Monday, February 5, 2018

Snapshots!

A few cute pics of the babes:

With some friends at school...Lily looks so grown up in this picture!

She calls them her babies



We've had some chilly days!

Obsessed with sticker books right now!


She found some ice on my car!

She learned to spell her name and now we are writing it everywhere!

Little artist!

Lily and Daisy

 
 

Eli is Eleven Months Old!!

Happy 11 months to Eli!  He has been the happiest baby lately!  He still loves bathtime, reading books, and clapping toys together.  He started pointing this month as well!  He gave kisses to a few of his Christmas presents, and even loves to dance any time he hears music!  His favorite toys are his walker toy and a cute train, and anything he finds in Lily's room, haha.  He got to play at the children's museum for the first time this month, and he had so much fun.  He loves to eat bananas and bread, but we're still working on whole milk.  He is not a fan no matter how hard I've tried!

 
This month, Eli loves:
**dancing
**reading books
**being outside
**eating bananas
 

Uh oh...he discovered the drawers!



 

Merry Christmas!

Each Christmas gets more and more fun!  We loved celebrating Eli's first Christmas with friends and family; he had lots of fun looking at the tree and playing with the nativity scene.  Lily was into everything this year.  She loved seeing lights on people's houses, playing with the nativity scene and acting out the Christmas story, and reading Christmas books and playing with Christmas stickers.

Family Santa pic!

Getting our tree!  Eli loved feeling it, and Lily got to put the first ornament on...Mickey Mouse, of course!

Eli's first Christmas ornament!

Showing him the ornaments, so sweet
 
The mall had a super fun day with lots of activities and a parade for Santa's arrival.  It was so cute and fun! 
 

We had this inflatable Santa by our tree, and right before the top left picture, Lily said she was going to marry him!  The inflatable Olaf was in a restaurant and she hugged him so many times!  Lily and Claire had a blast at Story Land, and they just had to take a picture with the alligator Santa.  And bottom right- yay Christmas!
 
Lily's Christmas party at school.  She loves her teachers, Ms. Ashlie and Ms. Donna, and she always talks about her friend Sophia.  On the party day, they were so excited to be wearing the same shirt.  Little bro got to tag along.  :)

Santa visited her school, and I'm amazed she sat on his lap!

Christmas party at dance!  She loved her jingle bell necklace.
 
On Christmas Eve, we had my side of the family over to our house for presents and gumbo.
 

 
We loved reading Twas the Night Before Christmas with Lily before bed

Then we got to work!  There wasn't much to put together this year, which Stro loved.  :)

We saved our family's presents for Christmas morning, and it was so fun!  Eli was old enough to get into it, digging in his stocking and checking out his toys.  Lily had a blast helping to open everyone's presents, ha.


Later on Christmas Day, we went to the farm to celebrate with Stro's side of the family.

Great pictures!

The day after Christmas, my dad arrived for a visit.  Lily loved the lemonade stand he brought her and we had a fun day at the aquarium together.
 
Our last Christmas activity was our tradition of meeting up with the Dunkels and Carrieres for lunch in Baton Rouge.  There are two new babies- Eli and Ben Dunkel- since this time last year!
 
 
 
 

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Advent Fun!

For Advent this year, I thought about getting Lily a kids' Advent calendar.  When I looked at them, though, they all had candy or a small toy for each day of Advent, which wasn't what I was going for.  So instead, I made a list of fun Christmas activities, and we did one each day!  It was a lot of fun, and we did quite a few things we wouldn't have done otherwise.  Some activities were really simple, like drinking hot chocolate, and some were more complex, like crafts.  But they were all fun!  Here are a few things we did:



A picnic in the light of the Christmas tree...this was so easy and fun!

Writing a kind note to someone- she chose her teachers


Christmas story time and craft at the library



Candy cane hunt (like an Easter egg hunt) and then she got to eat her first one!


Cheerio ornament!


Snowman craft.  We were only going to make her name, but she wanted to make us each one.  I think she liked that she got to use the glue stick :)



Making Christmas cards for her family.  She made 7 cards!

Drinking hot chocolate!  But not hot...so basically chocolate milk, haha


Pajamas and popcorn while we rode around to look at Christmas lights


Building a gingerbread house with Dad


Decorating cookies

Handprint wreath
 
Holding the door open for someone



Baking cupcakes for Jesus' birthday on Christmas Eve