Christmastime!

We had a very eventful Christmas season! Noah and I love Christmastime and it was so fun to share it with Keira this year because, as she is getting older, she is able to understand and participate in a lot more.

Right after Thanksgiving was over, so many people in our neighborhood put up lights. Every night after dinner, we had fun taking Jack on a walk and seeing all the lights around our neighborhood!

During the first weekend in December, Balboa Park hosts a huge Christmas event called December Nights (apparently some 300,000 people attend this event!). Although parking is always a nightmare, we've managed to go the last 2 years and it has been a fun intro to the Christmas season.

Still daylight out...hey, Santa, got any presents for me in there?

In Spanish Village, so many lights everywhere!

Before...

After!

Thank you to Nana and Briana for the awesome Advent calendars! And also thanks to Janine for the "one book per night" idea. Starting on Dec 1st and every night thereafter leading up to Christmas, Keira got to open one Christmas book and place one figurine from her Advent calendars. She loved this new tradition and it was awesome to have so many opportunities to talk to her about the story of Jesus' birth.

We always get our Christmas tree at a place where you can cut down your own. Here we are about to find the perfect tree.

Peek-a-boo!

Here's the winner!

Let's cut it down, Daddy!

Homeward bound!

Daddy helping Keira place her special "first Christmas" ornament

Daddy & daughter

The finished product

Our little family Christmas exchange.

Unfortunately, Keira had to get to bed before she could participate in the exchange with us.

The next morning, we left for our week-long trip to visit our families. We stayed overnight at my aunt Sue's house and in the morning, Keira got to start her first round of present opening!

Ooh, pretty dress!

After a quick visit at my cousin's house (unfortunately, no pictures of that stop), it was on to Grammy's house! Keira's loves Grammy's dog, Sister!

And more presents!

In case you didn't know, we're Chargers fans around here!

My mom provided us a really nice lunch and Keira got to help prepare the mashed potatoes!

Add a little salt...

Okay, now mix!

Mom, can't you see I'm working here?!

No more pictures, please!

Lounging and reading her new book after our bellies were full

That afternoon, we got in the car again and drove up to Nana's house!

We made it just in time for Christmas Eve dinner and a special church service.

On Christmas morning, we woke up and came downstairs and saw that our stockings were full!

Hmmm...what else is in there?

After our traditional breakfast of egg casserole and pecan rolls, we headed off to church. After lunch, the adults got to open presents while Keira took her nap.

Even the dogs got presents!

After Keira's nap, she woke up to a house full of people and a yummy Christmas dinner. When most of the guests had gone home, it was time for Keira to open her presents (finally)!

Reading her last Christmas book to cap off the Christmas countdown!

I love presents!

(She actually said this phrase earlier in the morning when we were opening stockings!)

Thank you, Uncle

Wow, Christmas is exhausting!

It's even more exhausting when you get dressed up like an ewok against your will.

Playing with her new puzzle!

Thanks, Nana!

The next night we had a fun dinner and game night with some longtime family friends!

Noah and Ben have grown up together since they were babies!

The proud Grandmas

Silly girls

Keira loved playing the piano with her aunt Laura!

She specifically requested many songs and asked (or basically demanded!) that Laura "sing them with your mouth"

On our last day in Davis, we went to a place called Fairy Tale Town in Sacramento.

Noah and his family had grown up going there and it was fun to share it with Keira. She loved all the slides and climbing and running around. Maybe in a year or two she'll be able to appreciate all the nursery rhyme themes too!

Sitting at Arthur's Round Table with Aunt Laura

In the alphabet garden: K for Keira!

Poor Uncle was forced into sitting on a toadstool with us girls!

Follow the yellow brick road!

Pretending to be Cinderella

There were so many slides!

Nana got in on the fun too!

Did I mention there were a lot of slides?!

We had a wonderful Christmas season with our families and friends!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:5-7

Keira's First "Why" Question

As we were eating dinner last night, the 3 of us were having our usual conversations about the day, what we did, how the day had gone, etc. Thankfully, Keira had taken a nap this day, which means she was still awake when Noah got home and he was even able to join us for dinner!

Keira told me she was finished eating, so I began to clear her tray. I moved her milk cup off the tray and set in on the table in front of me. A few seconds later she exclaimed, "Why'd you take it away, Mommy?!" Noah and I just looked at each other and started cracking up!

