Fondue Goodness!

 Yesterday we had our home group, plus a couple families over for fondue. This was the first time many of them had done fondue. Everyone had a great time. Everyone pitched in bringing food and even helped clean up afterwards. We had two cheese dips a cheddar one and a cream cheese parm one, the cream cheese seemed to be the favorite. Course two was broth, which made the veggies super yummy and then of course the best course of all, chocolate for dessert!

 Zoe didn't get to eat the food, but had fun playing with the toys. 

 The girls had the cheese and chocolate course. They really enjoyed all the yummy things to dip in the chocolate. :-)

 This is the dessert spread, we had three fondue pots, one white chocolate, one mixed and one chocolate. We got a new electric pot for the party and it works great!

 During the first two courses everyone was sitting, but for dessert everyone was standing so they could reach the different pots :-)

Friends

I love this picture!

After several days of rain it's turned beautiful (highs in the upper 60s and low 70s). The girls had a great time with Chloe and Phoebe at the park!

Christmas!

We had a pretty low key Christmas, church in the morning, came home had lunch and then opened gifts. Yes, my children did not open gifts until 2 pm, no they were not going crazy because they couldn't open them sooner and they were not asking to open them.

  

Evie with her stocking, Hannah started on hers before I could get a picture.

 Toothbrushes for all!

 Evie had the best expressions. This was her opening nail polish.

 Hannah excited about a Cars book she got.

 And new shoes, since I don't own any heals I bought them some from the thrift store :-) 

Pausing to her one of the new books

We skyped with Aunt Debbie, almost as if she was with us for Christmas!

 This is a beautiful wreath I got from my friend Lori. She made it herself! Do you see the face?

 

And here is a random Christmas picture, in the days leading up to Christmas the Christmas tree became a "tree house" for many things. Here you can see some barbies in it :-) 

Lights!

 On Monday the 19th, after having put up the Christmas tree and having the girls open their stockings from Grandma and Grandad we decided to continue the festivities with a trip to the Dickinson Festival of Lights. We went two years ago, but didn't make it last year, so the girls were excited to go and see all the lights. Nathan's mom helped with the pictures (Thank you Mom!) so were were able to get some great family shots :-)

 Hannah with the castle to herself

 And then we invaded :-)

 

 Running through the tunnels of lights was really fun! Daddy and Mommy were running with the girls around the park at times as well :-)

 

 In the tunnel with Grandma and Daddy

 Of course the girls had to take a break to play on the playground.

 We don't do Santa in our house, but the girls wanted to see him anyway, even though they know he's pretend. Or at least they said they wanted to see him.....Evie wouldn't even go up to him and well, you see Hannah's expression.

 In front of the Texas flag :-)

Merry Christmas!

The Christmas Tree and Early Stockings

 On Monday we put up the Christmas tree with the grandparents. The girls did a lot of the ordainment this year.

 Great Grandma helping with the tree

 Hannah being goofy with a stocking on her head.

 Making sure to get some in the back

 Hannah hanging ornaments

Opening stockings! What fun. The girls loved everything they got in the stocking and when Nathan told them a few days later they'd be getting more presents on Christmas they asked why since they had already gotten stockings :-)

 Beads! Evie loves the beads and has made many necklaces and bracelets for her friends.

 Bath crayons! Yay!

 What's a stocking without candy?

  Bot the girls got Zhu-Zhu hamsters, they're great, they run around and make sounds but you don't have to feed them! The girls like them too :-)

 Grandma gave them body butter in their stockings.

 I made the mistake of leaving them alone with it. They had it all over their arms, legs backs, pretty much everywhere! But Grandma did a great job rubbing it in for them.

Children's Museum Fun with Grandparents

 As I mentioned in the post about Nathan's graduation his parents were here, they came in on Wednesday night and left Tuesday. On Thursday we took them to the Children's Museum. The girls loved it! They were each able to go there own way and do their own thing, which doesn't happen when going with just Mommy. We did do a lot together as well.

 Grandma helping Hannah get ready to build a house

 

 Building the house. What team work!

 Evie in the house

 In the house together.

 

 The finished product. Then we took it all apart and the girls were very helpful in putting all the pieces away.

 

 Hannah building a bridge (ok, maybe just stacking the blocks) with Great Grandma supervising.

Evie loved this table, you rolled the balls into holes and could move the blocks around to change the course.

Both girls love to go shopping at the super market!

Grandma and Grandad with the girls in the photo both (which is inside the super market).

At the restaurant the girls did a great job taking our orders..

 

 Cooking it....

 

 And serving. They kept us well fed.

 Tacos anyone?

 And of course a trip to the Children's Museum is not complete with out playing outside in their water works! It was a beautiful day, I was in shorts!

 Evie with a huge boat she built.