Happy New Year!

Here's a quick flashback to re-cap Christmas!!!

This was one of the best Christmas breaks I can remember. Maybe it's because both girls are in school now so I cherish all of our time at home together even more. But there was just something about these two full weeks that made it sooo difficult on all of us when school started back!

Brent was home for the majority of the break, and we got a LOT of cleaning and organizing done around the house. He can run circles around me when it comes to organizing, so I pretty much waited for his direction and it was amazing what we got done! I definitely don't have an "eye" for that kind of stuff. I kind of operate more along the lines of if-it-is-out-of-sight-it's-good-enough-for-me philosophy. By the end of the week our closets were organized, art/craft supplies were moved to a completely new part of the house, bedrooms were purged, and a pantry was built! Yep...he built a pantry in the kitchen during the last couple days of the break.

So let me tell you...it was HARD going back to the real world! Things are just so much more fun when we're all at home together. *sigh*

Anyway, here are some pictures from Christmas! I hate that I didn't take one of us going to church on Christmas Eve. The girls were adorable in their dresses and I just didn't even think of it until after they had gone to bed that night. Bummer.

The girls both asked Santa for American Girl dolls after getting one last year from Grandma/Grandpa/Mimi/Pappy.

Needless to say, they were thrilled!

Funny story...I got a huge fuzzy blanket at Target before Christmas to keep in the t.v. room this winter. It was $15 and I couldn't pass it up.

Well.

That first night Allie began to beg to take that blanket to bed with her. Being the amazing mother that I am, I immediately told her "no, it's my blanket. Use your own blanket."

So my poor, pitiful 5 year old began asking for her own big, fuzzy blanket for Christmas.

Mother-of-the-Year award!!

Since I couldn't buy just one (by mid December Lauryn was asking for one, too!), both girls got their very own blanket for Christmas.

Hallelujah and Amen.

And apparently I did something right this year.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Especially in the form of caffeine and a great read. At the same time.
And now backing up...

We had Christmas at my parents' house a couple of days before Christmas. My dad got a new Wii so we all pretty much lived in the game room that day.
One of my favorite pictures ever!
Opening presents!

Lauryn took one of her mom and dad. I think it has probably been since last Christmas since we've had our picture taken together. I need to have her do this more often!
And, now that the pictures are completely out of order, here is Lauryn at her Christmas piano recital. She did great, as usual :)
And finally, our combined Thanksgiving/Christmas get together with Brent's family at the beginning of the month!

Sweet cousins feeding the horses!
Opening presents!
Woo Hoo! American Girl doll outfits!
All the cousins...can't believe how fast they're all growing!
Happy New Year! More stories and pictures coming soon...