED it.  Ava was so exhausted, she somehow managed to fall sound asleep mid show - booming sounds and all.  :)

A very simple and fun New Years.  Loved it!

King Christmas

We celebrated Christmas with the King side of the family the wkd after Christmas.  The girls were so excited to have everyone over to their house this year!  We enjoyed a yummy steak dinner with baked potatoes and pies for dessert! 

The Annual Pic in front of the Christmas Tree

Pa with all his "Pumpkins"

Baby Eady was so much fun to have this year!  The girls were thoroughly enthralled with her!

To say the girls were a bit spoiled would be an understatement!  They LOVED it!

Thankfully, Grammy & Pa got Carli & Ava live sized baby dolls which they immediately took to and loved on.  I'm sure Eady was thankful for them to be a bit distracted!

Isn't she precious?!

We had a lot of fun Christmas shopping this year.  Some of my favorite gifts we gave were some special Japanese two toed socks for Mom.  She bought a pair in Japan while we were there and LOVED them.  She couldn't find them here in the right kind of fabric.  So with the help of our partners in Japan and Eric's wife Yuki, we ordered them and got her four new pairs.  And we bought Uncle Tone six boxes of Alpha Bits.  I think it was his favorite gift.  :)  In return, Uncle Tone bought the girls Furby's.  I would have been a little annoyed at the girls getting such a wonderfully loud toy except for Ava's constant giggles every time her's talks to her.  :)

It was a wonderful Christmas season and we loved spending time with each side of our family.  We are blessed.

Buddies

Since Carli & Keith deemed themselves as Ranger Buddies....

Ava declared Momma and Ava as Princess Buddies!

And Ava actually got me in a pink shirt!  She is very proud!

Christmas at Home

After the girls calmed down from their excitement of seeing what Santa had left, we had our little family Christmas.  We used the four present rule again this year.  "Something they want, something they need, something they wear and something they read." 

Both girls got a new "ballerina dress" for their something to wear.  They love to twirl in them!  :)

Carli's "want" was a red bear just like Momma's.  My Mom had given me this red bear when I was a junior in high school for Valentine's day.  It went with me to college, grad school and our new home when we got married.  Carli has claimed him as her own and I told her that was fine but she was just borrowing him until it was time for her to go to college.  Her response was to ask for a bear just like mine for Christmas.  We only found one and it was on ebay.  Apparently it is a collectors item.  :)  It was worth it...she loved it and now she has twins and still hasn't given me my bear back!

Carli & Keith have designated themselves as Ranger buddies.  Carli was so excited when she opened her gift from Keith and it was a Ranger shirt and hat just like his! 

Ava worked hard on practicing her patience this year.  She loved her Highlight's magazine she got for her something to read and her brand new real ballerina dress as her something she wanted. 

Keith and I bought new living room furniture for our Christmas but we did get to open our stockings and a small gift from each other.  Ava was so sure that the Reece's Pieces were all for her!

Our Christmas at home was quiet, small and perfect.  :)

Santa Came to Our House!

We flew home on Christmas day.  We had planned to drive from Dallas straight home but when we got wind that all my aunts, uncles, Mom & Dad were in Fairfield along with both my brothers we decided to make a detour.  It isn't often we can say that we got to see almost all our family on Christmas day but this year we did!  We enjoyed our extra visit we got squeezed in before we headed home. 

When we got home, the girls ran to their room to see if Santa had come.  And he did!

Santa brought Carli a new camera and Ava some princess legos.  And he also filled their stockings to the brim!

They LOVED their new headphones and so does Momma...no more listening to "Oh Toodles!" over and over in the car while they watch videos on the way to Alto.  :)

Santa did good this year!  And the girls were so excited that he stopped at their house even though they were not there.  The had remembered to put the Santa key on the front door just in case he did not want to use the chimney and Momma & Daddy asked Santa to pls leave their gifts under the pink tree in their room.  This way, we could sign into our security system and look at the camera in their room to make sure Santa remembered to stop by just in case the girls asked.  :)  Yep, Santa was good to us this year.

Measuring Up

A couple years ago we got Naggy a ruler for her hallway so she could measure the girls each time they come visit.  We have one at home too and Grammy has her's at the lake house.  When it was time to see how much the girls had grown...the guys all decided they needed to be measured too.  :)

Decorating and Painting

The girls are really into crafts, especially Carli.  So they jumped at the chance to decorate a gingerbread house while we were at Naggy and Pappy's.  Aunt Megan and Naggy were good helpers!  :)

Aunt Megan & Uncle Kevin gave the girls fairy statues to paint and the girls LOVED it!  I think Ava sat still for over 10 minutes...that may be a record!

It was fun to sit back and observe everyone else interact with the girls. I think I see more of the girls personalities come out when I get to observe rather than be the "grown up."  :)