Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Lots of catching up to do here too....We have been in full holiday swing since the day after Thanksgiving.  Decorating, cooking, crafting...all too much fun. 
So first we decorated the playroom (maybe before Thanksgiving).  Shhhh.

 

Well and then of course you  need more lights...really lights can go all over this holiday season!  They are festive!

Of course we are in high demand as tree decorators this season so Nana wanted us to come help her and off we go....another tree another day.

 



 

 

 

We helped daddy add lights to the outside of our house.  The warm weather helped us to get it done without any whining (I won't mention exactly who the whiners might be when it comes to Christmas lights outside.)

 

Finally tme for us to go hunting for a Christmas tree of our very own.

 

 

Rainboots were required for this tree hunt...not exactly Christmasy weather.

 

 

More decorating...this time with mommy and daddy.

This is my favorite ornament...it is ME!

 

 

 Hady's favorite ornament from the year she was born.  She knows it and tells you all about it.

 

 

Christmas crafting...we made tags for presents!

 

 

 Then of course we had to write letters to Santa!  I know what I want and Santa needs to know it too.

 

 

And then we mailed them in the special North Pole mailbox.  Did you know an elf comes every night to collect the letters and take them to Santa?

 

 







Catching up on life.

Can you believe it is already the middle of Decemeber and Christmas will be here in just two weeks? I can't! Oh, but I am excited!
So, with the excitement of the upcoming holiday (my favorite holiday) I have overlooked some of the other happenings in my life. Now they are still BIG! But you know every once in awhile I have to catch up on life. So here it is...
Thanksgiving...with my whole big 'daddy's side' family. Lots and lots of cousins and second cousins which means it is loud and just getting louder. Oh, and yes it is hard to take a picture with that many people looking every which direction because there were too many cameras. Oh, and this photographer only got Olivia's leg. We will have to ask Grandpa for a better picture with Olivia's other half in it.

Again...too many cameras but that is my family on Thanksgiving.

The weather has been warm so we have been taking advantage and playing outside a lot. Here we are biking...PS Santa if you are reading I want a new bike for Christmas. A big blue bike!!!! (hint hint)

Probably the biggest news...I have a new cousin! John Rice Laughlin Jr. aka Johnny...notice the middle name! Super cool.

And last but not least, I have been going to a lot of basketball games lately. When I went with Papa I made it on the big screen a lot. This weekend when I went with Uncle John guess who we sat by...Grandpa and Catherine! It was fun and how funny they sat right beside us.

Family pictures 2012

I will let the pictures speak for themselves...

Polar Express.

Yep, we went to the North Pole on the Polar Express. You might say "It isn't even Thanksgiving yet?" But Santa said "ride my train" and I had to take him up on his offer.
Pajamas are required on the Polar Express...Christmas pjs are even better.

Told you it was decorated for Christmas. This was one of many beautiful trees...but Mommy says no trees for us until after Thanksgiving.

Papa wanted to take a horse and carriage ride to the train station and who was I to say no.

Train station.

Getting ready to head north!

Hady trying to give daddy some smooches before heading out to meet the big guy.

We have arrived! And I spy Santa.

Guess who got on our train! Santa!

Hady wanted to be close because she didn't want to be touched by Santa...even though I told her he is nice and brings presents.

Presents...bells for everyone!

I most definitely BELIEVE!

Hady really enjoyed the elves...the danced, sang, delivered hot chocolate and cookies and Hady even took a picture with them all by herself.