The Day Before Christmas Eve

I've decided to try and keep all my Christmas posts in chronological order with my pictures so I'll start with the day before the day before Christmas.... whew, that's a mouth full. That was the day that Aunt Kari and Uncle James made it home. Actually, they arrived late the night before, but that was the first time the girls had seen them in a very long time! They played shy for a painfully long time and then finally showered them with hugs and affection~ and for some reason I have no photo documentation.

Then KayKay arrived at our house with a blow up Santa... the kind with a blower in it that is meant for the yard, I think. We found him a very nice home in our living room where the girls loved on him for the better part of the morning ~again, no photographs of the Santa.

Then great-grandparents Nanny and Pop C. came by for a visit. They had been avoiding us not seen the girls for a week or so because of the yucky virus that we were passing around. While they were missing us, Pop C made each one of the girls her own little wooden rolling pin. He made me one too, only mine is mommy sized and I can use it for "real" baking, if I can figure out something to make that requires a rolling pin.

The girls were all very excited to try them out so we got out the play dough straight away. I thought it was funny that Maggie and Kate both had their mouths open in their pictures from sheer concentration. Maggie is the one holding up her rolling pin in case you who can't quite tell them apart.

Right after everyone had settled in at the kitchen table with their utensils and dough, two ladies from the local American Legion Auxiliary stopped by bearing gifts for the girls and I as a thank you to Scott for his service this holiday season. They brought me a dozen beautiful red roses, and each of the girls received a baby doll... which they all four immediately named Abby.

We took a few photographs to send to Scott, but the roses got cut out of most all my shots. They were over on the left. After I used my sharpie marker and put initials on the back of each of the baby dolls' heads, the girls were back to their play dough and rolling pins. Later on that day I was chatting with Scott on the computer via Skype when he suddenly said, "Who sent those roses?!?" Oops, I had forgotten to send him the pictures and tell him about the lovely gifts, and he could see my roses in the web cam frame behind me!!

I've got tons of pictures from Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and even some videos from today, but it will all have to wait until another time because I am off to bed.

I would like to say a special thank you to Pop for the wonderful rolling pins. The girls will use them daily, and I am thrilled to have one too!

I would also like to say a special thank you to the ladies of the American Legion Auxiliary for thinking of us while Scott is away. What an awesome surprise these gifts were!! Small town life is really the best!