A, B, C, D, E, F, Geeee.... here we review our December for thee...
A is for Advent. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, Michael and I have tried to slow things down for our family and appreciate this advent season. A time of longing, waiting, stillness, and anticipation for the One who would change everything.
B is for Bulbs. We've decorated the tree and placed each bulb on its rightful branch. (Or the same rightful branch for 7 bulbs, which is Katelyn's approach :)
C is for Chicago. Michael and I took a just-us weekend trip to The Windy City to visit Mitch, see a friend in a comedy show at The Second City, and simply enjoy a bit of quiet, calm, and fun together. It was a fabulous trip (even the 4-hour, non-weather-related flight delay out didn't get us down - it was all part of the getaway!) and we're so thankful to my parents for staying with the girls so we could do it. An early Christmas gift for us indeed!
With Michael's high school friend and a groomsman in our wedding, Feras.
D is for Dance. Katelyn's holiday dance show was this week. They've been practicing a tap and a ballet dance since September and finally got to perform it in front of an audience. There were 3 other classes performing as well, so there was a crowd of at least 75 people watching. Our little dancer ate it up and boogied with the best of 'em!
E is for Elf. Or "Elp" as Kendall says on repeat every morning. Even at 16 months, she knows the drill of searching for Arthur, our elf, at the start of a new day. He hides or gets into all sorts of mischief overnight and it's such fun to discover him in the morning! This particular day, Katelyn declared: "Look! Arthur's in my SOCKing!"
F is for "Feliz Naughty Dog." Katelyn's hilarious rendition of the old Spanish favorite. Sing it, sister!!! And I hope you sing it that way too the next time you hear it. I dare you not to giggle!
G is for Giving. The sparkle in the eyes of the giver is a beautiful thing this time of year. And Katelyn has had her share of giving opportunities to her many teachers (preschool, bible study, swimming, etc.). She glows when giving a gift to them and then they glow right back. Christmas is not about the gifts, it's about the give. It's also for gingerbread house - our first one. Patience and will-power required :)
H is for "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" Katelyn's preschool class invited parents to visit this week for a short singing program followed by a treat. They sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and "Mary Had a Baby Boy" (to the tune of little lamb). It was fun to see the kids dressed up and proud to show off their songs and their classroom. And naturally, cookies at 9:30 am were the highlight as you can see!
I is for "I wish you a Merry Christmas." This has become Katelyn's signature saying this season. Instead of just "Merry Christmas!" to friends, teachers, and other people out in public, she says, "I wish you a Merry Christmas!" So cute!
J is for Joy. Making an effort to see and appreciate all the joy in this season, in our kids' faces, and in the everyday moments of our everyday lives.
K is for Kris Kringle. Or Santa as he's more commonly known. We visited him today at the Minnesota Zoo. Even though she kept saying "oh, oh, oh" and nodding her head that she wanted to sit on Santa's lap, Kendall was more interested in practicing her snow angels once the time arrived. And Katelyn told him she wanted underwear for Christmas (really?! You've got one-on-one time with Santa and you ask for underwear?!) 2013 is definitely a Santa visit to remember!
L is for Lights. We've got them strung across our front porch, but first we had to check them out. Make sure they're aglow and ready to shine bright in the cold Minnesota winter.
M is for Mail. In addition to anticipating the daily Christmas cards in our mailbox (it's fun for all of us!), Kendall was hard at work the other day penning her own letter to Santa. We joked that her letter would likely read something like: "Dear Santa, I would like peace on earth. And cookies. Love, Kendall."
N is for Nog. As in Egg Nog. We've been enjoying the indulgent treat this season. It's not around all year, so we gotta take advantage!
O is for "Oh, Oh, Oh!" This is what Kendall says whenever she sees Santa (an actual Santa, a picture, or a anything else).
P is for Pictures. Couldn't resist an opportunity to snap some shots of the girls in their Christmas dresses. I knew going into it that Kendall would give me a run for my money and she did. But these definitely capture life with a 3 year old and a 1 year old!
Q is for Quite the "Spectacles." These two...
R is for Refueling. With all of our trips (by car and plane) this month, we've spent about 40 hours traveling. Whew! But totally worth it to see family and friends. Consequently, Katelyn and Kendall have been playing "gas station." Is that a sign? Also, they like ethanol (corn), clearly...
S is for Sledding. We have been out a couple times to play in the snow on the more mild days. Even though the getting dressed part takes twice as long as the playing outside part, the fresh air and fun is sometimes just what we need. Kendall took her first run on a sled with Katelyn. She loved it! And even a couple face-plants in the snow didn't deter her.
T is for Trees. We've been admiring ours all season and usually have it all lit up all day long. And there's a massive one at church that we've been enjoying too.
U is for Underwear. Katelyn's #1 gift this year is "Ariel underwear." Just really going for the gold!
V is Volunteering. Katelyn and Michael spent a recent afternoon wrapping gifts for underprivileged families. Kate was in charge of the bows and took her job very seriously. We love this time of year as an opportunity to give more than gifts; to give of time and talents - the most valuable gifts of all.
W is for Wonder. This was our first big snowfall of the year. This is wonder.
X is for eXercise. I know. It's a stretch. But x-rays and xylophones just haven't been highlights of our holiday season. Michael and I decided to give ourselves an early Christmas gift and signed up for a family membership at the YMCA. It has been great so far and I'm wondering why we didn't sign up sooner. The kids go to Kids Stuff learning center to play and do activities, while we workout. They have fun and we get some exercise. Wins across the board!
Y is for Y did I decide to do this alphabet thing? It's getting tough now, folks.
Z is for ZZZ's. What I plan to be catching in about 10 minutes, just like this little lady with her armful of babies. Thanks for hanging in there with this post!
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas! We have celebrated with Michael's family last weekend, Santa visited our house this morning, and we will be celebrating with my family this week. Stay tuned for more updates!
