Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas card to you this year...Joy to the World, the Lord has come!

Two days later, Santa gave Lia a toy violin, one of her favorite presents.   "Put it under your chin, Lia".

"Good try...but not really".

Yay, Lia!

The Polar Express to the City

On the 22nd, Keith, Lia and I went down on the train to see Keith's sister's family in the city.  We saw the tree, and had lots of fun just being together!  Of course, Lia loved getting a ton of attention from her cousins! 

Lia is ready to fall asleep...

Surrounded by Christmas angels...

The boys...

The girls...

OK Lia, how did you do that?  She got the keys to the train and even was invited to blow the whistle. 

My Sugar Plum Fairy

...is exhausted after dancing in the living room to Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite.

Now think about it, why would a 2 year old be scared of very friendly, big fat man in a red suit?

It makes sense that Lia would be.  She hasn't seen him for a year...and now we see him everywhere. And Lia now loves to say, "no".  It's the perfect recipe for a meltdown at the Christmas Party coming up.  A photo with Santa???  I'm really hoping that we don't hear, "NO, NO, NO"!!!!!

We have a tradition of going to my hometown's church's Christmas Fair where my mom sold her baskets.  So last weekend, we shopped for gifts and ate the delicious chili that we've looked forward to for a whole year.  The baked goods are also so amazing.  Lia lucked out-while I was busy, daddy bought her a brownie lollipop after I had just shared a gingerbread cookie with her.  (Do you recognize the church?  Yes, it's where Keith and I got married).  

More of Santa a day later?  Lia's mind was probably full of questions; "Who is this guy, mommy? And why is he wherever we go?"  We took a trainride on a 1940's train, with 3 cars, and a really cute caboose.  Lia loved the trainride!!!!  We sat in an outside car.