Merry Christmas 2011! and a happy new year :)

Happy Birthday Jesus!!

It is really easy to get wrapped up in playing Santa and the hustle and bustle of buying gifts and the craziness of Christmas, but I have tried to make a point in teaching Allie Kate the REAL reason we celebrate Christmas. She learned all about baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph and we have sung happy Birthday to Jesus probably 15 times (including Christmas morning BEFORE we went and saw what all Santa brought us). BUT Santa sure is fun too :)
We went and had Christmas with Jay and Merri and Haley and Taylor on Christmas eve morning at breakfast and then straight home to take and nap and got up and headed straight to Nan and Pop's Christmas eve night.

Later sitting out cookies and milk for Santa (and yes, they are full moon cookies...we were tired haha)

She begged and begged to eat them :)

Christmas morning me and Heath woke up early and took showers so we would be ready when Allie Kate got up! She woke up about 7am and we were SO excited to see her get what santa had left her...a lot more excited than she was haha. She literally just stared and then she did get excited about her new purse and hello kitty stuff in there.

Sweet baby Lucy

She was not into opening any presents this year and I really thought she would be since she would grab one from under the tree and run with it, but when it came time to actually open them she wanted no part...so I opened like 15 presents to her (we went way over board and I have put a lot of it up to re-gift to her later in the year).

On her way down the hallway to see her presents!

Eating a treat from Santa in her new tent

Ironing haha

Jesus did get a birthday cake :)

We went down to Nana's for breakfast and got a bunch more stuff to play with, then home for and nap, up and to Gran and Papa's (we had to wake her up from her nap she was worn out!) where Allie Kate got a.....
BARBIE JEEP!!!!! I was so excited about this!!

She also got a new Llama Llama book (one of her favorite books right now)

Reading to her new favorite doll that she just got baby "chin chang"

with her Gran and Papa

Later we headed back down to Nana's house to have Christmas with the step side of the family. Some of the things Mommy and Daddy got Allie Kate were: A doll house (that when she opened she said "dis from cracker barrel" and indeed it was I bought it with her on my hip), a baby alive doll (that she calls Lisa and LOVES), panties, chap stick, lip gloss, bubble bath, bath time paint, and lots more fun little goodies :)

Allie Kate wanted to try out my new boots...

We had a great but very busy Christmas day :) Happy Birthday to the King of King's and the Lord of Lord's!!!!

For New Years we just stayed home made dinner and relaxed...Allie did get to watch some fireworks thanks to our neighbors out the front door. She woke up at 12:05 and yelled "Mommy I hear fireworks" and I went in there and she told me again "I hear dem fireworks, dey not get me, Allie Kate's okay, I like dem fireworks, fireworks are cool" haha! I love my little bitty!!

Lets go skating! And a Christmas tree for Allie's room!

We got a tree for Allie Kate's room and decorated it and this is how it turned out (after mysteriously falling over about 8 times) :) Oh and did I mention that I hand painted one by one with fingernail polish each tiny light?? Only to find out they sell pink lights by the strand for about 5 bucks!

So we went to the skating rink for Jake's 9th Birthday...it was a lot of fun and I was excited to get Allie Kate a tiny little pair of skates :) She wears a size 5 shoe and the smallest size they have is a 7 but she wanted to skate so we make them work! I know, I know what 2 year old needs skates? But she looked so cute, even if it did take her 20 minutes to make it halfway around the rink (the only time she actually skated) all while I am hunched over holding her by both hands to make sure she didn't fall :)

Skating with all the kids!

One of Allie Kate's favorite girls "Ally Jay" trying to show her how to skate :)

She was adorable and had fun for that 1/2 lap around but then she wanted down to dance to the music. I skated holding her a few laps (do not recommend it is very hard to keep your balance). She had fun at her first visit to the skating rink!!!