Cooking baking and Christmas

 Happy cookie makers baking for Santa.

Grace baking with her mini-me Eliza. 

 Eliza with her Christmas tree.

 Grace with her angel.

 Christmas after Santa came.

 Christmas morning skating.

 Eliza with her helpers.

 Adam skating.

 Grace in her skating socks.

This is how Jacob spent Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve

 Christmas Eve after church.

 Papa even coordinated his outfit.

 The boys

 The girls, they sang together during the church primary program and sounded wonderful.

 How the kids really feel about taking pictures.

 Jacob looking very old.

 Beautiful Merry.

 Grace, Grace with the pretty face.

 Handsome Adam forcing a smile.

 Last but not least, sweet Eliza Jane.

Eliza playing elf and delivering the presents to the tree.

December in Florida

 Enjoying the warm weather and sunshine.

 Warming up the basketball skills.

 Messy hair don't care.

 Eliza insists on a pony tail every morning, half of which falls out.

I don't know how she can see anything.

Happy 5th birthday

Happy 5th birthday to sweet Eliza.

 Hard to believe she is already 5.

Making a birthday wish.

She had a party at build a bear for her birthday.  She chose a purple fairy kitty and named it Madison.

Fluffing the kitty.

 Her fancy birthday pictures.

 She still has blue, blue eyes,

 a sunny disposition,

 freckles on her nose,

and a silly sense of humor.

She has been such a sweet addition to our family, I am so glad I get to be her mom.

More of December

 Brian looking particularly happy to be at a soccer game.

 The girls headed out to a game.

 Grace playing soccer.

Jacob after his soccer game.

 Jacob also played for his school team this year.

They had a great season, went undefeated and won the district championship.

Finally, something not to do with soccer, Grace playing spider girl up the door frame. I am constantly having to clean footprints off of the molding.

Band nerds and student of the quarter

 This is the last year of band for Jacob, so my last chance at taking band nerd photos.

He also said he felt like Arthur in this sweater/shirt combo.

 Merry had her first band concert, the beginning band was actually pretty good.

 Mom with her two band nerds.

 Adam was selected as the student of the quarter for 2nd grade.  He is a very thoughtful boy and is always trying to help his classmates out.

Gingerbread houses

 Adam requested a bat tower this year.

 Merry and Grace went a more traditional route.

Both were devoured in a couple of minutes, mostly the heavily frosted areas.

Dec 1 and 2

 We started off December by going to the Christmas parade

to see Jacob play his baritone in the band.

 On the 2nd we Jacob was the only child with a game so we all got to go.

Towering over the opposition.

Our other kids were there too.  Only Eliza posed for the camera.

Then Brian and I went to his work party in our fancy duds.