Our visit with Santa

We took the girls to see Santa tonight (finally!) and were fortunate to just walk right up and be next in line. We usually have to stand in line for what seems like forever with 2 antsy kiddos. This time I barely had time to run the comb through their hair when they were ushering the girls over to Santa. Santa was...well...not very round and jolly. He was skinny and wrinkly. LOL but the girls didn't know the difference. No scared or crying children. Walk in, take picture, pay, walk out. easy peasy. AND they let me take as many pictures as I wanted after they took the initial one that we had to pay for. It irks me that they charge $14 for one lousy, fuzzy, yellowish colored 5x7 photo, but I have to look at it as $14 to let me take pictures with Santa!

Before we left to go see Santa - I got the girls all dressed up and took them outside for some pictures here at home. I was able to get a few good ones, although I was having a hard time finding an area that wasn't speckled with sun and the girls were having a hard time looking at the camera without squinting or making some sort of funny face.

Here are a few of Jess:

And then there's this next photo - which I just adore!

Hoping you all have a beautiful Christmas with your families. It's so hard for me to be away from my parents, siblings and their families. But now that we have our own children, we have decided that we will always spend Christmas at our home and create our own traditions for our kids. I am dreaming up some big plans for baking cookies and making a gingerbread house in the next few days (while I am still trying to finish my handmade Christmas gifts too...). Anyhoo - I may not visit my blogs for a little bit over the next week (we have company coming the day after Christmas) - so in case I don't get back - MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Enjoy every moment! Remember to take lots of photos!