Merry Christmas to our Princesses!

Chris and I enjoy watching our girls get excited about Christmas and this year was better than any others so far. As the girls get a little older, they start to get more and more excited about Santa coming. It was so fun watching Maddie get prepared and talk about Santa's arrival. She knows about how Santa comes down the chimney when we're asleep and how we need to leave cookies and milk for him and this year she even wanted to write him a thank you note. I think it is fun for us as we tend to relive our childhood through our kids. We remembered how we used to feel and act as kids on Christmas Eve - how Chris would get up in the middle of the night to see what Santa had brought him and then go back to bed until morning, and how I would have such anticipation on Christmas Eve that I would have a hard time going to sleep that night and then always woke up at 5 or 6 am and would want to open presents.

This year Santa brought the girls a new play kitchen. They loved it, especially Brooke, who wouldn't come out of it even to open her other Christmas presents. It was so much better (and cooler) than their old kitchen. This was one you can walk into and cook, plus it makes noises. When you put the kettle or coffee pot on the burner - it makes a noise and looks like it is boiling and the skillet sizzles. Plus the microwave makes a noise like it is cooking and the phone rings. Okay, I know I sound like I like the kitchen as much as the girls and to be completely honest - I played with it before they did - but it is COOL! (I told you I was re-living my childhood.)

Their other present this year from Chris and I was a transformation of their play room. We have a room downstairs for all their toys. It was unfinished and pretty boring - so I decided that we would transform it into a "princess" room since we have three little girls. (again - I would have wanted a princess room as a kid) We didn't want to spend the money to actually finish the room, but we wanted to make it a place that they wanted to play in and that was special. So, we hung fabric on the walls and ceiling to make a tent look and then added other extras to make it look really girly. Below are the before and after pics of the room. The girls just loved it! They knew we were "finishing" the room for them for a few weeks now, but we've had a lock on the door and have been very secretive as to what we were doing. It was really hard for Maddie - she doesn't like surprises just like her mommy - and she wanted so badly to see it before it was done. But, we were really good about being sneaky and made it to Christmas morning for it's official unveiling to the girls. I know they like it because they have played every day down there, which is more than they have in a long time.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Well it's been another great Christmas. The girls got so many gifts that they just loved. There will be lots to play with in the coming months. We hope your family had a Merry Christmas and we look forward to sharing more stories & pics in the coming new year!

First Snow of the Season

We had our first snow this December - actually on the 16th - and Maddie and Ashlyn couldn't wait to go out and play in it. I had asked that they wait for their daddy to get home and the literally hit him at the door as soon as he walked in ready with their snow gear on. This was really Brooke's first time playing in the snow and going sledding and she had a blast along with her sisters. We love the snow - not really the cold, but the snow is so much fun to play in. We were thankful that we got to see some and it even stuck around for a white christmas this year!

Tinkerbell Turns Two

Today, our baby turned TWO years old! I just can't believe it. The last two years has flown by. Brooke has just grown and changed so much. Yesterday, we had her birthday party and she celebrated as Tinkerbell! She got so many presents - a couple of new dolls, including a stroller and baby bed for them, a stuffed cow that moos, a pig pillow that will be awesome for taking with us on trips as it folds in half to look like a stuffed animal and then unfolds to become a pillow - and that was just to name a few!

She also blew out two candles on her "Tinkerbell" cake (or technically Maddie did before she had a chance!)

It is so hard for me to fathom that this will be my last baby. We have decided that we feel our family is complete and don't plan to have any more kids. However, today has been a bit tough for me as I see my baby actually leave the "baby" stage and really become a BIG GIRL! Wow! I'm so excited to see what the future holds for Brooke - she is such a special girl and such a blessing to our family.

Happy Birthday Brooke - We love you!!!

Brooke - A Two Years Glance

Brooke's Pillow

Many times children have an attachment to something when they are little. For many kids it usually is a blankey or a stuffed animal. My kids have not really done this much. In fact, I don't remember Maddie ever having something she was attached to. Ashlyn has gone through some small spurts of attachments - she had a blanket that she always wanted to have with her at bedtime, but that ended pretty early on. She then moved on to a stuffed dog that she needed to have with her quite a bit; however, she has seemed to have stopped needing it as much now. But the newest thing is with Brooke. She is attached to her pillow. She doesn't really seem to care too much which pillow it is - although it does have to be a small pillow like the couple of ones that Grandma Johnson or her cousin Kelsi has made. She mostly has to have it with her when she goes to bed or takes a nap, but she often wants to have it in the car or she'll just carry it with her around the house. She is so funny when she decides she needs it and when she needs it - you better find it or she won't stop fussing for her "pilwo".

Traditions

Something that is very important to Chris and I is that our family starts traditions that the girls will remember when they are grown up. Hopefully, these will be the things that they look forward to each year and may even pass onto their own families some day.

We haven't started too many yet, but one of our family traditions is Friday night sleepovers, which sometimes consists of the girls pushing their beds together and at othertimes consists of everyone sleeping in our bed, which usually kicks Chris to the couch. Another one we have started is having new Christmas pj's for the whole family to wear to bed Christmas Eve and open presents in the next morning. (This one tends to make for really great "Christmas morning" pics.)

Well, this Sunday we realize that how we put up our Christmas tree has become another family tradition. Something that I have always enjoyed while I've put up the tree in the past is watching (or really listening to) the movie "A White Christmas". It is an old classic (and is NOT Chris' favorite), but I love to have it on in the background. It really gets me into the Christmas spirit. This year the girls asked if we could put the tree up and watch mommy's favorite Christmas movie too! They wanted to have it on as well, which made me smile inside and know that we were creating another tradition as a family. And putting the tree up this year was better than any other since the girls are older and wanted to help put the decorations on the tree. They mostly enjoyed getting to put each of their past year's handmade ornaments on the tree. We talked about how old they were when they made them and they reveled in their precious artwork. They had the best time putting the tree up and I'm sure they will look forward to do it again next year.

I anticipate more family traditions to come and am excited to see what they will be.