It Came, it Went!

Just as fast as Christmas got here it was gone! The whole month of December feels like such a blur; that may be one of the reasons I'm just now getting around to posting our Christmas. I've come to learn that the best thing about any holiday is my girls' excitement and anticipation. That, in and of itself, is probably better than any thing else! Christmas this year was no exception. Eliana and Olivia planned and helped decorate the entire month. We had fun projects to keep us busy throughout December, from gingerbread houses and shaving cream snowflakes to the letters and visits to Santa, and perhaps the most fun, finding where Scout (our elf straight from the North Pole) was hiding every morning! He must have reported good things to Santa on our girls' behalf because Christmas morning was quite the site. And Sandy and I somehow managed to wake up before the girls so we got to watch as they woke up, came down the stairs, and saw what was awaiting them.

Old Kris Kringle even somehow managed to find the "Big, Fat, Fluffy Teddy Bear" on Eli's list AND the castle and Ariel doll on Livi's. Phew!




Rather than write another post I'll just add that the next day I turned 30. Yeeaaaah. I'll be honest, I've had better birthdays. We had church at 8, and I had to teach my last primary lesson in that ward. I was already grumpy from having to wake up early that morning after such a crazy few days, but I was also sick and somehow hurt my back a few days previous (couple that with being prego and I was really feeling crumby!), and I knew what was coming in the next few days/weeks. While I had that to look forward to, I also dreaded the packing!!! So I really have had better birthdays, but I was still spoiled and Sandy even managed to make a cake (even though he almost forgot that all important detail).
Now jump to New Years Eve...we spent the evening with some friends and tried to ring in the new year latin style. Livi fell asleep so we had to leave early but we got to enjoy some authentic Mexican...I couldn't begin to remember what the dishes were called, other than the tamales, but YUM, it was good food! And Eli out did all of us in the staying awake department, but is that really a surprise?!