Let There Be Light

For Christmas this year, I asked Bill to get me under mount lighting over our stove.  Real sexy, I know.  We'd mentioned adding the lighting a few times in the year and a half that we've lived here but it was just never high on the priority list.  This was the best Christmas gift EVER.  Seriously, I'm ridiculously excited to have light and it really makes cooking so much better.

So a quick, funny story.  On Christmas Eve when Santa was putting together Audrey's kitchen, he was assembling something and wasn't sure what it was.  Behold....Audrey's own under mount lighting and she technically got hers before I got mine!  

On a side note, she really needs to do her dishes more often!  I have no idea where she gets that from....

Christmas Magic

Both Bill and I agree that Christmas this year felt so different and magical because Audrey was an active participant.  It was exciting for us all over again, but more importantly, we were excited for HER.  She's starting to really buy-in to the whole Santa thing and it's fun watching her process the notion of naughty/nice, Santa coming into your house at night (creepy!), Santa knowing when you're awake - and therefore, can't stop and deliver toys until you're asleep, leaving cookies out for him, and of course, lots and lots of toys!  She's also discovered the joys of watching a fire in the fireplace and drinking hot chocolate.  I mean, really, what could be better?  We can't wait for Vivian to be able to join in the fun.

On Christmas Eve, we lit a fire, turned on Christmas music, made hot chocolate and sat together to watch the fire.  It was so nice to cuddle as a family.  My mom had gotten Audrey a Hello Kitty Christmas bowl and mug set that included a hot chocolate packet and Audrey has used it a million times already.  My dad wrapped it up this year since it was finally age appropriate.  Again - that's my mom for you - she bought so much stuff that my dad said there are still items for Audrey that just aren't age appropriate yet.  I love it though because it's through these gifts that my mom is living on for Audrey.

When it was finally time to go to bed, Audrey was dragging her feet and just not listening - even though we told her that Santa wouldn't come until she was asleep.  Finally, I told her that I thought I heard Santa's jingle bells and you should have seen the look of terror on her face!  Eyes wide, mouth dropped and she didn't know what to do with herself.  I actually think I unintentionally scared her a little.  That got her moving though, she ran to the stairs to go to bed.   Success!

Earlier in the day we made cookies for Santa.  Audrey asked me if I thought he'd like them! Here they are left out for him along with carrots for the reindeer.

Santa and the reindeer were really hungry!  And yes, Santa loved the cookies.

Presents!!!

It figures that when I finally do make it into the pics, it's right after I get out of bed and am still in my jammies!

Eating her toys:

Books from our cousins - Elaine, Kevin and Meryl.  Elaine is a librarian so the girls get great literary gifts!  Notice Viv is eating hers.  :)

We finally had to take the gifts away from her!

Hmmmm, what's under the sheet?

A new kitchen!

Her new shopping cart so she can buy things for her kitchen:

My First Christmas bib from cousin Ay Ay:

Our Christmas loves:

Toledo Christmas

We spent the Sunday before Christmas in Toledo to celebrate with my family.  Here are some shots from the day.  I meant to get a big family picture (like I always intend) but forgot to get it (Iike I always do).  It was a really nice day full of laughter, love and pasta from the Olive Garden!

I took a million pics trying to get her to smile but it didn't happen.  She's probably mad because we dressed her in this silly outfit!

A late addition after some complaints - here's a happier one!

Panda slippers!

Dawn, Mallory and her boyfriend Jacob:

I wasn't in a single picture (which I never am) and I told Bill that from now on, he has to take the camera and make sure I'm in some!!

Merry Christmas!

Oh, Christmas Tree Revisited

Two years ago at this time, we were heading to Toledo to spend Christmas with my family.  I posted some pics from that visit here and here but after my mom passed away, I found a bunch more on my dad's camera.  I thought I'd get them posted now.  Audrey had just turned 1 a month earlier and my mom passed away 3 months later.  These are the last pictures I have of the two of them together.

My mom always had a supply of buckets, bowls and shovels for Audrey to play with and Audrey loved them!

Look how little Audrey's boots were compared to mine!

The squirrels in my parents' backyard are ridiculously friendly.

A visit from Aunt Dixie and Uncle Greg:

The sled my parents bought for her.  Audrey claims to remember sledding with Gammy.

Bill with Chloe the cat:

My mom's light up Santa giraffe.  Audrey didn't quiet know what to make of it.

"Audrey's Tree" - my mom decorated in entirely in non-breakable ornaments so Audrey could touch it if she wanted to.

The Little People nativity set my mom bought Audrey - it plays music!  My mom taught Audrey to kiss Baby Jesus.

My mom had also gotten a Christmas train set that plays Christmas carols for Audrey.  That's one thing I loved and miss about my mom - she was always so thoughtful of other people, especially Audrey.  She turned her guest room into a nursery and always made sure it was stocked with diapers, wipes, bib and spit cloths just so we wouldn't have to pack those items.  She even would try and get dolls, or items that showed girls on it, with brown hair so it would match Audrey's!  She wanted to make sure the girls looked like her instead of some blonde.  :)  While that might sound odd, if you think about it, it actually makes perfect sense.  Every child's world revolves around them so why shouldn't a brown haired girl have other items that show girls with brown hair?  No one else would think of something like that.  She was also the type to pay close attention year round and buy you Christmas gifts throughout the year of things you said you liked.  That Christmas I opened a beautiful glass vase and she said, it's the one you pointed to at the store in Iowa City when we walked passed.  That happened when we had Audrey baptised the June prior!  Seriously, no one I know is as thoughtful or detail oriented as she was.  She was so on top of EVERYTHING and I so, so miss that.  There's comfort in knowing that there's someone out there you can always rely on and who is so thoughtful and caring, you don't know where she finds the time and energy.  I definitely haven't mastered it yet but I hope that as I grow as a parent, I will become just like her and will always be paying 100% attention to everyone and everything.  I love you, Mom, and thank you for being so amazing!