oh christmas tree oh christmas tree

the past few days have been full of holiday cheer and fun outings....its been awhile since i posted last and i don't like it. i don't like how busy each day and week seem and how my to-do list just gets longer and longer. i am up late at night and leaving earlier in the morning to get things done at school and nonstop in between. thankfully i can see the light at the end of the tunnel and this weekend we have three days off and my holiday happiness and cheerfulness will reappear. hehehehe. i love christmas and all things christmas...i love parades and gingerbread houses and wrapping gifts (not always shopping for them)...i love my cinnamon candle and lit christmas trees throughout the house, sammy's big collection of holiday books that we read over and over again, our neighborhood all decked out, and lots of family togetherness. i love that tyler and i get to make samantha's holiday the very best it can be and we can experience all the magic of christmas through her. i remember these happy thoughts and the true meaning of this time of year when i get bogged down with chores and errands and a too-packed calendar. so ho ho ho, here are the pics from some of our christmas fun.

mama mia's pizza, the best (after mack and mancos) with pop pop and mimi before annual christmas parade downtown.
watching the parade, she was very interested and a little timid when the loud drums came by...then she would burrow down but still want to watch and i loved every minute holding her. ps. she had to hold the lollipop but didn't eat it. ha!
daddy met us after tennis and wore a pair of the clissold's antlers
the usual crew....mom and dad, eric and lita and cousin ry, tom and the clissold and crouse families
love this picture...rylan loved the parade
trying to get all the kids together for a picture, it never works, but always funny
our first trip to pick out a REAL christmas tree as a family
not as tall as planned but the first one tyler noticed all packaged up and it has just the right shape
waiting as daddy loaded up our very own christmas tree
diving into a new set of christmas books to add to her christmas basket...thanks to her mimi!

helping set up her very own mini tree for her bedroom...she decorated it with jingle bells too

2nd annual gingerbread decorating party....thanks amy for a great time
she was so into this and decorated the whole house....about half-way she realized you could eat the candies...hehehe. there were about 10 kids decorating and all the houses came out awesome!