Christmas 2013

 The girls modeling their new Christmas PJ's for me, even La-La the Bit's favorite stuffed cat got a matching pair.

 Wide eyed and ready to watch the messy madness together

 How cute are these boots!?

 I didn't get my homemade love going on this year but I did manage a couple things.  The biggest hit was the bags oh beans for the girls to microwave and get warm.  Complete with "made with love by mommy" tags on them.   I do try!

I had to take a picture of one of these presents.  The girls wanted so badly to participate in the giving that they rounded up items from around the house,  and Abigail made some gifts then they wrapped them all by themselves.   They had 5 or 6 a piece when they were done.  It was adorable.

It was a very nice Christmas this year.   Filled with lots of food family and fun.   This little family is such a blessing.   We keep it simple and therefore enjoy the simple togetherness to make us happy.   Another good year for the memory books :) Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Eve

On a very cold Christmas Eve our buddies Alisa and Ryan texted us after we already had our jammies on to come downtown to look at the Christmas trees with them.   We made the decision to get our festive spirits on and join them.   It was a good time and the girls enjoyed all the holiday displays.  We found the only restaurant still open at 9 o'clock on Christmas Eve to stop in for hot cocoa and deserts.   It made for a very nice evening .

Cause this family likes to cook!

Brian making his chocolate bobka with his little helpers

There is one time of year I put aside my avoidance of calories in mass and enjoy a side of my husband's family that is just delicious to be a part of.   They love them some holiday baking!  Brian has mastered a divine chocolate bobka that takes hours and hours to make and I asked for it for Christmas :)   And he was craving his mother's famous new england whoopie pies and all he has to do is whisper he has a craving for anything and his sweet mom always makes what her boy asks for in the kitchen.   I love that she and Brian are anxious to carry on the wonderful family tradition of cooking.  Abigail really seems to love it and is getting better and more skilled each time.   Brian inherited his family's love too of delivering samples of all these goodies to our close friends and he'll drop it all off on doorsteps and mailboxes like a little Santa Clause.   It brightens our season to make our friends so happy.   .

Dancing under the twinkle lights!!

 Chloe was a trooper to watch sissy so patiently when we knew she felt like poop.  She had a lovely head cold and we were sooo glad it was a warm evening.

This is their buddy Evelyn,  or better known lovingly to Chloe as "Ebawyn"

 Only our crazy Uncle Shannon could bring out those amazing smiles.  That man never behaves and the kids love him for it! :)

Abigail's dance school got invited to dance for a downtown Christmas program outdoors.  We were so afraid we were going to freeze to death but it wound up being close to 50 degrees.   The company kids and some of the non company classes performed selected Christmas numbers to do.  It was a special festive evening and made complete by her cousins coming out to support her.  We finished the night with hot cocoa and pie at the local coffee shop.  

Getting in the spirit

We had a full day of plans and birthday parties on the calendar for this December Sunday but collectively decided we needed a family day together.  So we blew off the obligations and decided to hit the movie theater to see Frozen.  The movie was fantastic and we all left humming the songs and sharing our favorite scenes with each other.  With bellies full of Nerd ropes, Junior Mints and popcorn butter we then headed to our non magical street market to select the tree for the year.  We have so many peers that hike up into the surrounding mountains to do the tree farm thing.   Brian and I giggle at this and neither of us want to drag the girls up into the hills because we know full well that they would just whine and complain to be out in the elements for that long.  There would be very little magic.   They would look very much like the Griswald children all blue and shaking at the expectations of a more memorable selection event.   Maybe when they're older we'll attempt something more festive.  But for now,  we're sticking with the market around the corner from our city home that incidentally delivers your tree for 'free' to your home with in the hour after you select it!  Brian loves this feature and doesn't mind paying a few extra dollars for our tree to not have to strap it to the roof of our SUV.   
   The girls giggled and ran wild around the lot playing hide and seek with each other until we made them focus and pick the perfect tree for this season.  After they picked I snapped a few shots and we headed home to get the living room ready.   By tradition we ordered pizza to munch while we worked completing our quality nutritional intake for the day.  We finished up the evening admiring the final product in the new 3D glasses we got the kids to make Christmas trees look even cooler.   It was  a great day, a needed recharge with just the 4 of us enjoying each other to make it special.  It's going to be a good season.  We have a lot to look forward to.

Bienvenidos a Mexico!

A quick visit to Grammie Jean before we made it to Miami

Her dear friend Billie,   no relation but what a doll he was and such a good friend to Jean.  We loved getting to see him again,  he turns 100 this year. :)

 I absolutely love this field behind her house.  I have pictures of the Bit running through it in years prior.

 So good for the girls to stretch their legs after hours and hours in the car

 They love quick hotel stops.

 Brian was behind me doing lord only knows what to make them giggle this wonderfully!! 

