Cookies for Santa and Christmas PJ's

Kamdyn has always written a note to Santa to include with his cookies.  It was so sweet looking back at her notes since Kindergarten.  This year, Kamdyn wrote Karcie's for her as Karcie gave her specific directions on what to write.  

These Christmas PJ's literally arrived on Christmas Eve.  We had a mishap.  Nanny had ordered another red/white striped set with ruffles that were supposed to have been to her house by Thanksgiving.  We had almost an identical pair last year from the same company except they were green/white striped.  They never arrived.  The post office said they delivered them, but she never got them!  We think someone may have taken them out of her mailbox.  :(  Needless to say, there was no time for cute little monograms on Christmas Eve.

It was such a sweet Christmas Eve with these two and having Nanny there with us made it even more special!

Notes to Santa

Sweet Sisters

She was so excited about leaving cookies and milk for Santa this year!

Karcie wasn't quite ready for a Christmas Eve family photo!

Now she is!!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Nanny and the girls made a birthday cake for Jesus.  It was our favorite kind.....Red Velvet with Nanny's delicious homemade cream cheese frosting!!  We pretty much let the girls do what they wanted to do.  Kamdyn wanted to "write" on the  cake.  So she colored the frosting green and put it in a ziplock bag.  She didn't realize that you had to cut the hole REALLY small to actually be able to "write."  After a semi-meltdown about it not being perfect.  She just decided to put the green frosting all over for decorations.  It was perfect just the way that it was!!  Most importantly, it was DELICIOUS!!

We had to borrow my neighbor's mixer because mine was at the lake.

Frosting the layers.

Perfect and ready to eat!!

Reindeer Food!!

Since we went to Beauty and the Beast on the 23rd, that put us driving back to Apex on Christmas Eve morning. Nanny followed us back.  We were super nervous about traffic and rainy weather.  By some super Christmas miracle, neither were factors in our drive.  We made record time coming back!!

When we got home, we had tons to do!!  Birthday cake for Jesus with Nanny, Reindeer Food, and Cookies for Santa.  Plus, we had to get to bed on time.  Oddly enough, I felt more stress-free this Christmas Eve than I ever have.  It was a wonderful feeling that I'm not used to!!

Our reindeer food making has no set recipe.  

Reindeer Food = whatever we have in the pantry that WE think reindeer might like.

This year's recipe was oats, Trix cereal, and LOTS of glittery sprinkles!!  Turns out, the reindeer loved it!!

These girls are serious about their reindeer food!

Karcie dumped every bit of hers in one spot!!

Kamdyn sprinkled hers all over the yard.

Karcie tried to pick hers up and start over, but that didn't go too well.  It was rainy and yuck outside!

Thankfully, she did not have a melt down!!

Gah!!  When did she grow up?

I remember Kamdyn at this age and it makes me sad at how quickly the time passes!

Me and my big girl!!  NO make-up for Mommy!  

I adore these angels and I'm so thankful that God chose me!!

Beauty and the Beast

Part of our Christmas from Ruthie was tickets to the opening night of Beauty and the Beast.  Ruthie was so very thoughtful to arrange this wonderful night out for the girls in our family!!    It was such a great time with my most favorite girls!!

We arrived a little early.  It was rainy and cold so we wanted to be sure that we gave ourselves enough time to park.  This gave us plenty of time for some pre-show photos!  

The girls were so good throughout the show!  Karcie had a few moments and I had to scoot across an entire aisle of people to take her to the bathroom.  But, other than that, I thought they all did great for such a late night show.  As usual, the Peace Center did not disappoint.  I always love going there!

Thanks again, Ruthie!!  It was a super fantastic time!!  We love you!

Karcie and Vera

Three little sweeties!

Ruthie and two of her grands!

Me and my sweet girls!!

Aunt Kathy and the three cuties!

I'm so happy to have a few photos with the girls AND me!!  They may one day look back and wonder if Mommy was EVER in a photo with them.  ;)

My sweet Mama!  So thankful that she got to go with us!!

Karcie and Aunt Kathy were all smiles!!

Love, love, love this one!!  A photo filled with ONLY independent and strong willed ladies and girls!!

Vera and Holly!  This one needs a frame!

Nanny and her babies!!

Crazy face selfie before the show!!

Aunt Kathy, Karcie, and Ruthie just before the show started!

Intermission!!

Christmas with Mama Lucy and Ruthie

We enjoyed our time with Mama Lucy, Ruthie, and the Florida Terry Crew!  It always goes by so fast though!  We decided to celebrate at Nanny's so that we would have lots of room to spread out.  These little girls were loving opening their presents.  They kept looking for more with their names on them. It was so cute!!  We unwrapped for a long time.  We put toys together for an even longer time.  We ate yummy spaghetti.  We laughed. A lot!  These four little Terry girls are something else.When Kamdyn and Karcie put on their Janimals PJ's they really busted loose with some funny antics!  If only we lived closer to all of them.  It would be so great!  I couldn't get enough Vera and Lucy loving.  I wanted to squeeze Lucy's cheeks.  And don't even get me started on that unicorn ponytail.  Love her!!  Love them!!  It was also special to see Mama Lucy and Ruthie with their favorite boys and little girls.  We are thankful to have another Christmas with Mama Lucy.  If I've learned anything over the past year, it's that you can't take one second for granted.  We truly just never know what tomorrow will bring!  So thankful for our family!

Two sweet Lucys!

We started off with a cousin photo before anyone was allowed to open gifts.

This was good motivation.

But you can see that getting four little girls to sit still and smile is IMPOSSIBLE!!

Lucy and Karcie favor each other so much.  I love it!!

 Then we insisted on a photo with the girls and Mama Lucy!

 

These were the best three of about a million outtakes. 

One of Mama Lucy's favorite boys! I think Karcie was photo bombing!

Both of them

LOVE this one so much!!

Then the craziness began!!

Presents and paper everywhere!!

Karcie loves her Doc McStuffins magnet set.  It has 4,639 pieces.  Thanks, Aunt Holly!  Her Mommy loves it, too!  ;)

Giving Mama Lucy some help!!

Uncle Richard had the camera.  Sweet little Lucy....

Helping Ruthie open her gifts!

Mama Lucy was all decorated in bows!!

Aunt Holly was happy about her new stationery.

Kamdyn stayed happy the entire time!!

Lucy and Mama Lucy playing with the Barbie dolls.

"See this, Mama Lucy?"

"It goes right here!!"  Look at those sweet cheeks!!  

Happy as a clam to be there!

WOW!!  A Little People Princess Castle from Ruthie.  Thankfully, Uncle Matthew had already put one of these together.  He got to do it twice!!

Giving Ruthie some loving for the castle!!

Kamdyn got a Zoomer dinosaur robot from Ruthie! It was a hit, too!

Then came the cat!!

And the unicorn.  I love Lucy's hand on top of her head.  I think she wanted to be a unicorn, too.  She already had the unicorn ponytail though!  She just needed the purple PJ's. :)

Four of the sweetest, most beautiful little girls that I know!!