12.30.2008

Five Months Old!







truly scrumptious.

And the last from Christmas Morning (I promise!)











Nora and Wells looked so cute in their matching Christmas jammies. I just wanted to squeeze them both and never let go!

More from Christmas Morning











Merry Christmas!











This year was our second Christmas morning in a row spent at home with just our family. I don't think we'll ever go back. I love Christmas parties with friends and family, don't get me wrong, but for Christmas morning, the flexibility of being with immediate family only can't be beat. This year was a little crazier than last with Nora on an unwrapping rampage, and a baby to juggle, but it still wasn't the circus that you end up with sometimes when really big families get together. It was fun to enjoy opening gifts at our own pace.

12.28.2008

Christmas Cousins







Pageant







Nora migrated between the angel group and the sheep, but was adorable as both. It was fun to see Nora acting out the Christmas story as I can remember doing the same thing as a child.

She seemed to take it very seriously. Maybe she'll go into acting...

Christmas Eve







We had a fun time with Josh's brother and family on Christmas Eve. Nora absolutely idolizes her cousins and always has a ball when we're down there. The party was great- a breakfast foods feast, Christmas pageant, and a few gifts to end the night.

Hot Cocoa







Oh the weather outside was frightful, but the treats were so delightful! Our huge snow storms were lots of fun. After playing outside, Nora enjoyed her first cup of hot chocolate. She almost drank the entire thing! The mess she made was frightful, but I ended up with some delightful pictures...

12.22.2008

Christmas Angels







The kids looked so cute in their Christmas outfits today for church.

You ain't goin no where, Santa!







I thought it was so funny that both Nora and Wells grabbed a hold of Santa's beard and pulled at their first Christmas ward party. Poor Santa was the same guy for both. I guess Wells may be a little fiester than Nora seeing as he is only 4 months old to Nora's 9 and was much harder to pry off. He even managed to take a piece of (plastic) hair with him. (sorry, Dave!) I found this clenched in his tiny fist after I got him back from telling Santa his fondest Christmas wishes. I was, however, glad to see that I'm not the only one with hair that he likes to pull.

Ward Christmas Party







We had a great time at our ward Christmas party this year and gave up Josh's company party to go- which is always a lot of fun, but with the ward party on the same night, who would watch the kids? It's actually a good thing that we made it to the ward party because it just so happened that Santa made a guest appearance...

Cookie Extravaganza!


Don't worry, no babies were harmed in the making of these cookies! We noticed from this picture that Wells is about to touch the hot cookie sheet, but neither of us ever heard him cry, so I don't think he actually did... Pay attention, Dad! Wells insists on being carried around all day, but we'll have to stop baking with him now that he has started reaching.




We decided to take advantage of being snowed in on a friday night. We made a huge batch of sugar cookies and decorated them for our neighbors and ward Christmas party. It was such a fun project to do with Nora. She is finally to the age that she is able to help (a little) instead of just make messes and thwart progress. She did managed to get a hold a of a little chili pepper shaped cookie cutter and went crazy with it. Not exactly Christmas-y, but oh well.

12.21.2008

Christmas Cookies






The finished product!

Pretty Princess







Nora is really into dress-up play right now. I'm not exactly sure where she gets it from. I'm quite certain I was never this girly. I'm excited to give her one of the Christmas presents that I made. It's an overly poofy tu-tu that will take her dress-up sessions to a whole new level of frill... this cute little number came from her rhode island cousins with wings and wand courtesy of her utah grandparents.

12.19.2008

Cookie Decorating!

Nora and I have been blessed with several great friends who live close by. It's always a fun time when we get the girls- and now a second round of younger siblings- together for a playdate or activity. Yesterday we braved the snow for a much needed gathering of cookie decorating and good old fashioned socialization. When Nora, busy at play, told me that she wasn't interested in going to her playgroup, I told her to get her boots on, because I was! Of course she always has fun when I finally get her there and never leaves peacefully at the end.