Click the photo above to see the whole album.

Christmas is always an exciting time for me, but this year I really felt over the top. This being Amelie’s first Christmas and her being a toddler changed everything. Unlike and infant who doesn’t really know what is happening, it’s been really fun to see the delight she has at all the new things we have done. Nadia was really sweet the whole month wanting to point stuff out to Amelie and saying, “This is your first Christmas. Do you want to see this or do that?” The first gifts they saw were the sleeping bags/pillows. Thanks Lynnea for posting about them so I could score them myself at Costco. Nadia wanted to open up the sleeping bags and try them out right away. Then it was on to the stockings.

Amelie was really funny because she would open a gift and then want to clean up the paper and THEN check out the gift. We kept telling her not to worry about it, but she didn’t really listen until the end of the presents. The girls each got a medical kit in their stocking and apparently Mommy needed a lot of doctoring.

Nadia with her new cookbooks and kitchen gadgets from Papa and Grandma Brooke.

Amelie with her Tag Jr from Papa and Grandma Brooke.

Nadia with Darth Maul. She was totally amazed with all the Star Wars galactic hero figures and ships she got. (These were the rest of the set that we bought at her birthday. She asked us where we got them and we told her eBay. I am now convinced she thinks eBay is a magical storehouse of Star Wars figures you can’t buy in stores)

Amelie loving the wand (and tutu) from Kim, Eddie and the kids.

Spanish Dancer pose.

My sister Tahni and her husband Joseph were going to be in our area for 2 hours on Christmas Day so we told her to let us know who to invite for some coffee, appetizers and visiting. The time went too fast, but we all had fun before everyone broke off to have their meals with the other half of their families.

4 generations here!

Grammie and some of her grandkids.

My favorite of the day – the Prom Pose of cousins and spouses/fiancées.  I love that everyone humored me!

Once everyone was gone we put the girls down for a nap and after they woke up we went to visit with Mike’s mom at her assisted living apartment. That night for dinner I made Mexican food and the girls had a blast playing with all their new gifts. I think Amelie was totally and completely overloaded by the end of the day and we could tell by her attitude so bedtime came quick.

It was a wonderful day and we are so blessed!

We spent Christmas Eve day in a relaxed way. I had a couple odds and ends to pick up and in the early evening we went to church for the Christmas Eve service. We came home and Amelie helped me bake the cookies from an earlier post. We had arranged for my mom and sister Michelle to Skype with us while my mom read the Polar Express and Michelle did sound effects. It was just as much fun as last year because they get so into the story telling.  Then we let the girls open 1 present after dinner. The girls had plenty of time to play before we sent them off to bed.

Then we put the finishing touches on everything and went to sleep ourselves.

Nadia working on the scented dough to represent the frankincense and myrrh.

Here are our crafts (we missed the crafts on some days -but still did the readings with all our other activity in December, but we almost completed the full 24):

Light, Kingdom, Zechariah

Gabriel, Mary, Mary and Elizabeth with pregnant bellies

Song, Sun, Joseph, Joseph’s pillow (for his dream)

Bethlehem, Stable, Clothes, Sheep

Shepards, Temple, Star

Wise Men, Gifts

Click the photo above to see the whole album. (It has 60 photos)

We decided to try out Prairie Lights in Grand Prairie this year after talking to several people who go each year. During the week it’s $20 a car and I have to say that it’s an amazing display. Near the end they have a Santa’s Village set up with a few carnival type ride and LOTS of carnival food (we planned ahead and stopped at a drive through just before entering the park). They had a chance for kids to talk to Santa and if they wanted to they could have their photo. Amelie wanted no part of it, but Nadia really wanted to talk to Santa and for the first time ever said she would like a photo. It turned out adorable!!!

In Santa’s Village they also had a laser light show (not worth it) and a walk through forest (totally worth it). The girls enjoyed being out of the car and telling us all about the cool lights.

Nadia loves the Nativity scenes.

I thought this was cute since “The Year of the Dragon” is coming.

After the walk through forest we went back out to ride something called “Bear Affair” it was a tea cup sort of ride where you were mostly enclosed in a giant bears belly. Mike got it going so fast that I couldn’t stop laughing. The girls loved it and Nadia tried to turn the wheel to make it go faster. The girls rode the Carousel 3 times and we shared a caramel apple. You can go on the carousel and Bear Affair as many times as you want in the price of your car admission.

It was a very fun night out and we plan on going back each year.

Amelie notices trains everywhere we go. We can also hear train horns from our house and each time she hears one she says, “Choo choo!” I knew she would get a kick out of riding the mini train so we headed over. While waiting to catch the train the girls had fun running around chasing Mike and I.

I completely expected the place to be jammed with school being out, but it was basically deserted. So we got to sit in the front car!

Amelie was intently watching everything we passed and commenting. She also asked to go in the water, but I told her it was too cold to swim

We headed to the Polar Express PJ party at the science and history museum the week before Christmas. The same as last year they had science experiments for the kids and hot chocolate for everyone before the movie started. Families are encouraged to come to the event in their jammies and aside from the popcorn I think that was Nadia’s favorite part. During the science experiment time she saw frost being created, how salt and sugar affect large blocks of ice and they did “a snow storm in your hand” which was very cool. We showed the movie to Amelie in advance so she wouldn’t be afraid of the loud sounds. She sat on my lap for about half an hour, but otherwise she did great. This is such a fun event and I hope that the museum continues to do it for years to come.

Making a bracelet at the craft table.

Early in the month we had our 4th annual PJ and Book Exchange party. It’s a fun tradition that I started and have hosted each year, but this year Tricia offered to host it at her house. Thanks Tricia! Nadia was REALLY excited that we were leaving the house in our jammies (including mommy). We all brought food for the potluck and the kids had a blast playing. After lunch we did the book exchange – one round for the big kids and one round for the littles. It’s so much fun!

Nadia opening her book. Later Elliott was helping Amelie with the names of animals in her book. Us moms always have a great time chatting.

And the post can’t be complete without a look at the prior years

2008

2009

2010

Nonni and Grandpa Brian gave the girls their personalized stockings and they are so adorable. As soon as they arrived in the mail I wrapped them so the girls could tear into them and hang them up. Amelie was not quite sure what was going on or what they were for and she actually tried to put her foot in at one point. On Christmas morning I know she will get a kick out of it.

Click the photo above to see the whole album.

The PALS group at Scottish Rite had a Christmas party at the beginning of December. We didn’t go for Amelie since she doesn’t know that she is different now, but for Nadia to see other kids (and adults) with limb differences. She has started to notice when people comment about Amelie and has even asked, “When are Amelie’s hands going to be like mine?” That lead to a great discussion with her about how we are all different and that is how God made us. They had food and a Santa which really got Nadia excited. Amelie on the other hand screamed in terror at first. In the end Amelie took the gift from Santa’s elf and waved at him, but that was it.

Amelie showing her new bear the Scottish Rite Kaleidescope.

We headed home and I set the girls up to decorate a gingerbread house. Amelie did a great job on her first try and put all the candy on herself. I was on “icing duty” and heard a lot of “can you put some icing here mommy?” I let them each do half and it was really cute.