End of the Year Round Up (alternate title: I've Finally Come Up for Air)

Happy New Year and belated Merry Christmas! I hope everyone out there in bloggy land had a fabulous end of 2011. We were fortunate to have my mom with us for Christmas and J's parents join us for post-Christmas/J's birthday (12/29)/New Year's fun. We enjoyed all of our usual Christmas traditions - ice skating and National Christmas tree on the 23rd, our "eve of the eve" appetizer dinner, Christmas Eve service at church on the 24th, putting out cookies and milk for Santa, reading Twas the Night Before Christmas (this year, pop pop sent us a special recordable book of him reading the story for us since he couldn't be here), and of course all of the Christmas day festivities. L was way into everything this year. While she was scared to death of Santa and kept saying "I no like Santa", she surely didn't complain when he left her presents (as an aside, now that Santa is safely tucked away at the North Pole again, she has declared that she likes Santa and wants to sit in his lap - yeah right). I naively believed that she wouldn't really take note of which presents were her's versus her brothers. I figured she would open a couple of things and then get distracted with playing. I was very, very wrong. She spotted every girly looking wrapping under the tree and immediately declared that present hers. Smart girl.

Here are just a few highlights of our holiday season.

B performed in the annual 1st grade winter spectacular at school (he's the one who's about a head size taller than all the others). They had to perform the show three times - two daytime performances for the school and one evening performance for the parents. I'm pretty certain he hated every minute of it. He is painfully shy and anxious in front of crowds. After his first performance, he told me that he wished he had special glasses so that he could only see the music teacher in front of him (modeling the hand motions), but not the rest of the people behind her. ;-(

We went ice skating with friends on Christmas Eve eve.

 

 

Our annual visit downtown to visit the National Christmas Tree. Unfortunately, the top of the tree was lopped off this year during a huge wind storm in February. A replacement tree is in the works.

Washington Monument and National Menorah

White House

Pathetic looking National Tree

Trains around the tree

Not sure how much longer I'll be able to carry this one on my back.

The fam, sans daddy

B and Dad with the State trees in the background.

Just to put in perspective how much height the tree lost, here is a picture from last Christmas.

Nana and L all dressed up for Christmas Eve service.

 

My three beautiful blessings. Love these kiddos so much.

Christmas Day! Santa always leaves his presents in these large red bags, one for each kiddo...

 

L got a stroller and baby doll from Santa.

  

B was very excited about his new iPod from mom and dad.

 

C was thrilled with his new fancy bat (and his Let's Go Korea! soccer shirt).

 

He was also super psyched about his new baseball trainer (mom was not so psyched to put it together). He was already outside training while we were making Christmas dinner = baseball fanatic.

L loved her Minnie Mouse from Grandpa Bill.....

 And her baby doll and cradle (I caught her rocking her baby and singing her Twinkle Twinkle - so cute)....

But her favorite gift of all was her Snow White costume (also from Grandpa Bill. It pays to have a relative who lives near Disneyland.). She still wants to wear it every.single.day, all.day.long. We finally had to hide it (trying to keep it nice for her princess luncheon at Cinderella's Royal Table when we're at Disney in a few weeks), but it is the first thing she asks for every morning.

After opening presents, we enjoyed a champagne brunch.

 

I made a cake for dessert.

 

Here are a few other random pictures from our holiday. First off, a great picture of the boys with Santa. While this picture was being taken, L had her head buried in my shoulder and was screaming bloody murder.

My Christmas princess.

 

My handsome hubby. Love him.

 

Silly Pop Pop.

L (a.k.a., Cinderella) and Pop Pop bonding over their mutual love of whipped cream (actually, Pop Pop is tasting L's whipped cream and she is none too thrilled about it).

And finally, a few pictures of L in her new coat and princess ballerina outfit from her foster parents. Princess + ballet = two of L's favorite things combined in one. How ever did Umma know? Thank you, Umma and Appa!

  

Adios 2011! Bring it 2012!