Merry Christmas

 

Happy Christmas morning.  Welcome to our mayhem.

Our Christmas Tree, half the lights burned out Christmas morning.

A little Christmas morning bed head.

Properly tamed.

Eliza finished Santa's cookies.

 

Adam was happy to receive a whole pack of gum, which he promptly chewed.

Grace unwrapping her gift from her Dad.

Now that is some eyebrow skill.

 

Merry with new roller blades, she some how broke an axle on her roller skates.

 

We encourage sibling rivalry.

Just in case you were wondering, an assembled table will fit in the back of a mini van, but will not fit through the front door.  So it was on the front porch on Christmas morning until we could take the rods off.

Christmas Card

Elf vs. Eliza

 Remember Eliza and the Elf last year.

 

Look how big she is now. 

Still a little creepy elf.

 

Oh look, Eliza is a ventriloquist.

 

Eliza trying to take the elf's hat off.

Eliza can free stand and take one step.

She is pretty excited about this.

What a good helper she was during the wrapping frenzy.

Cookie Making

Sugar Cookies for Santa.

 Grace making the prerequisite sugar cookies.

 

All product must be tested before Santa consumption.

 Jacob showing off the cookies.

I made a gingerbread family complete with a red-headed step child.

Santa visits early.

 Marvin our elf dropped by some gifts from Santa a few days early.

He had a note that said that Santa did not want them to suffocate in his bag.

 Meet Snowflake

 

and Ms. M. 

Perhaps you are wondering why Merry has a band-aid on her eyebrow.  One word, Adam.

One of Eliza's birthday gifts may have got thrown strategically at her forehead.  Thank goodness for super glue.

 

I am not sure how Harbor feels about the new additions.

He is not really our dog.  He adopted us around Halloween, we still have not found his real family.

 

 I think it is possible they might be loved to death.

Happy birthday Eliza!!!!!

 

It is hard to believe my baby is already one. 

Look how big she is in her little bassinet.

 For her birthday Mom, Dad and Adam took her to the Dade City Zoo.

 She is much too busy to cuddle now.

 Time for cake!

 Please let me go Dad.

 I am going to get it.

 

Delicious.

 

 Adam picked a helicopter for her, I am pretty sure he wants her to share it with him.

 Her new favorite thing is looking at books.

Grace cuddling with Eliza.

Merry's dance

Merry and Grace's dance studio had their Christmas Dance performance.  

Merry put together this lovely ensemble for the program.

This is another of Ms. Sally's treasures.

Grace changed before I got a picture of her.

Merry danced to the Charlie Brown Christmas Song and Grace danced to Rudolf the Red-nose reindeer.

Merry also had an acrobat performance as well.

 

Santa comes to town and Eliza at 11 months

Or in our case, Santa came to our house.

We hosted a toys for tots party and Santa came to visit.

Merry wants a rainbow loom.

Adam wants a dump truck

Jacob wants a club penguin membership.

Grace wants a phone.  I guess kindergarteners needy to text each other.

Eliza wants to get away from Santa.  I am pretty sure Santa feels the same way.

Eliza is now 11 months.  She loves the Christmas tree.

Especially the rolly ornaments.

Good job Eliza you finally caught it.

All that work sure wears an elf out.  Notice the rhinestones by her eyes,  I am pretty sure they came from an ornament.

Happy Thanksgiving

We had Thanksgiving at home with our family this year.   We have traveled the past couple of years for Thanksgiving, so it was nice not to have to go anywhere.  I actually cooked, the kids did not eat except for Eliza who will eat anything.   Then Ashley and I braved the black Friday crowds.

All in all a great day!

Random November

Let the holiday decorating begin.

Bad parenting photo. So sorry Eliza a light can not feel good up one's nostril

Happy 13 year anniversary to us.  You can see we dressed up for the occasion.  Me with no makeup and Brian in his Popeye t-shirt.

The kid's ornament Christmas tree is up, complete with a wonky star.

I am not sure that she was expecting the flash.

Why hello Jacob, nice to see you.
He just finished the Hobbit and is now starting the Lord of the Rings series,
occasionally he surfaces for air.

Grace and her new obsession.