It's Christmas Time!

We had a wonderful Christmas. From start to finish. We got in all of our traditions: hayride through the living nativity, baking cookies, making gifts, new Christmas jammies on Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve service...We tried some new activities, too like "Elf Night" at a local park and decorating our own wrapping paper.

We went north on Christmas Day to my brother's house in Knoxville. Just above Atlanta we saw huge snowflakes falling! Yuly's first snow sighting and Riza's first that she will remember. At Uncle Jason's, the girls played in the snow with Cousin James. Later, Aunt Edie helped the kids decorate a gingerbread house. The girls tasted snow, made snow angels and learned to throw snowballs (in self defense to protect themselves from their dad!).

Then we headed in a fairly western direction to Todd's parents' home in Missouri. There was snow there, too so we got to sled, make a snow man, and of course, throw more snowballs. We also made natilla. Even Yuly had a little. It was o.k. Not gross (as I feared based on Yuly's aversion of it), but not great either. It is fine with us that natilla is a Christmas tradition that Yuly doesn't want to maintain :)

At Grandma and Gradpa's the girls did their traditional present hunt. Later in the week it warmed up and the girls went on a hayride. (Also later in the week, we got to experience staying in the basement while tornado warnings were all around us...an adventure we'd rather not repeat!)

The girls were GREAT travelers. The whole Christmas season was so special. Last year was fun, but this was so much more relaxed (despite the driving!) and natural. We headed back to Florida on New Year's Day and then had a few days to relax before school started back.

We are geared up and ready to start the 2011 and want to wish each of you a Happy New Year to each of you!