Fantasy Lights for FHE

We headed out as a family last night to drive through Spanaway Park to take a gander at all of the Fantasy Lights. We started this tradition as a family years ago and we still love doing it to this day.  It is always so fun to stay warm and cozy in the truck while looking at all of these beautiful, Christmas light displays throughout the park.  Here's some pictures of our night out.

Logan and Lia laughing and smiling at me while Ella hid from the bright flash of my camera.

Ella braving the flash while giving me the best smile she could muster.

Cheese!  Oh, how I just love these silly kiddos!

The rock star dinosaur.

The darling gingerbread house.

Santa in his plane.

A dog all tangled up in lights.

The darling choo choo.  This is always one of the kids' favorites.

The dump truck dropping presents.

Ella's First Real Haircut

Although Ella has had her bangs trimmed several times, she never has had real haircut.  After 2 and 1/2 years, her hair had grown down to the middle of her back.  I honestly don't know how this happened as I feel like it grew over night from her shoulders to half way down her back.  Regardless, Ron loved it and I didn't.  Both of my girls were born with my incredibly thin hair.  As a result, once it starts to grow past the shoulders, it looks extremely stringy and thin a few hours after brushing it.  Plus, Ella constantly gets food in her hair while eating in the high chair which makes for lots of knots and screams whenever I try to brush it.  I was more than ready to cut it several months ago, but Ron kept on insisting that I let it grow.  I finally hit a wall a few days ago and decided to sneak out this morning to get her hair cut since this was the only day of the two week vacation that Ron had to go into work.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.  So although today marked the first official day of Christmas vacation, I dragged the kids out of the house bright and early this morning to hit the post office and then to arrive at Kid's Cuts ten minutes before it opened.  This children's salon does not make appointments and I have learned if you arrive after it opens, there can already be a waiting list a mile long.  So, like Urgent Care, if we get there before it opens and wait right outside the door, we can be the first name on the list.  It's the perfect system and that is exactly what we did!  In addition, Logan's locks had gotten a little too long for me since his last haircut, so we killed two birds with one stone and got both of their heads of hair cut while they cruised in a blue, sparkly speed boat and a Disney princess convertible car.  Not too shabby for the first day off from school!

Ella's before picture.  Please note that her hair does not always look this silky, shiny, and smooth. :-)

Ella's after picture.  Several inches were cut off!

Ella all seated in her convertible car and ready to go!

The hair stylist beginning to cut Ella's locks.

Ella thoroughly enjoying the experience.

Ella flashing me one of her million dollar smiles.

Logan loving life while in his speed boat.

The stylist working hard to clean up Logan's locks.

Almost done and getting her hair dried!

Ella showing off her new haircut before hopping out of her pink car.

Preschool Christmas Party

One of many things I love about Logan attending Lia's former preschool this year is getting to experience some of the same, wonderful events all over again with another child.  Today was no exception as we headed over to Logan's preschool with Ella in tow to participate in the gingerbread house activity that they host every December.  It was so fun to sit down in the beautiful chapel and watch Logan sing several Christmas songs with the other students in his class.  He can be the cutest thing when he wants to be and my heart just melted watching him sing his little heart out.  After he was done singing, Logan joined Ella and me at the table to make his little gingerbread house.  Luckily, Ella was totally content to sit and eat one piece of candy after the next and didn't fight over building the house with Logan.  As a result, the two of us were basically left alone to focus on making the cutest, little gingerbread house.  Logan has recently developed a very careful and methodical side to him when it comes to coloring and creating things.  This is a drastic change from the boy who colored all crazy and outside of the lines last year during his old preschool co-op.  We worked together as a team to make a very neat and symmetrical gingerbread house.  I was really impressed when we were done as it looked much better than most of the other gingerbread houses in the room that looked like someone had dumped frosting and candy all over them!  ;-)  Hah!  Good job, Logie boy.

Logan singing away with his classmates.

Logan making one of the several hand gestures while singing the Christmas song.

Putting his head on his hands.

Logan giving mama an adorable smile!

Posing for a picture while decorating the gingerbread house.

Logan and Ella sitting side by side.

Logan working hard decorating his gingerbread house.

Logan posing with his finished product and his beloved teacher, Miss Vera.

Making Gingerbread Houses

Tonight Ron and I helped the kids with our annual building and decorating gingerbread houses for FHE.  This is something that we started doing a few years ago when Lia and Logan were both old enough to appreciate it and we have been doing it ever since.  It is hand's down one of the kids' favorite FHE activities that we do every year and I love how everyone is getting old enough to really get into it--even Miss Ella!  Like last year, we divided and conquered again with our houses.  Ron helped Lia with hers and I helped Logan and Ella with theirs.  I split the house in half and let Logan decorate one wall, the front, and one roof.  Ella got the other wall, the backside, and the other roof.  Amazingly enough, the two of them got along pretty well and their house didn't turn out that bad.  Of course, Lia's and papa's turned out artistic and beautiful.  I just love these family, Christmas traditions that help to make December so special and unique compared to the rest of the year!

