Happy New Year

Happy New Year!!!


Good bye 2009 and Hello 2010.


We spent the evening at my brother Brian's house. The girls played with silly string and we had poppers and a great dinner. Then we watched the ball fall in Time Square and yelled Happy New Year. Although it was only 10:00 here in Arizona the girls thought it was the New Year. I don't think I can fool Lauren for much longer. She can tell time now and I think that next year she is going to call me on this time switch. But this year it worked and she was in bed and asleep well before the Arizona midnight came.

Fun Day with Sammie at the Zoo.

Lauren and Sammie playing on the dragon.

Cousins!!

Zebra sunglasses for a day at the zoo.

The day after Christmas Lauren and I went to the zoo with Sammie, Jacob and Brian and Diane. Brian and Diane got us a season pass to the zoo. I have a feeling we will be spending a lot of time at the zoo this year.

Merry Christmas

Christmas 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Lauren and I had a wonderful Christmas season. I love all the decorations at Christmas and although it can be a pain to put them up it is so much fun to see them through out the season.

Now it is time to take them down for a another year. As much as I hate that the Christmas season is over it is fun to start a new year and see what it will bring.

I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and are looking forward to a wonderful new year!!!

Christmas Evening

Christmas Evening 2009

Ready to go to Brian and Diane's house and acting a bit goofy!!

Cousins.

Opening yet another present!

I think I am going to see a lot of this in my future. She loved playing her new DSi.

Climbing a tree.

The pretty girls at the park.

Christmas is over and it is time for bed. Lauren and Sammie in their matching PJs.

Christmas evening Lauren and I went over to Brian and Diane's home for dinner and to open presents from their family and my sister's family in California. (We miss you guys!!)

Lauren got some great gifts, but I think our best gift was from Brian, Diane and the kids. They got Lauren and I airline tickets to Orlando, Florida for our trip this summer. I was a bit shocked but that will help with the cost of our Disney world trip so much!!! We are so excited for this summer.

It was another great night with family.

Christmas Morning

Santa came and left a stocking full of presents and candy.

He also left a room full of presents.

Lauren with her stocking and looking at all the presents.

Opening the stocking.

New perfume.

Finally a DSi.

A big present.

Elaine, Blaire, Diane and Brian enjoying the morning playing one of Blaire's new games.

Don and Grant looking at the XBOX.

Lauren's new air hockey table.

Playing with one of her gifts after all her cousins and aunts and uncles left.

Lauren woke me up at 2:30am to let me know that Santa had come and left a lot of presents. This was earlier then last years 4:00 am. Next year she might just see Santa (he is going to have to be very careful!!)

Christmas morning is at my house. Santa delivers all the presents to my house and everyone comes over for crepes and eggs and of course to open the presents that Santa left. It is a fun morning. Lauren got the DSi that she has wanted for the past year. She was so surprised at the air hockey table since she didn't tell Santa she wanted one but had talked to me about it. I explained that I had told Santa she wanted one!

After everyone left we spent the afternoon relaxing and playing with her presents. Then it was time to get ready to go to Uncle Brian's house for Christmas dinner and more presents.

Getting ready for Santa to come!!!

Cookies and milk all ready for Santa.

Ready for bed and ready for Santa to come.

Lauren got ready for bed at Aunt Janine's house. When we got home she quickly put out the cookies and milk and was in bed ready for Santa to come. She kept telling me to go to bed so that Santa could come. I hope she has a great Christmas tomorrow.

Christmas Eve

Lauren enjoying the evening. (A little sauce on her face from dinner.)

Blaire and Elaine in the outfits that Lauren got them. They are such great role models for Lauren. She loves them both so much.

Lauren and Sammie. These two as so cute to watch together.

The reason I love Christmas so much, my daughter, Lauren.

Lauren getting one of her presents.

The reason Christmas is so much fun. To see the excitement in their faces and the fun they have with each other makes the holidays so wonderful.

Lauren and Blaire.

Lauren and Elaine.

Lauren

Christmas Eve is spent at my sister, Janine's home. We usually go to Christmas Eve service and then come to her home for the evening. We have a wonderful dinner with too much food and then we have the silly gift exchange. We each bring a silly Christmas gift and we do a fun game. This year we had toilet paper decorated as a snowman and a Santa toilet cover among other items. It is a fun way to start the evening.

We then unwrap gifts from Janine's family and from Lauren and I. The Santa gifts and the rest of the family gifts are given the on Christmas day.

Lauren got some great gifts. She got me some wonderful items including a snugglie. Of course she wanted to use it as they drink hot cocoa outside by the fire.

Cookies for Santa

Enjoying one of the treats.

Clowning around. She was so excited that it was Christmas Eve. She was crazy all day long.

All set up and ready for Santa.

Since I knew we would be home late on Christmas Eve, I thought it would be best to get Santa's cookies and milk ready to go. Lauren made made up the plate of cookies and a few oranges. She also decided he should have chocolate milk instead of just plain white milk. She wrote Santa a letter telling him that she has been good all year. (That might be stretching it a bit!)

GRAND CHAMPIONS!!!

The Results!! Grand Champions!!!

The girls hanging out waiting for the judging.

The finished product.

Lauren is happy with our finished product.

Relaxing during the competition.

Taking a little taste.

Ready to go!!

Tonight was the annual cookie bake off. Lauren and I made Fudge Puddles. I am very happy to report we were named GRAND CHAMPIONS!!! Now we have to come up with a recipe for next year so that we can repeat.

Lauren was so happy we won. She carried the prize around all night. It is now sitting on her dresser. To be honest I think ours from last year was better and came in second place in a lesser category. It was a fun evening with friends and family and we will be ready to repeat next year.