gearing up for Christmas

The countdown begins! Only a few days left until Santa arrives! We are in full Christmas mode. All of the presents have been wrapped, the stockings have been stuffed...now it's time to sit back and enjoy this wonderful holiday!

Earlier in the week we took Olivia downtown to see the awesome Santa light display. This is one of our favorite things to see each year. We had a feeling Olivia would enjoy it too. And she did...for about two minutes. Hey, can't expect much more than that from a one year old. This will become another one of our Christmas family traditions.

Last week we had our annual Christmas dinner with the Wilhelms. Korrie and Tom are Olivia's Godparents and Todd and I are godparents to her oldest son, Hayden. I have known Korrie my whole life (she's like the sister I never had) and our families have always stayed close. So each year, Korrie, Tom, Hayden, Simon (their youngest boy) and Korrie's Mom, Deb (who is also my Mom's best friend), all come over to my Mom's house for a dinner and presents. Olivia loves playing with the boys...especially Simon who is a little closer to her age.

This was also Olivia's first opportunity to open presents. And what fun it was! Not only was she very excited about the wrapping, but she was actually interested in the gifts inside. So far her favorite thing is tissue paper. It is amazing what she can do to it in a short amount of time! She received some help from the boys when she got stuck trying to open her presents. How sweet! It was a fun evening and we look forward to it every year!

We have been spending a lot of time just hanging around the house lately, getting ready for Christmas. You typically find us in our comfy clothes...especially Olivia. Sometimes on the weekends she never gets out of her PJ's. Lately Olivia has been sporting my new favorite thing...BabyLegs! A friend of mine turned me on to them and I just love them! More or less they are leg warmers for babies...and they are too stinkin' cute! They are great for those cozy days in the house! Here is Olivia sporting her fancy Christmas legs! Aren't they great?

Before I sign-off Olivia has a holiday message she would like to share with everyone! Remember how I told you that we taught her to say "Ho, Ho, Ho"? Well it is now her new favorite thing to say. She walks around the house saying it constantly...even if there is no Santa to be found. And she says it when we talk about anything Christmas related...snow, trees, lights. It doesn't matter...her response is always, "Ho, Ho, Ho". Holiday greetings from Olivia...

And finally, Todd, Olivia and I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! May your holiday be filled with family, friends, love and laughter! Oh and by the way it's official...Olivia is a full time walker! More to come...