Date with the Calls

Our last day in NoVa was Spent with Jennifer and Taylor. Lucy loved playing with the boys While we hired a babysitter and went out on a date! Noodles and Co. ( a first for Erik) and then to Les Mis!! There were a few little things that bugged us about the movie but overall it was fantastic and very moving. We had a great time!

Christmas in NoVa

We were happy to be spending Christmas with the Fox's this year. 

It was just our family and Jennifer's which made it very small. 

It was nice but we really missed Erik's brothers family's! 

We got there Saturday afternoon and the kids immediately hit it off! 

We were surprised Lucy was very comfortable and became instant friends with Nolan and Colton. 

They played very well together! They loved the Christmas train! 

We got right to it and decorated gingerbread cookies! 

Out of convenience and maybe some anxiousness the adults decided to open presents on Saturday night while the kids were sleeping/being babysat. It was so nice to get to take our time and just have some adult time. 

I am not sure I have ever been more ecstatic about a gift since I was 4! 

I was totally surprised by the iphone! I squealed like a schoolgirl! 

I also LOVE my vera bradley wristlet! 

I also got some gap sweaters and White House jeans that are to DIE for! 

Erik fared pretty well himself. He also got a much needed GPS and some books he wanted! 

Thank you so much to the Fox's! 

Actual Christmas Eve...

That night I gave a lesson on how Jesus is the greatest gift we will ever get and we learned about his life. 

 Then we colored ornaments and wrote a gift we would like to give back to Jesus to show we are grateful. The kids really got into it and were very reverent 

Pie Time! (we did also have a delicious feast!) 

Story time with Grandpa. Lucy loves her Grandpa Fox! 

killing time Christmas morning before the Call's arrived. 

Lucy loves my iphone as much as I do! 

Present Time! 

Giving thank you hugs! 

Lucy got a lot of wonderful presents from these wonderful grandparents! 

 

Her favorites include: Cinderella castle, Rapunzel and Winnie the Pooh figurines, Tag reader, and accessories for her dollhouse. What a fun Christmas! (and lots of little pieces!!!) 

Whether it was dolls or cars it was right back to playing!

We had a very, merry Christmas! 

Live Nativity

After celebrating our Christmas morning it really felt to us that Christmas had come and gone. 

It felt weird to still celebrate for another week and things felt very out of order. 

Nonetheless, we couldn't miss our only and last chance to visit our Zoo's Live Nativity production.

We had heard so many great things about it and I am so grateful we braved the cold and went to see it. 

The Zoo owner is LDS and puts on this free short program depicting the night of the Saviors birth with the live animals. It was beautiful. I really felt the spirit strongly and felt grateful for all the volunteers who make it possible year after year. It was fabulous!  

Don't mock the eskimo in the top left corner- it was windy and FREEZING! 

Lucy was miserable until the animals came out- then it was all worth it to her. 

After the program they all come down so you can meet the animals and the other actors.

She loved getting to pet the baby goats and even the camel! 

She got to talk to a shepherd and got a gold coin from a wise men. 

It was super cute! 

Side Story: With all the talk of the "characters" from the nativity, Lucy has been obsessed with Mary. She knows very well that she is Jesus' mother and dare I say- may be her favorite. 

Sidenote- Our fish died over thanksgiving and she used to always bless "fishy" in her mealtime prayers. Since then  she pauses, looks over to where fishy's bowl used to be and asks (every time without fail) "where's fishy?" and we decided to tell her "fishy is in heaven with Jesus". 

Well lately in multiple prayers she goes through the same routine but then after my reply say's 

"no-fishy is with Mary!" I think it's very sweet and nice to think about. 

Santa Came!

 Santa visited us early and boy was he generous! 

As soon as she turned the corner and saw the Dollhouse it was a mad sprint to touch it to see if it was real! She was amazed, almost confused! I think because she gets it- I think she realized..Santa DID come! 

It was magic! 

(p.s...I think Santa had a little fun putting all Lucy's princess' all over the dollhouse!)

In fact in these pictures she is saying - 

"Santa bring me dollhouse, for me, for Lucy!" (while patting her chest!) 

I love her expressions! 

I love seeing her put it all together- "I sat on that big scary guy's lap and told him I wanted a dollhouse and he brought it here to my house?..!!!" 

The next crazy moment for her-captured in these pictures was seeing the plate. 

She was in shock! She said -"Rudolf ate the Carrots  And Santa ate the Cookie" (insert mouth wide open and a audible gasp!) 

She still mentions this almost every day with the same enthusiasm in her voice followed by "and Santa bring me dollhouse!" It has made it all so fun! 

A cute moment was when she opened a letter in her stocking from Isaac and Gracie it had 3 dollars in it and said- one dollar for Erik, one for Nikki, and one for Lucy Merry Christmas! So sweet! 

Main happenings with present openings (top left to bottom right)

1. She loved unwrapping the presents- the annoying part was she had to have every. single. piece off before she would even acknowledge the toy inside! ha! 

2. When it was not her turn to open you would find her back behind her dollhouse already playing. 

3. She got many small figurines/squinkes and such (what was I thinking) and after she opened each one she would jam them all through the front door of the dollhouse. They really started to pile up! 

4. Trying to get her to smile and hold up her gifts...this was all I kept getting! ;) 

Lucy and her loot. 

Mom and Dad got a few things too....

I LOVE my Lucy necklace and my beautiful serving platter! 

It would be an understatement to say Erik loves Hot Sauce...

We also bought him a Kindle Fire as a late Christmas Present! 

He is a happy boy! 

Afterwards we went to a little brunch with some fellow 4th years! 

We missed Lauren who was at work, the Tracey's who were out of town and the Hones who were in the Hospital having a baby!! So happy for them! 

Christmas Kickoff!

As students we always celebrate our Christmas a little earlier before we travel to see family. 

Our "Christmas eve" was a very fun and eventful one....

We had our weekly playgroup where mommy Lucy made this snowflake print. 

Then our Daddy was home and we headed to a Ice Skating rink they put in downtown. 

The weather was perfect! 

 Lucy's first time on ice!

Lucy was super nervous but then loved it! Who wouldn't love being glided around a rink with no effort? 

We only lasted about half an hour- it was exhausting to hold her up and skate! 

The rink was also weird- no Zamboni so it had a thin layer of basically snow on top- it made it really hard to skate but kinda nice to have the option to walk when your carrying a 2 year old! ha! 

Even if it was a quick skate and not an ideal rink we had fun anyway! 

Any outing that ends in hot coco is good by me! 

They had some fun window displays in the stores nearby. 

We headed home to continue our 24 days of Christmas advent focusing on the Savior's birth . 

Adding some more pieces to the manger scene. 

Next up- cookies for Santa! 

Our friends brought by this adorable homemade cookie kit. 

We decorated house cookies for Santa and left Carrots for Rudolf. 

Lucy was obsessed with this concept. (more on that next) 

It was a simple but beautiful "Christmas eve"  filled with fun traditions and the spirit of Christ. 

It really felt like Christmas to me. 

Fall Family Pictures

Back in September we took our annual Family pictures with the my favorite photographer! 

She will seriously be so missed (for many reasons)

Thank you for capturing all these beautiful moments!

Don't worry I only posted my 30 favorites! ;) 

I love my family!