This is the first time we had heard her ask a "why" question and she actually used it as a contraction too (why'd). The funniest part was her expression and tone of voice. She was very animated and had raised her voice. Then, when she saw that we were surprised at her question & laughed, she repeated the question and giggled too. It was a fun moment!! I wonder if this is the start of the barrage of why questions soon to come?

Grammy

During Thanksgiving week, my mom came to visit & Keira got to spend lots of quality time with her Grammy. It was an unusual Thanksgiving holiday for us because Noah's family was not with us (they came down here the previous 2 years). So, we had a very low-key holiday with just the 4 of us and we broke tradition and didn't even cook a turkey! Instead, it was BBQ steak with some of the usual Thanksgiving sides.

On Thanksgiving Day, Keira got to open an early Christmas present from Grammy!

Helping Daddy put it together!

Taking it for a spin!

Thanks for the new ride, Grammy!

We also took the opportunity to go to Sea World.

That's Keira's version of a smile...or maybe she's trying to imitate the shark jaws??

Up close with the turtles

Giving the turtle a kiss

Reading books, always a favorite activity!

At the end of her visit, we drove my mom up to Riverside so she could stay with her BFF, Sherri, before heading back home. We had lots of fun hanging out a Sherri & Allen's beautiful home!

The upper deck overlooking the backyard

Keira was NOT into taking pictures that afternoon!!

Thanks for a fun visit, Grammy!
We are looking forward to seeing you soon!

What I am Thankful For

Thanksgiving has come and gone, but it's never too late to take a moment to stop and reflect on things to be thankful for. Most of all, it is never too late to give gratitude to God who blesses us so graciously and abundantly.

Here is a list of things I am thankful for this year (not necessarily in order!):

Life & Health!--Never something to be taken for granted, something especially sobering since my cousin recently died from a stroke right after his 37th birthday.

My little family (Noah, Keira, and Jack)--Words cannot express the joy in my heart for this family that God has blessed me with.

My mom--So thankful for new beginnings.

My in-laws--Seriously, I could not have asked for a more AWESOME set of in-laws! Thank you, Lord!!

Jesus--Enough said.

Freedom--It is not free.

New Hope Church--Our San Diego family. So dear to us.

My Mom Friends--I don't know what I'd do without these awesome ladies.

Sleep--It was a looooooooong time before Keira slept through the night & now that she does so regularly, I am so very thankful for a good night's sleep each night.

Hmmm...the thought of sleep is making my brain start to shut down...this completes my list for this year, but just in case I've forgotten something, I will post an update later!

Keira is Thankful

I am posting this list mainly for my own record-keeping purposes. It is cute too. It will be fun to compare this list with next year's list and see how much more she understands the concept of "thankfulness" when she is a year older.

For 2011, these are the things Keira is thankful for (in no particular order):

Leaves

Trees

Buttons

Presents

Food (popcorn)

Love Elmo

Teddy Bear

Snoopy

Pluto

Bed

Pillow

Boots

Oliver

Significant omissions from this list include Mommy, Daddy, & Jack...hmmm...I wonder if we'll make it onto the list next year??

Thankful Tree

I have been waiting a year to introduce the Thankful Tree to Keira and I was so happy when November finally arrived! I got the idea for this from a friend of mine (thanks EP!) and now that we have done it this year, I hope to do it again every year!

Basically, the idea is simple: talk about things you're thankful for, write those things on the leaves, and place the leaves on the tree! The concept of "thankfulness" is a bit abstract for Keira, but as we've continued to talk about this throughout the month, I think she may be starting to get it! Today, when I asked her, "What do we say to someone who gives us something that makes us really happy?" She thought for a second and said, "Thank you!" Then, when I asked, "What are some things that make you really happy and thankful?" and she was able to say, "Love Elmo" and then she proceeded to name the other stuffed animals that she sleeps with (This was an improvement from looking around the room and naming items in sight, such as stairs, door, etc.)! :)

Here are some pictures...

Keira helping build the tree

Let's put on a leaf

What are you thankful for?

Wow, the collection of leaves is growing!

My thankful little girl

(notice the "smile")

These are some things Keira is thankful for:

Happy Thanksgiving!!