Christmas Activities Part 1

Lights in Wimberely

Superhero @ Will's B-day party

Horrible picture of DS 1st Baptist Live Nativity

Posing in front of the live nativity

Daddy & Miss A's new train

Lights in Wimbereley - Emily Ann Theater

chilling with Uncle Bart

Christmas Pj's

Enjoying Evan, Bryson & Allison

Not ready to leave for school

Driving Uncle Ryan's car through the Christmas lights in Johnson City - private road - no calls please

Chuys Christmas Parade Floats - This parade is held every year the day after Thanksgiving and it gives a chance for people to donate a toy to Toys for Tots. I loved this parade because 80% of our activities are in the tiny town around Austin - great festivals and small town activities - but this parade made us realize we live in a wonderful big city and Ash gets to experience a huge downtown parade with enormous floats and we followed the day up with a purchase at the Farmers Market - just to keep it Austiny

Cheerleader with Santa Hats

Christmas Parade

Bailey is wearing the antlers but Ash would not let me make Bailey pose - she is so overprotective of HER dog.

Due to a new position at work and finishing my dissertation, December and January are whirlwinds for me and therefore in turn for our family! These pics are terribly out of order but here are the highlights from a part of our Christmas activities. Some pics may seem strange to post but... this is my online baby book and I want all kinds of memories for Miss A.

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving at Nana & PaPa's in Marble Falls. As always, Ash was thrilled to have her uncles there. A wonderful fried turkey and lots of sweet potatoes made it a great meal. The rest of the weekend the boys went hunting and the girls shopped and I worked on my dissertation as usual. Ash loved showing off her stitches and getting tons of attention!

Being 3

Being 3 years old is all about new experiences and independence. Miss A is obsessed with picking out her own clothes, pj's, hair bows. She wants to make her own sandwiches (which is all she wants this month for breakfast, lunch or dinner); to make her own drinks and to drink her medicine like a big girl (little medicine cup) instead of me hiding it in her milk. She spends her days talking about what she wants to be when she grows up (currently a veternarian or a doctor but mostly she acts like a bossy teacher). She wants to know why all the Disney Princesses have mean stepmothers and why there are mean people in her movies. She is petrified of Santa Claus and all people in costumes but tells me "I like to wave at them from far away". To say the least - she keeps us on our toes.

She has experienced a few firsts in the last few months:

1st Stitches ~ "I can go down the stairs by myself mommy" -
She tripped on the second to the last step when she thought she was at the bottom and cut her head on the corner of the stair.

1st time to make brownies and get to lick the spoon. "I don't like chocolate mommy - but I love brownies" (just like her momma!)

Feeding horses just her size at mommy's work

1st cotton candy

1st time to skate
She received the skates last Christmas from her Cousins Pam & Bill but she is just now ready to use them

She loves being an artist and painting masterpieces for her parents and grandparentsOverall, being 3 can wear us out with her constant questions but most of the time we are just in awe of her curiosity, creativity and ability to grasp social and emotional concepts. She is amazing and we are so blessed to watch her grow (and fall every now and then)