Christmas 2013 (Part 1)

Although it was 3 months ago, I can't pass up posting our Christmas photos and activities.

As usual, we headed to Home Depot down the road to pick up a Christmas tree from their tree lot.   Since we were having out of town guests this year, we decided to get a larger tree than we have had in the past.  On a side note - Katelyn remembers everything.  She was disappointed that this year they did not have one of those wooden cutouts that she could poke her head through to take a picture of as she did last year.  At first we couldn't figure out what she was talking about, but as usual, she was telling the truth.

Playing in an empty tree bin area.

Daddy's helpers.

My goofballs by the decorated tree.  I bummed that this turned out so blurry.

Katelyn is in her 2nd year of Sunday School and they do a program each year a week or two before Christmas at the beginning of the Sunday church service.  She did great!  She knew her songs and sang them.  What a change from a year ago when she knew every word but refused to sing a word the entire program.  This was also the first time that Brooklyn sat in 'big church.'  She didn't last the whole service, but she did well for a little while.

My sweetheart.

Practicing in the morning before church (Katelyn is in the middle of this picture).

I had a cousin in town from Nicaragua, so we had our Christmas party with my mom's side of the family early in December.  This is how we celebrate Christmas in California ;-) - short sleeves and outside playing cornhole.

Brookie & her cousin Micah.

I made this for my girlies (thanks again Pinterest for the idea).  They got quite a bit of use out of it.  It did detract them from the real tree a little bit.  It is felt and then can move anything where ever they want.

We also made another trip to the public library for their 'Winter Wonderland.'  It wasn't near as good as the Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom presentation, but the girls still had fun.

Decorating ornaments with stickers.

Katelyn showing off her ornament.

Listening to the story.

Our first introduction to a parachute.  Katelyn loved it.  Brooklyn was afraid to go under it.

Decorating snow cone Christmas trees.  They also loved eating them.

Santa came for a surprise visit, which is confusing because we don't really do the whole Santa thing in our house, but that was about half of the time they had planned at the Library.  Brooklyn was unwilling to go near him.

The next post will include actual Christmas and the visitors who came to see us!