christmas 2013

per usual, we were able to make all seven christmas gatherings.  well six so far, but i know we will make #7 since it is at our house.  believe it or not we still have one more christmas gathering to go.  while the rest of you have already packed up your christmas decorations and are planning your spring cleaning, i'm debating if i should put out a few more decorations i got on sale after christmas.

i love the ages my girls are at.  kelby, who typically wants to act way older than she is, was completely taken back the morning our elf returned.  i caught her just staring a grinning at sparkles rainbow (yep, that's the name they chose) as if she were thinking "you remembered us."  our elf however was a little lazy this year.  and there were a few mornings that she didn't even move.  or she moved but decided to pick the same spot to perch the next morning.  the jury is still out.  after a few days of her not moving, kelby pointed the finger at kevyn and said she had touched sparkles rainbow.  gasp.  if you touch the elf, they will lose their magic.  i quickly intervened and said i'm sure that was not the case, but kelby was relentless.  kevyn, sweet innocent kevyn, stated "i don't think i touched her.  i got real close, but i don't think i touched her."  geez...  sparkles must have gotten reprimanded by santa for being lazy because she quickly got her act together.

and kevyn is straight-up giddy when it comes to santa.  or elves.  or the reindeer.  she knows all the songs, the all the details, and all the rules that need to be followed in order for the magic of christmas morning to happen.  she is, in her humble opinion, an expert.  how does santa make it to all the children's houses?  ask kevyn.  how do reindeer fly?  ask kevyn.  she's got the answers.

here's a few pics of the festivities...

yep.  this is the best family photo i got.  me and my three kids.  

and these were taken on christmas eve.  after we put out the cookies and milk, i had the girls stand in front of the tree for our annual picture.  they really do love each other, they just don't seem to show it much.  the bottom right picture is when i told them to stop, look at me, and smile.  they looked at me but couldn't smile through the pain of squeezing each other as hard as they could.  good times.  i know i'll look back at these and smile at their behavior.  and the fact that kevyn has her top on backwards, knows it, and insists on wearing it this way.

~ becky