Christmastime Fun!

A week or so before Christmas, we made our annual trip to Crown Center to visit Santa.  It's become a tradition in our family to visit Santa and play in the play area, then visit the candy shoppe, eat dinner at the food court, and spend too much money at the Hallmark store on ornaments.  Below are a few pictures to highlight our evening!

She LOVES fountains!

I have a good lookin' family!

Steph has a good lookin' family, too!

Playing in the play area!  Happy girls!

Brother and sister smiles!

Cousins!
Bubby doesn't look too thrilled!

Gracie got a few extra moments on Santa's lap this year because the photographer was busy helping Uncle John and Grandma select which pictures to buy.  It was the first year Gracie has been excited about the experience, so having some extra Santa time was good!  She asked for a Lalaloopsy doll and a wedding dress.  Santa asked if she's been a good girl and going to bed when Mommy asks her to.  She noted after we left that Santa didn't mention going to bed with Daddy asks her to.  Loophole?!

Santa and Gracie!

On the way back to the car, Gracie wanted to get her picture taken with the giant nutcrackers outside. I lifted her right up there and Bubby and Kia wanted to be in the picture, too.  Until they realized how high it was.  Specifically Kyle, he was flipping out up there.  I could hardly snap the picture because I was laughing so hard!

A couple of days before Christmas our family started a new tradition of having a "fancy" holiday dinner.  By "fancy" I mean, in the dining room, as opposed to the eat-in kitchen, and with candlelight.  It turned out to be less fancy than I had originally hoped.  I was thinking of having a 4-course meal including dessert, but time just didn't allow.  We opted for meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, and roasted veggies instead.  But no matter the meal, it was a really magical dinner for Gracie.  She used a butter knife to cut her own meatloaf, was mesmerized by the candlelight, drank out of a glass cup (a first for her), and used a cloth napkin.  But it wasn't too fancy because we still needed ketchup!

On Christmas Eve we always invite both sides of our family over for cookie decorating/eating and eggnog.  We read the story of Jesus' birth and have a great time soaking up the last few hours of Christmas anticipation.  It's wonderful!  I snapped a few pictures of the cookie decorating.

Steph and Natalie with her chocolate face!
Her favorite part was the eating!

Grammy with Kia and Kyle

Gracie using a piping bag of blue icing.
Yes, there is a cookie under there!
And I have no idea why, but she insisted on wearing the faded undershirt instead of her Christmas shirt.
Lovely.

Grandma Tena and Gracie

For Christmas, the Hurt family bought Gracie her own Tupperware baking set.  We used it the other night to make chocolate chip cookies.  Gracie took the lead and the cookies turned out so yummy!

Impromptu Sleepover

Tonight was an impromptu sleepover for Kia and Gracie. The rest of the Hurt family is sick with the stomach flu, but Kia and Gracie have already had it, so our family gained a kid for the day!  The Sevedge Christmas was tonight and both girls got their first Cabbage Patch Kids. So cute!  

Snow Day Fun!

Today was the first snow day of this school year, Gracie's first snow day off school ever!  She was bummed to miss her party, but we were able to have some Momma and Gracie fun instead!  

It takes 20 minutes to bundle up to spend 20 minutes outside in the cold, but it's worth it!  We had a great time playing and building in the snow. 

And just like last year and the year before, her favorite part of the snow was eating it!  

A Tea Party

The girls wanted to get dressed up and have a tea party this morning. They said they felt fancy!  Apple juice and oyster crackers coupled with an amateur Brittish accent... it was pretty cute!

Breakfast with the Fairy Princess 2014

To kick off the Christmas season this year, Gracie and I joined Kia, Natalie, Steph, and Grandma Sevedge at Zona Rosa's Breakfast with the Fairy Princess.  This was our first time attending this event, but we've heard really good things about it from friends.  The girls all dressed in their Christmas clothes, so fancy and beautiful, and headed out the door early to begin our morning of fun!

Upon arrival, the girls got coloring sheets and snowflake headbands.  The theme of the party was Frozen!  Perfect for our three Frozen fanatics!  Even Natalie can sing "Let it Go!"  The girls colored for a bit, but then we noticed you could get your nails painted and get a Frozen tattoo!  After nail painting, it was time for breakfast, catered by The Hereford House.  Yummy!  Yummy!  Yummy!   Each girl ate their fair share of bacon, adults included.  So we snapped 'bacon pics' at the 'princess' breakfast.  Just goes to show that none of them are dainty or prissy, but princesses just the same!

We ran into a Preschool one of Gracie's and Kia's Preschool friends.  Rebekah and her big sister brought some friends to enjoy the morning, too!

 As we ate breakfast, the Fairy Princess herself came around to each table.  She stopped at our table first!  Gracie wasn't shy, she jumped right up for a squeeze and a picture.  Natalie and Kia weren't too sure.

 After breakfast, Ibsen Dance Studio put on a medley of performances to Frozen music.  Kia was pretty much entranced by the "bal-la-lay".  Gracie was also interested and enjoyed the short instruction afterward.

The final activity was receiving their gift from the Fairy Princess.  And I tell you what, I assumed it would be some trinket, more junk to find a home for.  But the Fairy Princess was quite generous and each little princess received a singing Elsa doll.  Oh my goodness, you would have thought that Gracie had gotten gold.  She was through the roof about this Elsa doll.  Pretty much instantly, Elsa became her "baby" and has slept in bed with her most nights since then.

It was a super fun morning!  I'm hoping we've begun a little tradition that we can continue for another few years.