Tis the Season

And we are jolly!  We are having Christmas in CA, which I love, so we get to really drag out the Holiday because we get to celebrate it so many times!  There's the parties with friends, the parties with the extended relatives, Christmas eve with the Durhams, and Christmas day with both sides of the family!  Plus, we got to open presents with my parent's early since we won't see each other until after we get back.

Bart got a giant machete.  I haven't seen him so happy in a very long time!!! I'm talking giddy happy.

My parent's got the girls the MOST ADORABLE coolest little mini cooper powerwheels you have ever seen.  It is seriously so cool.  I love living vicariously through my children.

I've also been doing the 12 days of Christmas with Bart which has been super fun because it was such a surprise for him to get something little every day.  Most of it is small things or things he already needs, but still it's always exciting to open a present regardless of how small or silly it is.

Isla's been soooo excited this year about Santa and presents and Christmas.  Oh my.  It's the first year she has really gotten the idea of Santa and his reindeer and asking for presents.  Next year I hope we can really drive home the actual religious part of Christmas but lets do one thing at a time. ;)

We wrote a letter to Santa and at the end she quickly told me to add 'and thank you!' So polite.

Last year we had this same picture taken (same Santa and Mrs. Claus and everything!) and it was Isla freaking out instead.  Classic! 

Last night Bart and I went on a date to the Nutcracker.  I LOVE the Nutcracker and I estimate I have be 24 times in my life. Every year since I was 4 or 5 but one I think.  Its a tradition that I have thoroughly enjoyed because, for the majority of those times, it has been in attendance with my family.  I remember when I was little we would wear our little fur coats, take the train into NYC, see the beautiful NYC Ballet perform, and then later that night after much discussion of our favorite parts, my dad would try to do fouettes in the kitchen and I would complain about missing the Nutcracker's transformation into a boy yet again!  Good times, good times.

So funny that it worked out this way, but my mom and dad are in Chicago visiting Rachel and Todd right now and last night they happened to be in the nutcracker at the same time as we were here in SLC.  Bart and I thought we were hilarious with our @rachyrash copycat...

Bahahaha, hilarious.