Christmas 2009

3 sickos and one getting sick - that was how our Christmas started off. The girls were supposed to sing in the Christmas Eve service, I was supposed to work in the nursery during one of the services - but all four of us were at home. So Michael braved the little toddlers and babies and took my place - he couldn't take the girls though so unfortunately none of us went to Christmas eve service. We spent it on the couch enjoying time with each other and watching Christmas shows. We fixed Santa some cookies (hopefully he didn't get our germs) and the girls were off to bed and mommy and daddy up all night helping Santa "unpack" his bag!

Christmas day was a blast - the girls were full of love for each other and for the wonderful gifts that were given to them. But the thing that touched my heart that morning was their excitement they had for their sisters to open the gifts that they picked out for them. I love that the giving spirit has excited them as much, if not more, than the getting. :-)

Of course after a long day of playing and enjoyment, we had our family dinner and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and had some cake. We are so blessed that He was born to die for us. The best gift any of us could ever receive!!

Mommy and her sick girls

Delilah and Mikayla putting cookies out for Santa

Singing Happy Birthday to Jesus

Daddy and Caitlin

Girls posing in some new pajamas

Mikayla having whipped cream sprayed in her mouth

One of the things we usually do before Christmas is go to Dovewood Court where all the houses are decorated - well due to illness, we couldn't but we did go after Christmas and it was still as beautiful.

Caitlin multitasking in her new kitchen.

How many more days till Christmas???

Although we have two advent calendars (and another one added for next year now), the girls still keep asking "How many more days till Christmas?" We had a lot of fun leading up to it.

One day after school, we picked the girls up and headed to the Jelly Belly Factory. They got to watch how the candies are made and packaged. Very intriguing for them. Great age to take them! Plus they got to taste some weird flavors like Baby Wipes, Dog Food, Toothpaste (and others like Skunk Spray and Vomit that they didn't taste - thank goodness!!)

While Caitlin was down for one of her naps, we made Gingerbread house and a train.

The last Sunday before Christmas, we headed up to Nevada City for their Victorian Christmas and a snowman was walking around. Too cool!!

Our family (after the girls winter performance at school)

If you notice, this tree is different then the one in the other pictures - it is because we got a great deal off of Craigslist - this huge artificial tree (that took almost 2 hours to put together) for $40 - we couldn't pass it up. Plus we got our two trees back again. We had them before Caitlin was born and didn't do it last year cause she just was all over the place. She still is but could control her a little better. :-)

Delilah in her snow princess dress.

Mikayla and her snow princess

Caitlin as a snow princess

The Polar Express

The first week of December kicked off the girls' Christmas season with a bang! We went on the Polar Express and they got to enjoy songs, hot chocolate and cookies, seeing Santa and riding on a train. Overall it was a wonderful experience - something we will do again but not every year.

Caitlin saying hi to Santa - a little sad he isn't closer yet.

Daddy, Caitlin, and Delilah

Mikayla and Mommy

Delilah enjoying her Hot Chocolate

Mikayla enjoying her Hot Chocolate (although she said "It's not hot!")

If you have seen the movie then you know who this man is.

Caitlin trying to grab Santa's face.

Let It Snow

On our drive up from Los Angeles (leaving 80 degree weather), we were met with lots of rain and cold weather. We didn't get to Sacramento till around 8 pm and watching news that night found out we actually got what looked like snow - but was hail. We were bummed to miss it but little did we know that snow would actually fall a few days later.

At 4 am a few days later, I woke up, looked outside and behold - snow was falling on the ground and sticking for a few minutes. I woke the girls up so they can see snow actually fall in Carmichael! Mikayla, who had actually prayed for it to snow, thought the warm bed was better so she didn't stay outside too long - but Delilah loved it and was trying to catch snowflakes on her tongue. We let Caitlin stay in her warm bed!!

Delilah trying to catch snowflakes.

The snow falling on our cars.

Caitlin's car got some snow too.

The next morning, there was ice/frost on the ground but no more snow falling. It was freezing the rest of the day and made me appreciate the fact that it doesn't snow here!!!

Thanksgiving Week 2009

Well, wish I had a lot more pics to post but if you have FB you can always check out all of them. Caitlin decided to do something on my computer again (like she did in May) and destroy the majority of the pictures from 2009 - including Disneyland pics!

Thanks to a friend of ours, we were able to take the girls to Disneyland for a day as a surprise. Sadly, they think that everytime we go to LA, we go to Disneyland. That will change this year. :-) But we did have a blast. This was Caitlin's first real time to truly enjoy it and she did.

The rest of the week was full of visiting family, going to the beach, and eating a yummy Thanksgiving feast. We even fought through the Black Friday morning crowds (without children though). Got some great deals so can't complain.

The girls right before we headed on the train out of Disneyland for the day/night.

Our last picture with Mickey. Glad we had a few pics that were saved.

Girls enjoying the warm Southern Cal weather

Girls loved finding crabs with Daddy

Thanksgiving morning we headed over to see Uncle Clay, Aunt Patricia, and cousins Sean and Rachel. Below is Uncle Clay with the girls.

Aunt Patricia talking to Caitlin.

Ahhh - the end of a wonderful Thanksgiving. So so so many things to be Thankful for!!

Just some Fall Randomness

Fall was full of outdoor fun, going to Apple Hill, pumpkin patches, early Christmas shopping, playing in leaves and getting ready to go down to Los Angeles for Thanksgiving. The girls have been enjoying Kindergarten and are used to the long 5 hour days now (wait till 6 hour days tomorrow!)

Caitlin posing on a cool fall morning

The girls posing in a pile of leaves they raked up.

All the girls together...

Oh yes - and Caitlin decided to potty train herself (not completely but getting there)

Caitlin relaxing on her best friend.

And no this isn't halloween - just Delilah trying on one of mommy's wigs from back in the day.

Halloween 2009

This year's Halloween was quite easy - Caitlin had two outfits from the girls from previous years and Delilah and Mikayla wanted to be Dalmations so off to the fabric store I went. This year was also the first year going to their school's Harvest festival (since it was their first year in school) and it was a blast. Although, there was a haunted house that Delilah wanted to go into but we steered her away from it for this year.

The girls had a blast and after trick-or-treating, they were visited that night by a candy fairy who took most of their candy but left them with a non-edible treat instead. They liked that!!

Mikayla and Delilah's choice of costumes this year - Dalmations

Mikayla and her carved pumpkin

Delilah and her pumpkin she carved

Caitlin with her pumpkin (carved by mommy)

Mommy and her girls

My sad little bumblebee...

Going trick-or-treating with our friends

Daddy walking his ladybug

Mommy carrying the tired little ladybug

Finally got enough loot - now heading home