Lia flashing me a smile while papa assesses what should be done next.

Logan pauses from his work to give me a crazy smile.

Lia and Logan working together.

Mama and the little ones.

Cute Lia and her gingerbread house.

Ella putting another candy on the backside.

The Nutcracker with Girl Scouts

Lia and I have been going to see The Nutcracker Ballet every December since she was four years old and in preK.  We have attended two different productions over the years put on by two different ballet schools in Tacoma and Renton.  This year, her Girl Scout troop decided to attend another production in Olympia and so we decided to check this one out instead.  We drove down with Lia's good friends, Sienna and Mollie, and their moms and had a great time on this special mommy-daughter date that we do every year.  I thought that this school's production was the best one that we had seen thus far with beautiful sets, costumes, and dancing.  I will forever love the "Waltz of the Snowflakes" and the music that accompanies it.  This ballet is just so magical to me and I love being able to share this with my daughter every year!

Lia in the lobby before the ballet started with Sienna and Mollie.

Mother and daughter in front of the beautiful, Christmas tree in the foyer.

Lia posing in one of the fun, photo cutouts. 

Since Lia's troop attended the ballet on a special "Girl Scout Day," all of the girls were allowed to walk up on the stage after the production was over to meet the dancers.  Some of the troop waited in line to pose for a picture around the Sugar Plum Fairy's amazing throne.  Here is Lia with some of her friends.

Lia having the time of her life sitting in this larger-than-life, candy throne!

Every year, Lia loves meeting the dancers and taking pictures with them.  Here she is with the Snow Queen,

Clara,

and the Sugar Plum Fairy!

Santa Parade 2016

For the fourth year in a row, Lia's Girl Scout troop participated in our town's Santa Parade.  Her troop decided to decorate their float and dress up in theme of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  After a little debate, I put the kibosh on Lia's idea of dressing up like Violet Beauregard because it would have taken too much time and effort to figure out how to make Lia look like a giant blueberry.  However, I quickly jumped on her second idea of dressing up like a golden ticket.  After making a trip to both Michaels and Joanns, I made a tutu and put together a costume for just a couple of dollars.  I thought that Lia looked pretty, darn cute heading out the door as a golden ticket tonight.  For the first time ever, I sent her with a friend to meet up with her troop so that I could come a little later with Logan and Ella who have never watched the parade as toddlers (Logan was a baby the last time he went and Ella has never been).  The rain actually held off for most of the evening and we had a fun time watching all of the floats, tractors, animals, and people walk by all decked out in Christmas lights and costumes.  I just love this local tradition and enjoyed introducing it to Logan and Ella tonight!

Lia all dressed up as the golden ticket and ready to go!

Lia's float approaching us!

A close-up of Lia.  I am so glad that she happened to be sitting on the same side of the road that we were standing on.

A shot of their float decked out with candy and Willy Wonka hats.

Lia waving to the crowd.

After Lia's float turned the corner, we left the curb to go and meet her at the end of the parade (which finished right around the block).  Here she is giving me a smile as their float was parking.

Lia with her entire troop and fearless Girl Scout leader.  Don't they all look so cute?!

Journey To Bethlehem

For the second time, I decided to try to plan a family outing to the Adventist church in Auburn to attend their amazing living nativity.  We had attended three years ago when Lia was five and Logan was one, but haven't been back since.  When I looked into the weekend that this event was occurring, I realized that we already had plans Friday through Sunday evening.  As a result, Thursday was our only option, but Ron was busy with a work obligation.  So, I decided to venture out on my own with the kids and we had a great time.  We got there 45 minutes before our designated time slot and the children did pretty good waiting in the chapel til our tour began.  When it was time to go, we quickly bundled up, met our two guides, and off we went with our "caravan" to travel through the city of Bethlehem.  Like last time, it was an amazing experience and I am so impressed with the amount of time, effort, and money this church puts into recreating this ancient city.  I especially love it because it reminds me of my time spent living in the Holy Land over twenty years ago.  Logan and Ella were a little scared of the rude, Roman soldiers, but otherwise they did a great job walking in the dark and keeping up with the group.  I think that it really helped Lia and Logan to remember why we celebrate Christmas.  Hopefully, we can do this again another year!

Our caravan leader talking to some other people as we began our journey to Bethlehem.

Talking to the Three Wise Men.

One of the REAL camels on display next to the Wise men's camp.

Some of the vendors selling their goods inside the city of Bethlehem.

Being taxed by one of the Roman leaders inside the city.

The angels announcing the birth of Christ while we were in the fields with the shepherds.

Finding Mary and Joseph with their real baby inside a stable.

Lia, Logan, and Ella all bundled up and heading back to the car after our journey was finished.