Merry Christmas!

Christmas has come and gone...

Here are some highlights:

Christmas Eve at our house...

Christmas morning at home...

Christmas dinner at the Dawsons...

Jack's Christmas song

Jack had a writing assignment about Christmas.
He decided to write a song...
SO thankful for his teacher for making me a copy...

Christmas time is here, there's a tingle in the air.

I sat on a park bench and froze my dairy air.

We're all hanging stockings..OMG it's snowing?!

Santa's bringing tons of loot, we got the Christmas spirit blowing.

It's the time of year we try to drop the negativity,

I just dropped a glitter bomb to make the town more Christmas-y.

Christmas time can he so hectic, shopping malls can be so rough,

But the best part about the holidays is that you get new stuff.

I got sick on Halloween,

New Year's was an awful scene.

Thanksgiving was food galore,

Christmas, Christmas we want more!

Music by the fireplace,

I am going to stuff my face.

Punch the clock and close the schools,

That's the reason Christmas rules.

All the buildings look like igloos, white majestic winter castles.

We can wear our Christmas sweaters, some with red and green tassels.

Dare to Dream

I got a really good deal on tickets to see the Disney Dare to Dream ice show.

I love that Molly is a total tomboy but has princess/dress up tendencies.

It's the best of both worlds.

I came home from work and was getting ready.

When I came downstairs, she was "ready to go".

She picked her outfit and put her lipgloss and mirror in the crayon pouch.

She also requested dinner at the Lazy Dog Cafe..

We found the souvenir stand first...

and then our seats.

Then we enjoyed the show :)

At intermission, Molly got a special treat...

At the show's finale, all the princesses came out to skate.

And my girl giggled with joy.

We didn't get home to close to 10:00...

She was tired...but already is asking to go back next time.

in memory

To say I was brought to tears from Friday's shooting would be an understatement.
I still don't have the words...
And then I found this. And I knew it would be enough for now.

The Olivia Act, named after one of the children killed in Newtown, was started by Leslie Spurlock Photography. Olivia’s family had family pictures taken a short time before she was killed. Those pictures are precious and now priceless to them. Upon hearing this, Leslie was moved to give away a 30 minute family photo shoot and has challenged other photographers to do the same. We go about our daily lives and sometimes we don’t take the time or have the resources to have family photos taken. I will be taking nominations for a family who you think would appreciate this gift. This session will take place after the New Year. I will be taking Nominations until December 31st. Please email or facebook message me their name, contact information and a brief summary of why you chose them, putting "THE OLIVIA ACT NOMINATION" in the subject line. The chosen family will be contacted via email or phone call. Please do not post their information here. The gift is a 30 minute session and a collection of digital portraits, so they may have priceless keepsakes to adorn their home.
Please share this is you want to help...all nominated families must live in Orange County.

favorite holiday tradition

We have been decorating gingerbread houses with the Kollias family 

for several years now. 

It's one of the things we look forward to each winter.

This year the kids were pretty independent...

We end the evening looking at Christmas lights...

For previous gingerbread memories:

(I just re-read all these and got all teary seeing my kids grow up before my eye again!)

2008

2009

2010

2011

Yo....

Ken treated Molly to her third Yo Gabba Gabba concert.

We think this will be her last one...turning 5 (*gasp) next month,

our big girl is moving on...

Needless to say, it was a date with Daddy...and that is always fun!

Time flies...here was her first show!