December Afternoon

If you find yourself with a free December afternoon, what better thing to do with it than bake sweet potato shapes with your daughter?

Working for a Toy Company ...

... means your little girl gets to be one of their 2010 Catalogue models:

And, it's hard to see it here, but she's on the product box too:

Make Room in the Garage, Dad

We got home late Sunday night & there was one last present for Abigail to open. It was the one that's been here since Dec 10th when Nanna & Grandad flew home that they had left behind for her. Can you believe she left this box alone all month?!

And it's a .... pink Mini-Cooper! I'm going to buy a little Union Jack flag for her registration plate:
Pictures of her actually driving it out front to come this weekend!

Christmas Day!

What more is there to say other than 'opening gifts'?

opening gifts,

opening gifts,

opening gifts,

and dreams DO come true! Santa did bring a new FWAF!! (giraffe):

Total collection: 5


Oh, and the adults got some pretty neat gifts too ;)

The afternoon was spent at Grandma Carmen's (long story, but yes, this is Abby's 3rd 'Grandma') - eating, playing games & celebrating. Tried to get a picture of Abigail in her beautiful dress but this was the best I managed:

And, by 9pm, exhausted & ready for bed. Merry Christmas my Darling.

Christmas Eve at the Hollands

The cousins got to spend Christmas Eve together - dancing, playing, eating, singing, and generally getting excited. Aunty Milly made us all a delicious cheddar broccoli potato soup. The girls played together (really well I'm happy to report), then bathed:

And got dressed in matchy-pajamas:

Then, baking cookies to leave out for Santa:

If there are any left, that is:

Then, we said goodbye, drove Abby home to Grandmas & she left out Santa's cookies & carrots for his reindeer:
And a Hansens soda, because he might need that too:

She went to bed pretty excited but bewildered after leaving her empty pillowcase out for Santa to fill (this must be an English thing, Jake couldn't figure out what in the world I was doing). After telling her to be good for a month, and saying he brings presents for a month, it was finally the night it was all going to happen!

Christmas in Ojai

After shipping what (we think) was 5600 orders in 45 days at work, I was ready for my Christmas break!

We drove out to Ojai on the 22nd, rolling in late as usual. We spent the next night having dinner with friends - the Neiderhisers, the Wingates, and Milly, Lance & Morgan.

Abby with Tayten:

3 girls crammed in a tiny tent. There may have been 4 even:

Cousin Morgan looking so big these days:

Presents time!

Yay, I did it!!!

FINALLY figured out how to upload a video!

Winter in Sedona

Trust me, Sedona is worth this many photos.

Every year, my company takes all it's employees & their families to Sedona for a weekend getaway. Here are the highlights:

The wood cabins on the creek:

Abby having hot chocolate with my co-worker Colette's kids:

Wrapping up, it was a high of 45 degrees: