Candy Cane Cutie

Next to Santa, candy canes were the part of Christmas Addison seemed to look forward to the most. She remembered Grandpa Kirk giving them to her last year. I was completely shocked that she actually could remember last Christmas - She was only a year and a half old!!

So it seemed only fitting that our Christmas Cards had a candy cane theme this year. And you know that means I had to take a ton of pictures! Here are my favorites (and of course, I didn't narrow it down to just a few):









Don't you just love that shirt? Thank you Nana for making and putting that fantastic candy cane on Addison's shirt!

Here's our final product:


It took five minutes to make; but 5 hours to print. Seriously. Thankfully Phil was able to rescue me from my printing disasters, all the way from Anchorage. Thank you Phil!!

Sad part: I thought I was completely done with these cards on the 20th - but I just discovered that I still have about a half dozen cards, addressed, stamped and ready for the mail - they just haven't made it there yet! Good grief!

You Better Watch Out . . .

Addison has been so excited for Santa. She has been talking about him since early October. She kept telling me that I'd, "better watch out . . ." The first few times it took me off guard because I couldn't understand why she was saying that. THEN we realized she was singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Ahh . . . Gotcha Addison.

The one chance we got to see Santa was at the Kids Christmas Party . . . And she noticed right away that there was something suspicious about this Santa . .


In fact, she just couldn't get over it. He just didn't look like she had expected and she didn't get a big jolly ho, ho, ho.


So, I was unable to get a smile from her.


But to be fair, the kid did a very good job playing Santa. He was good with the kids and I think that in about 50 years, he'll even look the part!

The Lone Christmas Party

We had hoped to have a Christmas Party with all of Addison's friends near Christmas; but a nasty cold took over our house and we couldn't have our own party. Thankfully we were well enough to attend at least ONE Christmas party this Season (we missed out on a lot of good ones) While at the Kids Christmas party we and got to hang with some of our friends there - you know, before the crud decided to move in and mess with our favorite holiday!

Kailyn, I wish you had been in this picture! These are some of my favorite girls!


We laughed so hard at this! Bella - you are so adorable!


Ring Around The Rosey turned into a Conga Line when this little one came out of no where and attached herself to Addison!


Addison just adores Bella.


It's all about Hailey these days - if Addison uses her pink cup at home she'll tell me, "the purple one is for Hailey." We don't do much without including Hailey in our conversations. SOOO cute.


Waiting to play Hailey's favorite game: Beanbag toss


And of course, one of our favorite boys was there too: Ireland!

This is too much! Just look at her face here:


This pose reminds me of a prom picture. Addison is so comfortable with Ireland.


Check out Ireland's cute little bow tie!


So glad we were able to make it to this party! Otherwise we wouldn't have been able to see our Friends again until after Christmas - because two days after this party is when Addison began getting sick . . . .

The Second Christmas

We celebrated Christmas with my family on the 26th. Grandpa is responsible for introducing Addison to candy canes.


Now she's 'hooked.' Hehehe Hahahaha *snort* Hehehe Hahaha


Clint was able to celebrate Christmas with us this year! And he was just sooo over-joyed with his new plane . . . Wonder why he didn't take it back to Anchorage with him???


Addison was very happy to have Clint around for Christmas . . .


. . . And I think the feeling was mutual. The way she says "Clint" is so, so, so cute!


Kyle and his new leather helmet . . . Think he liked it??


Miss Addison was a tired girl - it was, afterall, her SECOND Christmas in two days!! So the majority of gifts were opened like this . . . I certainly didn't mind one bit!


Uncle Kyle checking in on his favorite girl and her newest cabbage patch doll.


Grandma helping Addison break her new dolls free . . .


Notice the Northern Lights in the background? We had National Lampoons Christmas Vacation playing while we opened gifts. I just love Clark Griswold - A little full, a lot of sap . . . and don't EVEN get me started on my favorite parts of the show - I could watch that movie every day!


Grandma gave Addison and I matching jammies!! SOOO fun! Hi Clark!


Later on we ate like royalty and just enjoyed hanging out with the family! All in all it was a wonderful Christmas.

Here it is . . . January 30th and I've FINALLY finished with all of the Christmas postings! Now, I need to get caught up on the rest of the month . . . ugh!

Christmas Night

Sean met Addison and I at Grandma & Grandpa's house after he got off work and we headed home to celebrate Christmas at our house!


By now, Addison was a Pro at unwrapping gifts.


And the expressions she had after opening a good gift . .


. . . were hilarious.


She made this face for about three or four minutes after opening her Elmo. It was soo funny!


On the 23d she had saw an Elmo Live at a local store and loved it. It was like she remembered the lil guy from the store when she opned hers.


Sean made a few good faces too . .


But all gift unwrapping ended once this toy was discovered . .


She LOVES her new little house!


Even after all the sleep she had gotten earlier the excitement really tuckered her out!


But not enough to keep her from flashin' her pearlies one last time before heading off to bed.

Christmas Day w/Gma & Gpa

Christmas day both Sean and Kyle were scheduled to work. So Addison and I met up with Grandma Suzy, Grandpa and Uncle Clint for a bit. Addison's Great Grandparents sent her a special little present: her first cabbage patch doll! As you can see, she really liked her new toy. The doll came with a bottle and a rattle and it was just sooo adorable watching Addison feed the baby and hook the rattle around the doll's wrist. She did a fantastic job taking care of her little doll.

Rest of the day was spent at our house where Addison slept and slept and slept. She was just so tuckered out from the previous week that Christmas Day was her day to play catch-up. So it worked out great that we had planned to celebrate Christmas with the Grandparents on the 26th.

It's a Wrap!

Like I said before, the flu (and yes we DID get the flu shot) put us behind in our Christmas preparation. So on Christmas Eve, Addison's Aunt JJ & Uncle Clint generously spent a couple of hours at the house (until around 1am) helping me play catch-up. The main job? Wrapping Christmas presents.


Can't you just feel Clint's excitement?


All was well . . .


. . . and then something went horribly wrong . . .


Hey! If you weren't there; you just wouldn't understand . . . so don't go a judgin' now!


The look of sympathy on JJ's face is just almost too much for me to bare . . . It tugs at my heartstrings and all.


But with creative patchwork . . .


. . . the wrapping continued . . .


. . . And all was well.


Well . . . ALMOST all was well . . . Addison will now be an only child. Just kiddin' - kinda.