Love the Christmas season! We've packed a lot into the month of December. I had fun planning a special Christmas themed event or activity on our advent calendar and Ella looked forward to opening the calendar date each day during December. Such a fun month of making memories, spending quality time with family and friends, and remember the true meaning of why we celebrate Christmas. Some of the highlights...
New Christmas jammies! These girls kill me...
Decorating the "kids" Christmas tree - the one where Lucy has access to all the non-breakable ornaments. She rearranges them on a daily basis...
Our annual visit to Molbaks with Grammy and Grampy while they were in town over Thanksgiving weekend...
Ella got picked up for a date by her sweet daddy to go out to dinner and Christmas shopping. Ella was so excited anticipating the date all day. She wanted to get all dressed up for him. Melt my heart...
We met up with Jess and her three adorable boys at Redmond Town Center. The mall is all decked out and has a cute carousel and Christmas train the kids got to ride.
Super mom Jess with her sweet boys...
Cody and I got dressed up for a friend's birthday/cocktail party...
Ella and I got to go on a special shopping and lunch date...
We did our annual family Christmas light viewing tour. We put the girls to bed on the early side, and then surprised them by getting them up, putting them in the car and checking out lights in their jammies after a stop at Starbucks. It was fun to find some new houses and light displays this year closer to where we live now. At Evergreen Church...
The incredible Seahwaks house in Kirkland...
The owners of the Seahawks house actually open their house for visitors to come in and see the display they have set up inside, including this "ice tunnel" for kids to crawl through. I can't imagine having your house open to the public every night during the Christmas season, but they were so nice!
A trip to Snowflake Lane with both Magnusson families...
We got to spend an adults night out with our best friends while Uncle Tom watched the girls! Such a fun night having dinner downtown! It took five babysitters for nine kids, but it was such a fun night all being together and enjoying adult conversation...
The Kitchen Table at Serious Pie...
Brooke and I took Sophie and Ella to see the Washington School of Dance (where the girls do ballet) production of the Nutcracker. We had lunch, got cupcakes, and went to the show. Any excuse for Ella to get dressed up in her Christmas outfit is a good one...
Lucy had to sneak into a picture with the big girls...
Cookie decorating party at Nathan and James' house..
I love that Ella wanted to dress like me in a red shirt and a pearl necklace...
Cody, Rebekah and I went to an amazing Christmas concert by Michael W. Smith...so much fun and great music!
We just love him ;)...
Our elf on the shelf, (newly renamed Chippy Chocolate Spice this year), reappeared this year but wasn't nearly as creative as last year ;). He just moved around from place to place but the girls loved finding him in new spots each morning. Lucy got the hang of it right away and would often spot him before Ella did...
Christmas hot cocoa...
Ella's teacher, Mrs. Englet...
Once Lucy saw that Santa was giving out gifts and candy to each of the kids, she couldn't wait to run up to him when Ella's name was called. I had to restrain her from running up before it was her turn...
And then all of a sudden she was totally fine with Santa and wanted to sit on his lap! I guess it just took some candy bribery...
We had my parents and grandparents over for dinner and to watch the game that night...
Lucy entertaining us during commercial breaks...
One of the biggest highlights of the Christmas season for Ella was going to see the Nutcracker at the Pacific Northwest Ballet. She remembered it from last year and was so excited. It was so special having my mom in town to go with us again...
Lunch at Duke's on Lake Union before the ballet...
Cupcakes, cookies, and lattes waiting for us at intermission...
Ella sat on the edge of her seat attentively watching the entire ballet. She kept asking if each dance was the last one because she didn't want it to end. When the curtain finally went down at the end she started sobbing because she didn't want it to end and wanted to watch it again. We walked out with a little girl crying because she loved it SO much :).
Playing with her nutcracker ornament at home and pretending to be Clara..
I loved having my family in town during Christmas - David and Emily flew in from Boston and stayed with us and my parents flew up from Turlock and stayed with my grandparents. We spent a very soggy evening downtown with my whole family - a Christmas tradition to see the amazing gingerbread houses at the Sheraton and have dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. We skipped the carousel ride this year because of the rain.
Christmas donuts with Uncle David, Auntie Emily, and Grandma and Grandpa...
Delivering Christmas cheer to neighbors...
The day after Christmas we went to Zoolights at the Woodland Park Zoo with Rob and Brooke and the kids...
Love getting the mail during the month of December -- it makes me so happy to get Christmas cards in the mail!
A few last pictures of little Lily, who enjoys sitting in front of the Christmas tree and keeping warm by the fire...
Ella and I got to go on a special shopping and lunch date...
We did our annual family Christmas light viewing tour. We put the girls to bed on the early side, and then surprised them by getting them up, putting them in the car and checking out lights in their jammies after a stop at Starbucks. It was fun to find some new houses and light displays this year closer to where we live now. At Evergreen Church...
A trip to Snowflake Lane with both Magnusson families...
We got to spend an adults night out with our best friends while Uncle Tom watched the girls! Such a fun night having dinner downtown! It took five babysitters for nine kids, but it was such a fun night all being together and enjoying adult conversation...
Brooke and I took Sophie and Ella to see the Washington School of Dance (where the girls do ballet) production of the Nutcracker. We had lunch, got cupcakes, and went to the show. Any excuse for Ella to get dressed up in her Christmas outfit is a good one...
Cookie decorating party at Nathan and James' house..
Cody, Rebekah and I went to an amazing Christmas concert by Michael W. Smith...so much fun and great music!
Our elf on the shelf, (newly renamed Chippy Chocolate Spice this year), reappeared this year but wasn't nearly as creative as last year ;). He just moved around from place to place but the girls loved finding him in new spots each morning. Lucy got the hang of it right away and would often spot him before Ella did...
Christmas hot cocoa...
Lucy and I joined Ella for her preschool class Christmas party, complete with a special visit from Santa...
The one time of year we make and frost sugar cookies -- because it takes all day! But the girls loved helping out and decorating the cookies so it was all worth it...
Making a Gingerbread house (on Seahawks Sunday)...
We had my parents and grandparents over for dinner and to watch the game that night...
One of the biggest highlights of the Christmas season for Ella was going to see the Nutcracker at the Pacific Northwest Ballet. She remembered it from last year and was so excited. It was so special having my mom in town to go with us again...
Ella sat on the edge of her seat attentively watching the entire ballet. She kept asking if each dance was the last one because she didn't want it to end. When the curtain finally went down at the end she started sobbing because she didn't want it to end and wanted to watch it again. We walked out with a little girl crying because she loved it SO much :).
Playing with her nutcracker ornament at home and pretending to be Clara..
Christmas donuts with Uncle David, Auntie Emily, and Grandma and Grandpa...
Delivering Christmas cheer to neighbors...
The day after Christmas we went to Zoolights at the Woodland Park Zoo with Rob and Brooke and the kids...
Love getting the mail during the month of December -- it makes me so happy to get Christmas cards in the mail!
A few last pictures of little Lily, who enjoys sitting in front of the Christmas tree and keeping warm by the fire...
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