Our Merry Christmas....So Far

We have been having a wonderful Christmas season. The tree has been up for a long time now (we love it that way), the Christmas music has been playing so much that Brielle knows the words to more songs than we ever could have imagined, we're pretty much Christmas crafted out, she's met Santa twice this season, we've spent time with family & friends, the baking has been so delicious, the gifts are wrapped and we are ready for Santa to come.

Brielle just finished putting out cookies & milk for Santa and carrots & celery for the reindeer. She's pretty excited for Christmas morning and is absolutely certain she's been good enough that Santa will bring her a bike. This year she won't be disappointed.

 

The three of us in front of our tree on Christmas Eve.

I love the look of disgust on her face. Get used to it babe! It's gonna happen for your whole life.

We've been asking her what she wants from Santa for a long time now and have recently extended it by asking her what we, her parents, all want from Santa for Christmas. This is pretty much how the conversation goes:
What do you want from Santa? "A bike." (She's wanted one from the beginning.)

What does Mommy (Crystal) want from Santa? "A hippopotamus and a dragon." (She says hippopotamus because I always sing the "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas" song and a dragon because I really want a Bearded Dragon.)

What does Mommy (Rhonda) want from Santa? "A motorbike." (We have no idea why because Rhonda has never mentioned it.)

What does Daddy want from Santa? "A glass slipper." (We have no idea why?? I highly doubt Daddy has ever mentioned a glass slipper for any reason at all.)

What does Uncle Gerry want from Santa? "Shoes. Two shoes." (He did say he wants shoes for Christmas and well, two are better than one.)

 

Uncle Gerry, Daddy & Brielle. We are so fortunate to have them in our life. Brielle loves them to pieces.

We've been spending some extra time with Daddy & Uncle Gerry since Daddy is on Christmas holidays and it's been so nice for Brielle. They gave us mommies the opportunity to have a date night last night which means we got to have a peaceful supper and go to a movie, uninterrupted, which was a nice treat. Brielle was insistent that we go and that she was staying with Daddy & Uncle by herself. She was super excited about the evening plans and was practically ready to push us out the door. We love that she loves them so much and that they are so amazing with her. We are a blessed family.

Brielle with her kitty, Toby. She loves nothing more than to have her picture taken with him.

Rhonda worked today which gave her the excuse to be out of the house and come home with a surprise. I seriously thought there was no way she was going to give in to the idea of us getting a Bearded Dragon.

I was sitting on the couch when she came in the front door with a box. Assuming it was a last minute gift she found when she was out running errands before coming home after work. She leaned down, fiddled with the box and when I turned my head to look at her, she was holding a Bearded Dragon. I have no idea what my face looked like and I don't remember what I said, but the instant she set that sweet baby in my hands, the tears came. I was shocked, happy, shocked, excited, shocked and still the tears came. I was instantly in love with our new little Kemah.

Me with my baby girl. We didn't know the sex when she arrived but I sexed her tonight and IT'S A GIRL!!

 Brielle was napping so she had no idea what had just arrived. We set up Kemah's enclosure and when we heard Brielle awake, we brought Kemah up with us. She opened her bedroom door and absorbed both Rhonda & I standing there, which doesn't happen often after naptime. Then she spotted what I was holding. We should have had a video camera because the look on her face was priceless. The first things she said was "YOU.....YOU....YOU GOT A KEMAH!!!!" Even she couldn't believe it and I think she was in the same shock as I was.

Kemah sitting on Brielle's shoulder.

We are all enjoying Kemah already and have all had our fair share of holding her, watching her and enjoying her sweetness. I think she's the perfect addition to our family and we're allowing Brielle to have some of the responsibility with caring for her. She already helps with the dogs and the cat every day and loves it. It's her job to straighten the pet beds in the morning, pick up their toys and help feed them, and she takes her job quite seriously most days. It's pretty safe to say that she's an animal lover just like her mommies are.

Merry Christmas 2014

Tonight we put on our Christmas jammies, set the self-timer on the camera, rounded up the kiddo and all of our critters and managed to get a picture of our household all together. Amazing that it turned out as good as it did.

Hallie, Pyper, Rhonda, Toby, Brielle, Crystal & Kemah (in my hand)

From our house to yours, Mele Kalikimaka. (We love Hawaii and Brielle loves to sing that song so it seems appropriate.)