I have so many things to blog about - but I feel like I can't do any of that until I blog about Christmas! So here we go....prepare for picture overload!! :)
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We started our Christmas season the week after Thanksgiving at Draper City's Christmas celebration. It was sponsored by the Youth Council and they had lots of fun, free stuff for kids. Here's Abby getting her balloon flower tied (after waiting very patiently, I should add).
Cami waiting patiently for Abby's balloon flower. :)
Emma waited patiently, too.
The finished product! A super cute balloon flower with a bumblee on top!
They also had a face painting room. Abby decided that she wanted a snowman on her face.
In true bald guy fashion, Zac couldn't pass up a chance to get his face...I mean, head...painted. I wish the hat had been bigger - but it's still pretty funny!
There were several performances through the evening. I believe this choir is from Alta High. They were sooo good! Of course, I'm probably a little biased from all my high school and college choir years. But Zac also said they were great. They did some cute dancing with their songs - Abby was enthralled!
My main reason for going was to get a good (free) picture with Santa Claus. We'd been talking to Abby about it for a couple of weeks. We told her she didn't have to sit on his lap, just stand beside him. All was well until it was our turn - then the shrieking started. It sounded like I was trying to pull her arms off!! So we told her to forget it and just got a picture of the babies with Santa. Maybe next year.....
Skipping some things...trying not to make this too ridiculously long....
After our Christmas program at church, we set up the camera to take a couple of family pictures. Had to show off the cute bows I made for the girls! :) Abby's Christmas dress was $4 at a Little Rock consignment sale. I found the babies' dresses at Target and ordered them with the remainder of a baby shower gift card (thanks, Grams, for paying the shipping!).
My friend Leslie gave us the makings for decorated sugar cookies - leftovers from her son's school party. Abby had tons of fun doing this, especially since Leslie packaged everything in Dora baggies. :)
My cookie. Boring, I know. But I was also in charge of photography...and not a huge fan of crunchy candies on my cookies. (Or cupcakes or anything else)
Zac's cookie. Notice the goatee?
Abby's cookie. Can you tell that she's a huge fan of M&Ms?
On to Christmas Eve. My family always does our big 'thing' on Christmas Eve. Since we're far away, we now use the wonders of technology and Skype with everybody. My family exchanges names for that gift exchange - saves us all a bit of money and still allows everybody to get a 'good' gift. Mom had my name and I got......a vacuum cleaner! :) I'd been asking for a hand vac and Mom got me a good one. Thanks, Mom!!
Mamaw had Zac's name. He got new PJ pants (his old ones were worn to rags!) and an armband for his iPod. So now we can hit the gym with our music. :)
Aunt Sherry and Uncle Jeff had Abby's name. They got her a Little Mermaid bath set and she LOVES it!! By far her most popular bath toy!
Santa drank the chocolate milk (his favorite, from what I hear) and ate most of the Oreos. And, of course, he left a note telling the girls thank you! Rudolph and the reindeer thoroughly enjoyed the carrots that Abby left on the porch for them.
The stocking loot! Since we don't have a fireplace, Santa lined up the filled stockings on the couch. Abby has become quite the little artist, so Santa encouraged her newly discovered talent.
I got some cake decorating stuff in my stocking. I've been wanting to learn how to decorate cakes, so I'm excited about this!
Zac always gets soft peppermint sticks in his stocking - he loves them! He also got the Transformers movie and several other goodies. (I loooooove buying stocking stuffers - it's more fun to me than buying regular gifts!)
The big gift that Santa left? Abby's pink scooter - she LOVES it! She's had a few chances to ride it outside and she loves riding up and down the hallway.
Abby's Legos. She had so much fun with Garrett's while we were in Arkansas that we knew she 'had' to have some. Thankfully, Santa (aka Leslie) knows how to find things on
KSL.
Some of my baking goods. Lots of cooking to be done at the Elliott house. Abby picked out the rolling pin all by herself.
Nana and Pawpaw sent an ExerSaucer for Christmas and the babies are loving it! Since we needed two, of course, we borrowed one from Leslie. The babies love their new ability to 'stand' and play!
