Saturday, January 4, 2014

Christmas 2013 in Pictures

I was initially disappointed in myself for not taking enough pictures over Christmas but when I actually found time to sit and go through them, I realized I took more pictures than I anticipated so this blog post will be a bit of a photo dump but it will be a fun one - I promise!  Check this out:
 I have no idea what I accidentally clicked on to get cheesy twinkling light effect but it makes me laugh so I left it alone.  I hope that comes across on everyone else's monitors.

This year we hosted "Christmas in the Tundra" with Travis' family.  We were so proud of them for bundling up in their snow gear and boarding a plane for the snowy north.  Our winter weather is not for the faint of heart.  While YaYa and Papa had been here before (who could forget THIS adventure in babysitting), we were excited to give them the winter experience along with Travis' big brother, Corey, and his beautiful daughter, Abby.
 Abby is an awesome cousin.  She's sweet and fun and she's always smiling!
Abby doted on our girls and they loved every minute of it!  She's seven and you know how much little kids love it when the "big kids" pay attention to them.  Abby hosted tea parties, read books, and she pushed Merryn on the swing.  She even helped the girls with their preschool homework. 
One morning we were lucky enough to watch Abby perform a violin concert in our family room.  Abby is a talented little violinist.  Josie, our resident music lover, enjoyed it so much that she sang along with the songs regardless of whether they were intended to be sing-along-songs or not!
The girls also loved spending time with their YaYa and Papa.  They got to go to brunch and the zoo.  I know what you're thinking: 'Who goes to the zoo in December in the Tundra?!'  Well, not I - that's for sure.  That's why there are no photos of this zoo excursion featured here.  Only Dad, Corey, Papa, Abby, and Merryn were brave enough to take a winter stroll through the zoo.  And based on the photos I saw on Abby's ipad, it looked like they had a good time!
 YaYa has all sorts of songs and videos on her iphone and unlike mean old mom, YaYa doesn't mind if the girls play with her phone.  They may have accidentally texted her pet sitter and called China, but there was no harm done ;-)
And you know Papa is always good for a laugh.  He loves his granddaughters, which is good, seeing as how we're cooking up another one for him to entertain!
 Oh, but the highlight of this holiday visit for Josie was - hands down - Uncle Corey.
 Do you see this expression of gleeful adoration?
 The child literally seeks Uncle Corey out and just gazes at him with this starry-eyed grin while giggling uncontrollably.  No one has been this enamored with another human being since Marsha Brady met Davy Jones!  It's the funniest thing.  
Corey is the kind of fun that makes Josie protest nap time just so she doesn't miss a moment, resulting in her passing out on the playroom floor like a crime scene chalk drawing at 5 o'clock at night!
 Yes, my friends, this is the aftermath of Beatlemania - or UncleCoreyMania!
Overall, Christmas 2013 was fantastic!  It was the kind of fun, laughter, and family bonding that memories are made of.

4 comments:

  1. I love the twinkles! :) I have Google, and it added snow to an outdoor pic I posted. I LOVED IT! Doesn't take much to thrill me, I guess. That's how I landed my husband. HA. Okay, back to your blog. :) Sooo many cute pictures and how funny about her love for her uncle! Love the little girl. My daughter started playing "fiddle" when she was 7 (we're from the south), and once they get that instrument down it is sooo pretty! Happy New Year.

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  2. Twinkle light are so cool! I bet the girls loved having Abby and I'm sure she kept them busy and was a good helper. Glad you had a Merry Christmas.

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  3. Just found your blog today via instagram. I have spent the last 1 1/2 hours "meeting" your wonderful family! Thank you for sharing your story and helping me pass a rainy/gloomy morning with many smiles!

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  4. Found you today via instagram! Thank you for all the smiles I enjoyed while I met your family this morning!

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