Christmas 2011

Why am I posting all these old blog posts now? Why do you ask so many questions? Do you want to see joyful kids doing cute things or not? Just read. 

This was a pretty homesick Christmas, truthfully, and there are several things I plan to do differently next year. But it certainly wasn't all bad!

On December 9 we went to the Harborside Lights Festival (if you go to that link you'll see a photo of Cora featured in their promotional materials!) in our housing development. They do a great job of lighting up the common areas for the Christmas season, and then they have a little nighttime street fair one night. My camera and I don't take pictures in the dark very well, so you'll have to take my word for it.

Here we are waiting in line for the carriage ride. I'm pretty sure this was the only time all year we got out the actual heavy winter coats, which were still left over from Minnesota. On New Year's Day we went for a long walk in short sleeves.

On Christmas Eve we went to see Santa at the mall. Hazel was having none of it this year.

"Mommy!! Daddy tried to give me away!"

Decorations at home.

I made this little advent calendar out of matchboxes and it's filled with M&Ms. It was a Martha Stewart thing. Needless to say, it was a hit with the girls.

 

And I got these ornaments this year in honor of the anole lizards we shared our front stoop with all summer, a new South Carolina experience.

 

Freshly bathed and pajamaed, Hazel coming downstairs Christmas Eve.

Cookies and milk for Santa.

Hazel being extra Hazel-y:

After the children were nestled all snug in their beds . . .

And Christmas morning . . .

Bedtime on Christmas night.