Christmas Extravaganza - Part 3

And finally, I believe we have come to the end of our Christmas recap.  It's only 3ish weeks into the New Year.  Slow and steady wins the race.  Or something like that.

We were able to enjoy time with all of our family - it was so nice to have several days each place so we didn't feel super rushed!  I love me some Tennessee Christmases and always have - it's home and it's special and makes me feel warm and fuzzy (thanks for that, Mom & Dad!).  But Christmas in Dixie is mighty fun, too!  I'll say it again - Elle & Kate are blessed to have awesome grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins on both sides and we are so thankful for that!  

And Christmas with my girls?  Rocked.  Christmas has always been my favorite time of year, for a number of reasons, but these kiddos have really kicked it up a notch.  I think even my self-proclaimed Grinch husband would agree.  :) 

Hot chocolate and cookies in Downtown Franklin.  YAY.

Gabby & Kate getting in some snuggles

And just in case you were concerned - Tyler DID get some rest over the holiday.

Tricycles from Santa - BIG hit!  (And helmets.  Santa is all about safety.)

Elle & Daddy

Kate getting some tips from Uncle P.  He was a mean stunt-biker back in the day.

Dress up clothes from Daddy were a fave!

Elle enjoyed it more than this picture would indicate.  Promise.

Sweet hug from my princess Kate.

Playing at Papa & Coco's. 

Elle

Helping Papa hang ornaments.

Bunny Head.  No really.  That's what she calls herself.

Kate sporting some new PJ's, Wissa's camera and a Guinness for Mommy.  Sounds about right!

Who are you and why are you orange?

So, there you have it!  A wonderful Christmas season filled with fun, family, food, lots of laughter and smiles and hugs.  And of course, singing Happy Birthday to baby Jesus.  If only I'd gotten that on video. 

Christmas Extravaganza! Part 2

What Christmas would be complete without Christmas lights and a visit with Santa?

Cut to....

Waiting to see Santa.  She is deceptively cheerful here.

Whatevs.  It's just Santa. 

Wait.  He gives me candy?  Um, awesome.

Kate: Still not sure about the big guy, but I totally want Elle's candy cane.

Elle: You don't fool me with your candy cane, buddy.

All in all, a much better reaction to Santa this year than last. 

 Kate would not look at or talk to Santa, but was perfectly content sitting in his lap with a candy cane.  Elle was momentarily distracted by the candy cane, and then just whimpered the rest of the time.  Yay, Santa!

We also checked out some local Christmas lights with our dear friends and neighbors.  The girls thoroughly enjoyed it and I am officially adopting our neighbor as our family photographer as she is the only one (apart from the actual professional photographer) who is able to get the girls to look at the camera AND smile.  At the same time.  What?!

Merry Christmas from The Burns!

Me & my girls

3 cuties.

Santa and his sleigh were the highlights.

Touchdown....Christmas!

Christmas Extravaganza! Part 1

And now - to catch up on the holidays!  We were busy busy bees, filling our days with fun Christmas activities with friends & family.  Thus, I have to break the posting up or this would be a really. long. post.  And you would get very. very. bored.

First up?  Decorating the tree!  Kate was way into it.  Elle just wanted to take her ornaments and run.  Good times.  PS - Why is stringing lights always so traumatic?  There's a light out in the second strand, we don't have enough lights, the lights don't look right, etc.  Is it just me?  

Santa Elle.  And I promise Kate had leggings on at some point in the day. 

Explaining the finer points of ornament hanging

Kate

Elle 

The finished product!

Next - making salt dough ornaments.  Does anyone else remember making these with your Girl Scout Troop? Go Troop 89!   In a hugely disappointing revelation for the girls, turns out that while making these appears to mimic the cookie-making process, the dough tastes decidedly UNcookie-like.  They had tons o' fun with cutting out the shapes though, and decorating their ornaments.  Homegirls can bedazzle some salt-dough ornaments with the best of 'em.

Elle working intently as Campbell supervises.

Kate is on a mission.  She liked pressing the cookie cutter down over and over again in the dough, giving her ornaments a somewhat "abstract" look.

Next up?  Gingerbread houses!  In a hugely exciting revelation for the girls - gingerbread houses do indeed taste delicious.  Kate kept systematically licking the icing off the house, despite my attempts to explain to her that this was the glue holding her house together.  Delicious sugary icing: 1.  Mommy's attempt at reasoning with a toddler: 0.  Elle was a Hershey Kiss freak.  This resulted in her surreptitiously unwrapping them like someone was going to swoop in and steal them and also in an entire side of the roof being covered with said Kisses.  The results were delightful and unceremoniously destroyed by a hungry Daddy.  But not before I took pictures to commemorate.

Then?  Cookie decorating!  One of my favorite Christmas memories growing up was decorating sugar cookies with my grandmother (a.k.a. Gabby).  I would sit on her counter at Christmas time, help cut out cookies, mix icing & decorate.  So when my mom sent me Gabby's cookie cutters in the mail?  I was over the moon.  I mean, I don't think anyone has ever been so excited about cookie cutters.  Perhaps Buddy the Elf.  Enter cookie decorating fun times!

Elle was addicted to sprinkles.  I turned away for a minute and WHAM!  Half the bottle was gone.

Aerial view.

Icing in plastic ketchup bottles?  A brilliant idea I discovered on the internets.

Kate's finished products.  That gingerbread man never stood a chance.

Elle's finished products. 

Thanksgiving

Tah-dah!  Told you I'd get to Thanksgiving.  We were blessed to be able to spend Thanksgiving Day with BOTH sides of our families.  I am so thankful that we have such awesome families who get along and are fun and flexible and just generally super cool cats.

Swinging with Grandbob

Pre-turkey with Gabby

Mommy & Kate pretending to be a dog.  Named Gloria.  But that's a whole other post.

Mom & Pres

The pre-dinner entertainment

Kate LOVED feeling like a big girl on Cousin Bo's bike

Elle getting some help from Uncle Ben & Bo

Thanks to Aunt Wissa & Uncle Scott for hosting and to everyone for the delicious food.  It was also cousin Pey-Pey's birthday!  Can't believe that wittle bitty ring bearer in our wedding is now a 16 year old driver.

I swear, it hasn't been that long.

Or maybe it has.

Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our sweet Grandpa Bill over the holiday.  What a kind, giving, loyal man who loved Grandma and his family so well.  And one of the biggest Auburn fans I knew!  We are so thankful that we were able to be with Grandma and the whole family to remember & celebrate him.

Bactracking...

In my haste to cover Halloween (and yes, I know Thanksgiving has come & gone - more later), I skipped over a fun weekend we spent in H'ville with Papa & Coco and all the Burns.  We went to a fun Fall Festival, met Aunt Wissa & Uncle Scott's new puppies, and went to an apple orchard where the girls and I had our first taste of apple cider slush.  It was a hit! 

Snow Elle at the festival

Hooked on phonics worked fo - Zzzzzzzz

"Mom, this getting this pumpkin tattoo totally wore me out."

Stopping to smell the flowers at Grandma's.

Kate does a mean Ray Charles.

Loving on one of the new pups.  Yes, there is a hint of fear in his eyes.  We are still trying to master the concept "gentle."

Frozen apple cider!

Don't mind anyone else who might want to buy those apples, Elle.

Bargaining

Snack time conversation:

Kate:  Want 1 veggie fry.
Mommy:  Want 1 veggie fry, what?
Kate: Want 1 veggie fry, please.
(I put a veggie fry on her plate.  Mind you, she already has a bunch of animal crackers on it)
Kate:  How about 2?

Oh dear.  She cracks me up.