December randoms

She'll love me for this later ;)















I love that it was warm enough for Riley to play in the rain, in her pjs :), in the middle of December! Houston weather does have a few perks.

in front of the camera

For our Christmas card pictures this year, we hired a neighbor of our to take some pictures.  Lyndsey does a great job and I loved getting to be in some photos with my family!  Even better was that Lyndsey designs Christmas cards and so I did not have to this year (even though I love to do it, I just did not have time or feel up to it this year.)






I love riley's newest pose! :) 


Clay and Reese were over picture taking pretty quickly :)









All photos taken by Lyndsey Green Photography, Pitter Patter Designs.

Christmas

We spent Christmas with my family this year and got to celebrate with Clay's family later in December.  And while it was kind of a pain getting the car loaded to the max with our luggage and all of the gifts, we Love being at my mom and dad's home and feel like we can really relax there.  With Clay being in commercial real estate, anywhere we are or go but especially Houston, he sees deals and thinks business.  Like everywhere.  So since where my parents live isn't exactly a thriving commercial real estate market it is perfect for Clay to shut off work for a little while.  (This trip it was a little different b/c he had a ton of stressful work to do, but I do think he managed to shut it down enough to relax and recharge some.)  Clay and dad got to golf some, we introduced Riley to the wii, had lots of fires and smores, and really just enjoyed being together.  




A few weeks before Christmas, the girls and I went to my parents so that I could help photograph a wedding with a friend (another post another time) and Nana and Papa suprised Riley with a bike to keep at their house.  She loved that Ballerina barbie rode on the handlebars!  So fun!  She rode this bike for hours.


Reese mostly just hung out.




I woke up so sick on Christmas eve.  Boo.  I did not want to move and even worse did not want to eat anything.  BOO.   

This pic is as good as it got. Reese was ready to go!





I was wrong.  This pic turned out great!







 Santa came!






It warmed up enough a few days after Christmas for the girls to enjoy their new bounce house.






 Wonderful time with family celebrating our Savior's birth.

a little pre-Christmas

So one of the first things we did after we got our beautiful soon-to-be dead tree home was decorate it.  First up, though, was Riley's tree....








Nana and Papa just happened to be in town for the tree decorating festivities.








Dec 1st (after much consideration, discussion, and indecision) an Elf arrived on our doorstep.  He was quickly given the name Sparkles.  One of the reasons I was hesitant to introduce an elf on the self to our family was the underlying (or not so much) theme of being good so that you will receive gifts, etc.  I want Riley to be obedient and sweet and loving because that is what we are called to do.  Not so that she will get something in return.  After Clay and I read the book, we decided instead of the introducing the elf by way of the book, our elf would arrive via mail with a letter explaining some things.  Some of which went over Riley's head at this point but the main point of the letter was that Santa wants Riley to enjoy all the fun of the season but to remember that Jesus is the most important gift of all and that our elf would come hang out with us during the day.  Some days he was silly, some days he was naughty and some days he was nice...but that Riley could remind the elf that no matter what Jesus loves him.  (I adapted this from pinterest.  And Disclaimer:  yes I know some of you out there are reading this disgusted that we *do* Santa and some of you are rolling your eyes because we changed up the Elf on the Shelf and incorporated Jesus.  But this is what we decided was best and most fun for our family.) 

Anyway, Riley loved waking up to find Sparkles in a different location and moving Sparkles each night was right up Clay's alley!  He is such an amazing daddy!  Here is Sparkles arriving...



Oh and our letter did not include a no-touching rule.   Our young neighbors were horrified when our Sparkles came outside to play one day.  ;)


Riley's sweet school does a small Christmas program each year.  Last year Riley was a sheep, this year, an angel.  Precious angel she was!!





picture fail.  yikes. it takes skill to take a picture so poorly. ;)


At Jesus' Birthday Party.  I think she was over it.

You can't tell from the photo, but Riley really does love her teacher!