"Twas the Season to be Jolly"

Countdown to Christmas and for holiday visitors to arrive was eventful and loads of fun as always!  Kylee and Alexis bring so much "JOLLY" and "JOY" into the season.  We began with decorations!  The girls loved getting each thing out of the boxes and a highlight is always the nativity.  Kylee was very eager and hopeful that she would find baby Jesus before Alexis and cherishes this piece soooo much.  I loved listening to Kylee teach Alexis what each piece was.  They had a blast decorating the tree and did a pretty good job...I think my training is slowly coming through but I did still redo at least half of it later that night...shhhh, don't tell.

YES, they were sick of hearing, "Careful, they are really fragile"

I was thrilled to finally have a mantle for the nativity and a real fireplace for the stockings...an image I have dreamed of for awhile...this was huge!   Sometimes it is the little things that make a huge impact.

It was also our first year in our marriage that we had a home to decorate with x-mas lights.  Wow, what a joke.  We felt like newlyweds again and had some great laughs trying to guess how many lights it would take to fill a certain bush or tree and what extension cords we would need.  I gained a greater appreciation for what my Dad did while I was a child just watching from inside the warm home.  Well, that part wasn't the problem we hung the lights on a sunny 60 degree day and stopped to be thankful for the VA weather again!  After at least 4 different runs to the store we got a few lights up and it looked simple but great.  The picture doesn't do it justice :)

We then were busy doing the usual: making and delivering cookies, visiting santa, attempting to go x-mas shopping, school parties, ward party, christmas movies (which we did a whole lot more of thanks to DVR, another new addition in our lives that I will never live without again) seeing crazy lights and faithfully doing the advent calendars with a scripture a day!
This is what we now call the "Crazy house" which definitely puts ours to shame but a blast to go visit.  The lights are synchronized to a radio station  and their were event characters for the girls to visit on certain nights.  I have never seen so many blowups in my life! oh and to top it off a DUKE fan lives there.

The girls endured almost an hour wait to see Santa but were thankfully entertained by the Narnia exhibit for part of the time.  (Cold ice to touch and snow to collect.)  People couldn't believe I was letting mine get covered in snow as you could tell they were trying their hardest to keep their kids put together for their outrageously expensive Santa pictures.  Oh no, not the cheap Alsop's we were willing to wait in the line for no photo at all, just the thrill of making sure Santa knew the girls wanted a Barbie house to share and their own cameras.  We were successful, had a good time and I still had my money in my wallet.

Alexis and I had a fabulous time attending Kylee's class Christmas party and I'm so glad I was unable to get a babysitter for Lex.  She was wonderful and felt like a million bucks getting attention from all.  Kylee was happy to have her there and the classroom mothers treated her like she was a first grader as well and allowed her to be a part of each activity.   

When these two choose to get along they sure have a great tender relationship and I have an awesome time watching them together.  Alexis followed Kylee everywhere during the party and Ky was thrilled to have a side kick...holding her snug on her lap during the class sing and explaining to Lex what was going on.  Lex had plenty of kids laughing at Ky's table with her little quarks as she has never been as shy as Ky.  It was hard to leave and like always we prolonged our visit as long as possible till I was the last parent to go!

Mrs. Cruz's Crazy First Graders