 DCL here we come!  Here's the changing of the guard so to speak,

 only 5 kids between all of us....but sometimes it felt like so many more :)

 Run for your life Goofy! 

 confession,  I wanted her to bring this toy...just so I could have this picture right here!!!

 The incredible kids club.  It makes all the difference when your kids are so happy when they are not with you.  

 sweet Caroline!

 Now that's a happy Bit! The Sail Away party ROCKS!

 Abigail always gravitates to the cast members :)  And they love her for it!

 After the show was over most people left the deck,  our kids took over the stage and loved the pumping loud music.  Caroline was right in there.

The cast members gathered in the side wings to watch and laugh at the kids.  One came up to me after saying how much they enjoyed watching all our kids and remembered being that age when they fell in love with Disney.

 A big stage and loud music, she was in heaven.  Though she had true dancer blisters on her feet from tearing it up for so long.

 Miami was a beautiful port to sail out of

 Sunrise on Deck 10 the next morning,  daddy helped secure "La-La" so she didn't fall overboard

 The sunrise was beautiful

 Brunch was amazing,  they gave us a private dining room totally unexpected, no extra cost.  We were in heaven. And yes, that's caviar on my plate.   At least I can say I've tried it.  Now we all have. 

 Disney Diva

 Chloe's favorite slide all week long.  The twist and shout

 our sweet buddies, Nick and Tara

and our other buddies and partners in crime for the week Ryan and Alisa

 I was having a good hair day,  I told Brian to take my picture :)

 I promise you,  Chloe rode that slide no less then 15 times in a row this night

And poor Brian trumped up that huge spiral staircase right along with her all 15 times,

 Ahh,  Cozumel!!

 Random cave under a tree,  very cool. 

Yup, that's a look of love.  A man who allows his wife to put him in stupid hats and take his picture,  every trip since our honeymoon.  

 visiting turtle nests on the far side of the island.  They were empty but still cool to see

 cutie patootie

A weird wonderful hilltop bar called Coconuts we climbed up to. 

 time to head back to pick up the girls,  family shopping time in Cozumel!

 ha ha!!   My family tradition spills down to another generation!

 We had some name bracelets made for the girls. I absolutely love these people. We walked through the market and I loved talking to them in my best Spanish (which isn't saying much but I try and the locals get a big kick out of my efforts)

We should all crab walk to our rooms every now and again

 That would be a worn out baby butt!!!

 "Arrrrrgh!!"  Time for our favorite pirate night.   "Yo Ho"

 Look at all our adorable scally wags

 Deck party and fireworks show,  seriously this was the last of the Bit's strength.  5 min after this she was limp in my arms exhausted.   So fun,  so tiring!

Cohen now a seasoned pirate,  last cruise he was passed out asleep.  Not this year, he was into the party scene!

I love this shot of Lydia,  it's one of my favorites.   She's being so adorably 3 yrs old and biting her plate. That look of proud mischief  in her eyes is just perfect!

 Not our favorite meal but the spider desert was an all around hit!

 This is why we love Disney,  our waitress for the week bonded with these kids.  Here shown serving desert while Abigail straps her Pluto dog to her head.

 I love catching the parent paparazzi  in action!

Our own little porthole Halloween angles

 Love this,  Nick with Chloe's hat, Caroline's wings and Minnie Mouse Lydia on his hip.  Feeling the fun and being a good dad!

 Halloween deck party,  Disney style!

 Yeah Castaway Cay!!!  Other then our sweet little home,  our 2nd favorite place on earth!!!

 The great thing about being a Disney family, is you return to favorite places with in that world and see your kids grow up in them.  I have the same picture of Abigail dancing to the music in front of that gazebo at 2 yrs old wearing my hat.

 Is it just me,  or does she look awfully grown up holding his hand on that gorgeous hallway!?!?!

 We bought the girls matching dresses in Cozumel and they looked like bonita little senoritas wearing them our last night there. 

All tucked in for our last night,  Chloe actually was already asleep by the time I realized I had no bunk bed shots. 

It was an amazing week and another awesome adventure with my family.   We packed it up on a wing and lots of prayer to take our family vacation to Mexico with our dear friends.   We love us some Disney and our goal last vacation was to add a family each time we go.  We succeeded by taking 2 families this time. (Mwaa haa haa)  We all had a blast and when I'm rested and caught up I'll reopen this blog to journal all our awesome memories for my books.  But for now, I work tomorrow and I'm tired so I'm going to keep it short and sweet.  I know our dear families want to see some pictures so here is a sample.  We have so many more for the family blog book I print annually but for this I tried to keep it short.   God was more then good to take us all safely down all the way to Cozumel Mexico and back again with these sweet little girls.  We are so grateful for more good memories to enjoy and happy thoughts to soak our spirits with for weeks and long winter months to come.   We never take a single happy time for granted.  Enjoy the photos and I will work on all the fun sweet details later on.