Staycation fun!

If you read our previous post you know we were "Home for the Holidays" and had a wonderful time.  I want to capture all of the fun we had - it's not every day that we're all four home and have lots of free time on our hands.  I certainly cherish the time that the four of us have together that is unscheduled - wide open to spontaneity (a trait I'm not well-known for!). 

Our first bit of fun after Christmas Day was a visit from the Greats - Aunt B and Uncle C!  The were headed to the Gulf and stopped by to spoil the girls with some great holiday loot:

 

 

 

It was near nap time and honestly, I'm sure Aunt B and Uncle C were ready to hit the road after the tantrums the girls pitched - I think we can all agree the holidays don't bring out the best in everyone ALL the time.  Thank goodness that after naps my sweet girls were back to themselves and we were off for more fun!  Thank you Greats of all the fun toys!

That afternoon Uncle Joey and Aunt Lauren came to play!  The girls adore them and had a blast - more toys were in order and lots of teaching time with Lauren as Catherine Ellis is really into learning her letters these days and how to spell things (bittersweet I tell you!).  Thank you Uncle Joey and Aunt Lauren for such a fun visit!

 

Aunt Holly came the next afternoon and manicures were in order for all the wee girlies in the house - so much fun!  Catherine Ellis is quite spoiled by manis and pedis as Meme treats her to them most every time they see each other!  Holly also treated Catherine Ellis to some arts and crafts items - markers, coloring sets and a dry eraser tracing set to practice tracing her ABC's - thank you Aunt Holly!

 

 

Saturday we headed to the McWane Center for the Winter Wonderland and Clifford the Dog exhibit again - so much fun and this time Daddy was in tow so the trip was much less stressful!  We can't wait to go back for an IMAX movie and some popcorn (the real reason CE wants to see a movie!).

Sunday night we did one of our favorite Sunday Funday traditions - pizza at Davenports!  Yummy!  After getting our tummies full we headed to Zoolight Safari at the Birmingham Zoo.  This year Caroline could walk and really enjoy the lights - she had a blast!  It was very cold, but we enjoyed the lights, a train ride, merri-go round ride and snow!  Lots of fun!

 

 

New Year's Eve we had some of our most favorite people in the whole wide world over - the Carmichaels - and cooked out and played.  It was great fun - but no one stayed up till midnight (Daddy did, but all the rest of us were in bed long before!).  I hope this is a tradition we can continue for many years to come!

 

New Years Day we had lunch with the Pop, Gran and Carrigon and a very lazy afternoon - just what we needed as we prepared for Daddy to head back to work the next day.  The girls and I had one more day together to play and chill before reality came aknockin'.

I'm so very, very thankful for such a wonderful, relaxing, family and friend filled holiday.  It truly was one of the best Christmas' we've had!  I know they will keep getting better and better as the girls get older and understand more, but there is something about seeing Christmas through the awe and wonder-filled eyes of little ones.  May we never grow weary of the awe and wonder that Jesus offers us each day of our time here on earth.

 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
Deuteronomy 4:9 (NIV)