Christmas 2016

As I was going through pictures, I realized that I somehow missed posting anything about our December here on the blog!  So here is a quick recap that I will backdate so it shows up in order on the blog instead of in February, lol.  

I'll start with the main event - Christmas morning.  We actually really enjoy having Christmas on Sunday.  It just feels right to do presents and then go to church and remember the real meaning of the day.

Clara was so excited to give this talking bird toy to Rose with a plastic cage.  She picked it out for Rose at the toy store, which obviously meant it was a toy that Clara wanted to play with.  

Clara was not as impressed with the Chutes & Ladders game that Rose got for her.

We got the girls some long, flowy skirts with tops that they can wear to church.  They aren't my favorite outfits ever but the girls adore them and immediately begged to put them on.  Rose also got decked out with her new costume jewelry from dad.

Backtracking a bit more to Christmas Eve.  I didn't take pictures but we had the Hamby's and Ambrose's over for dinner and games and a Christmas movie.  Then the girls went right to sleep.  Although I noticed when I went in to check on them that Clara had pushed her blinds up to peek out her window to see if she could spot Rudolph's nose flying in the night sky (she told me the next day that she had seen him!).  

Earlier in the month, we got to go on the Niles Canyon Train of Lights.  It's one of our favorite holiday traditions that we look forward to each year.  This was the first year that Mrs. Claus joined Santa for the ride and we were lucky enough to spot them getting ready to board the train together.  The Fischlis and Schaders joined us again this year, which was awesome.  The girls loved seeing their San Jose friends and are still talking about wanting to visit them again soon.

A few days after Christmas when work was slow for Paul, we took the girls ice skating at the rink that is just a couple of minutes from our house.  This went SO much better than last year's outdoor skating experience and Clara actually was starting to get the hang of it.  If I didn't already have her enrolled in gymnastics, swim, and Spanish, I might consider throwing ice skating into the mix just for the fun of it.  Maybe next year when she isn't doing swim any more.

This picture of Rose just before she ate it cracks me up.  Ice skating with littles is such a workout because you have to constantly bend over to help them balance and pick them up.

And finally, our annual photos with Santa Claus at the mall.  They were so excited to meet him and looked so pretty in their Christmas dresses.