Holiday Lights at CALM

We have wanted to make it out to CALM all winter but have had a tough time with the weather and having both girls healthy at the same time! We made it happen though...It is beautiful. There are thousands of lights and we went to "Winter Wonderland", "Dinosaur Exploration", Wild Safari and "Wilderness Adventure".  They do a really great job and it was a lot of fun. We made it to the carousel and Gabby and Lilly both enjoyed it. It was a chilly night - mid 40's but we dressed warm and even visited the reptile house. We are so happy that we were able to make it this year. May you have a wonderful New Year and a prosperous 2013.

A Few Fun Christmas Shots

What a wonderful Christmas! We had a full schedule but it was wonderful. On the 23rd we attended Ann's annual Christmas Open House. Both girls wore beautiful dresses and their pearls. I didn't get a picture of Gabby but perhaps Ann got one that I can post later - she looked like a princess.

The 24th was spent at the farm. We headed up there mid-morning and spent all day there. We had a wonderful ham lunch and then went for a horseback ride. Lilly took a good nap and enjoyed chasing Gabby and Clover up and down the stairs. We had a wonderful time visitng with cousins that we don't see often and with family that lives close but is hard to pin down. Santa made a visit to the farm with baby dolls and trucks. We had two tuckered out elves on the way home!  As you can see, Santa also showed up in Bakersfield on Christmas Eve - WOW!

Christmas morning was spent at our house with our precious little elves. We opened stockings and then had Grandmother Ann and Grandfather Russ over while the girls opened their gifts. Both kids were spoiled. We are so blessed. After presents, it was brealfast time and nap time for Lilly. I made an egg casserole that was good but probably won't make it again and Gabby had her usual - greek yogurt. Overall Christmas was a wonderful holiday full of family and love. I missed attending Christmas Eve service and signing some of the Christmas songs...but there is always next year!

Lilly is teething so it is hard to grab a picture of her without something in her mouth. Just when I thought we were done for a little bit...I looked in her mouth this morning and saw another tooth popping through. It's good that they are coming in and will help with the food options but it is painful along the way! This morning I was making her bag for school and I turned around and she was muching on an apple! I think it felt really good - nice a cool and crunchy.

I hope that you had a wonderful holiday and are looking forward to 2013. Take care and be safe!

Lillian Turns 1!

It is now official....Lillian is 1 year old today! I know everyone says this but honestly the last year has flown by. I remember having Lilly and the joy of bringing her home for the holidays like it was yesterday, has it really been a year? Lilly had a rough morning and did not want to smile but she looked very cute in her new outfit. Hopefully I'll snap a few tonight when she's in a better mood...

Lilly is teething and so she just is a little cranky. We feel very blessed at the holiday time. We have 2 beautiful daughters and they are all healthy (for the most part - I don't think Strep throat or colds count) and they are happy most of the time. I love my little Lillybug and am excited to see what the next year holds. She is a pure delight and we love her dearly.

Lillian's One!!!...Almost

We celebrated Lillian's birthday yesterday with an Ice Cream Party at Dewar's with 20 family and friends. Ice cream in the middle of winter, on the outdoor patio with heaters next to a waterfall that had fire coming out of it - Perfect! Lilly was a happy girl and the ice cream was tasty. It is hard to believe that it has been a year since she was born. She is almost walking - but there is no rush from me on this end. She has started climbing...and falling. She is eating better each day which makes mom VERY happy. She still LOVES grapes. She has 6 teeth with #7 ready to break skin any day. She clearly says 3 words: mama, dada and bye-bye (with a wave). She is a fiesty one and will make sure her sister does not take her toys. She loves to climb the stairs but has not decided she will go down feet first. She enjoys playing peek-a-boo and puts the blanket over her head. She has recently started to do puzzles and is really good at putting shapes into certain the elephant. Lilly LOVES to dance and knows exactly how to make each book or toy play music. She has been a joy and we love her so much.

2012 LRSH Christmas Program

This year Gabby is in room 2 and her class sang "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Gabby was the person selected to say the introduction and she did a GREAT job! She has no problem talking in front of a crowd :) She was a fabulous singer and despite having a cough - was one of the only kids that remembered all the hand gestures. The video is too long to post so you'll just have to take my word for it.

Here are a couple pictures from after the program. Gabby got to wear her new fancy dress and I learned my lesson last year and changed her right after the program!!! That way nice clothes stay nice. She was a little difficult when it came to taking pictues but we were the only ones in her room doing pictures and she had a huge chocolate brownie waiting for her at her chair.

December on the Farm

The girls and I went to the farm for the day yesterday and what a day! It was beautiful and sunny. It is brisk but still very nice. Gabby got a good ride on Morning Glory and had a fun time playing at the farm. Lilly enjoyed playing with the beads that Grandma Debi used to decorate (at least she didn't pull them off the tree!). Both girls are under the weather but were happy for the change of scenery yesterday.

Express Wash

Lilly loves to climb into the dishwasher when we are loading or unloading it. She is a curious little one :) It is hard to believe that she will be 1 in a 10 days! Where does the time go?