The Holidays

We were able to spend Thanksgiving at Rob's parents house.  It was a special treat because we got to meet our new nephew Samuel for the first time.  What a little cutie pie.  Ava was in heaven and was constantly asking Aunt Lauri if she could hold him.  The girls got in a lot of play time with their other Tag & Lucy too which they always love.

Christmas was spent in Texas this year though we were able to make a quick pre-Christmas trip to Oklahoma to celebrate there.  This was the first year that Charlotte really understood the concept of ripping paper and having a surprise inside.  She was apparently satisfied after two presents because we couldn't even get her to open her third one because she was too busy playing with the first two.  The girls loved all their gifts and, per Roberts family tradition, we had tacos for Christmas dinner.  A couple weeks before Christmas I told Ava that when I was growing up, a couple times on Christmas morning (maybe always, I'm not sure) my dad made us fresh squeezed orange juice before we opened presents.  So a couple days before Christmas, Ava spotted a little manual juicer in the produce section of the grocery store and begged to get it "so you can make juice like Poppy did mom."  And she loved it.

Ava with her gingerbread house

Maya - our elf with the ornament she colored and the ones she left for the girls

Maya

Ava singing at her Christmas concert (middle in green)

Cousins Tag & Lucy with Charlie and Ava singing to Grandma Vincent

Papa (Raymond), Rob, Charlotte & Ava with Grandma Vincent

And the stockings were laying on the fireplace with care (because I don't have hangers)

The tents I made for the girls on Christmas Eve.

Charlotte holding up one of her gifts

Ava very excited about her M&M's

Ava likes the tent

Charlotte with the froggy Grandma Kathee sent.

Rob and I had to laugh this year because his gift from me was a new quilt and my gift from him was a miter saw.  We were both thrilled.  I have long lists in my head of all the projects I can do now that I have my saw and Rob no longer has to snuggle up with a girly blanket every night just because its the softest, warmest one in the house. :)  By far my favorite gift this year was from my parents.  In lieu of gifts for my brothers and sisters and I, they donated enough money to Smile Train to give 6 children operations.  They sent a sweet letter explaining their decision which mostly had to do with the fact that we are so blessed and none of us are really in need of anything.  It was nice to open the letter on Christmas day and have it bring back what the season is really all about.