Christmas Adventures

We're finally back home after an exhausting but wonderful Christmas break. We started it off 2 days earlier than anticipated when we discovered that we had only one non-snowing day in the forecast to travel to Idaho to visit Joe's mom. It was nice to have blue skies most of the way and an easy trip, and it did snow constantly when we got there. We had a great time with Marsha.

She took some pictures of us the Sunday before Christmas and this was the best one we got:

Ah, the joys of taking pictures with toddlers.

Sadly, we didn't get any pictures with Grandma the entire time we were there! She was so good to us and made us all sorts of yummy food and treats. The girls loved being at her house. We had fun doing Christmas-y things with the kids during the day and playing games after they were in bed.

Here is yet another picture of them pretending to sleep, this time on the hard floor in Grandma's kitchen. Crazy kids...

We also made gingerbread houses one day.
These were our masterpieces:
Natalie's and Daddy's (as she samples the candy):
Elizabeth's (with as much candy as could possibly fit):

On Christmas Eve, we attempted to act out the Christmas story and gave up in frustration after neither child would willingly play any part. Instead, we watched Joy to the World (it's one of my favorites), and then, after the kids were in bed, It's a Wonderful Life.

Here are the girls coming out Christmas morning:

Gotta love the excitement and the crazy hair.
Isn't that what Christmas morning pictures are all about?

Elizabeth got the music box she asked for and Natalie got her broom.

Trying out the broom
Loving her music box

The biggest hit of the morning was this baby bottle that Elizabeth got Natalie to use with her baby. She loved it and carried it around all day.

The whole family