Happy Birthday Claire

My littlest baby is one year old today. She loved the cupcake and ice cream smiled really great for her messy pictures. She tried to share her slobbery cupcake with anyone who was willing and then through it on the floor. (which she believed was quite funny). Our wonderful neighbors came over to share the event with us and showered Claire with some great gifts. (Light up rubber duckies, a striped stuffed bunny, and books, to name only a few). A great time was had by all as the neighborhood kids ate pink cupcakes and creative ice cream sundaes. (I love to fill them up with sugar and then send them home). Happy 1st Birthday Claire.

Yesterday was our play hookie from school and work day. We did our Toys for Tots, visited Santa, went out to lunch, and just played together. I think that I am going to make it a yearly tradition. It was so nice to spend time as a family in the middle of the week. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Christmas chaos

The Christmas craziness has begun. Tonight is our last evening for about a week that we don't have something going on. I love it all though. I truly enjoy this time of year and all of the activities that accompany it. Haylee and Kenna are in a Christmas pageant at church this Sunday and we have several practices before then this week. I have my yearly ornament/cookie exchange at a friends house on Thursday and we have Kevin's family celebration this Saturday at our house. The most exciting event this week is of course Claire's 1st birthday. She turns one on Friday. I am excited as my baby celebrates her first year, but she is my last child and it is sad to see her going from baby to toddler. We are having some neighbors over on Friday to watch her cover herself in cake and ice cream. I can't wait.

Other exciting activities this weekend include seeing the Nutcracker on Sunday afternoon. My middle school neighbor (and one of our babysitters) is performing in the show and Haylee and I are going. It will probably make me cry because when I performed in the Nutcracker many years ago, it was at the same theater.

We took some Christmas pictures of the girls and I included them along with the picture from last year at this time. My, what a year can do.