The Day After Christmas

The day after Christmas we decided to go bowling. The girls had never been and were so excited. Elizabeth was so competitive and really wanted to win. She wasn't too happy when she didn't win! It was a good day after bowling we went over to the mall the girls wanted to go to Clair's...aka: little girl heaven! Josh was feeling a little out of place, but the girls had money in their wallets and a desire to spend it! We ended the day with going to visit the Skinners and then go to Leatherbys for some ice cream. All and All it was a good day!

Christmas 2011

Our 2011 Christmas season started on the 14th of Dec. this year. I decided to do the 12 days of Christmas. Each night we set out a new piece to our manger and talked about that piece and the meaning behind it. Of course ending on Christmas with baby Jesus. Also after we did that the girls got to open one gift to the both of them...it was a book each night, some Christmas books some not. They seemed to like it, but of course they are kids and like getting gifts! We would read the book that night as a family.
A few days before Christmas we put together our gingerbread house. This year I got one that was already put together you just had to decorate it, yes I'm getting smarter! The girls LOVED doing this and I know they look like orphans or that their mother doesn't comb their hair, but it's break.
Josh decorated the gingerbread tree and by the end that tree had more frosting on it then the whole house!
On Christmas Eve we got together with my whole family. I gathered all the kids together to take pictures. I had to let them do silly ones if they were going to sit for a nice one!

The adults were worse then the kids when I wanted to document them for this occasion!
After dinner we all came and sat down this is a tradition in the Cole family. The kids are all sat down in a row in front of us and we start with the sharing of testimonies. The kids usually start and then it goes around the room. My dad and mom started this with just us girls and it has continued as our family has grown. This is my favorite part of Christmas to get to hear my sweet girls share their testimonies with out any help from us is so special.
After our testimony meeting comes the over spoiling of the grandchildren aka: gifts from Nana! We open presents from each other first then my mom gives out hers.
Christmas morning after going to church we opened the gifts from Santa and us. The girls got American Girl dolls from Nana the night before and has dragged them everywhere. Each gift they opened up the next day they would show their dolls!
It was a good Christmas, Elizabeth said that it was the best day of her life, Of course she says that every Christmas and come to think of it every birthday...I think she likes gifts! That day the girls played all day with their new toys and Josh and I took a much needed nap!

End Of The Year Catch Up!

So it's been a while since I last posted...I know, stating the obvious is my specialty! I finally down loaded some of our pictures from my camera so that I can share what we have been up to. For Halloween Elizabeth was Dorthy and Abby was a witch, we went trick or treating and the girls had school parties...that's about all I really remember about Halloween! This is the problem of waiting so long to post. This picture of Elizabeth is for winning the Say no to Drugs poster contest. She made it her self and won for her class. She was so excited! It went on to the next level, but didn't win. She was happy enough with her first win and was just happy to get the poster back so she could show Josh. The shirt and the candy is what she won.
From Halloween to now we have had a wedding which I don't currently have any pictures of, Elizabeth and My piano recital which I lost the pictures and video to that...thank goodness..., Thanksgiving which we kind of skipped over by just going to The Chuck A Rama and nobody even thought to document! So until I post for Christmas that is all we have done!