Christmas

We spent Christmas with my parents this year. We weren't sure if we were going to make it up there this year. My dad just had a knee replacement and Rory would turn one month old while there. But, we went anyway, knowing that Christmas would be more fun with my parents around.

My dad loves the babies. He was so nice to snuggle with Rory while I took a shower. He watched football while holding her, wrapped in a football fleece blanket; perfect! Even while recuperating, my dad pitched in to help.

Ahhh, the coveted present of the year for Sam: a pillow pet!! The saga that is behind this animal is something else! There were pillow pets at the mall that Sam has wanted for months and months. Whenever we went there she would snuggle with them and tell me that she wanted the penguin for Christmas. I kept putting off buying one until the last minute. BAD IDEA!! After Thanksgiving they were no where to be found. The mall had cheep imitations of the penguins, but did have some other animals that were genuine pillow pets. My mom bought one of the imitations, not knowing. She was doing me a favor since I waited until after Rory was born to purchase it (another bad idea). My mom was kind enough to exchange it...but all they had was a pig. She took one for the team, and went back to Vegas with a pig. I then remembered that my cousin, Becca, got a pillow pet at Disneyland at the shop right outside the jungle cruise. I called the supplier of the Disneyland shops, and ordered a pillow pet...but not a penguin. Sam told me that if there were not penguins she would accept a panda. So, I ordered the pillow pet...or so I thought!!! It came, and it was soft and nice looking...but NOT a pillow pet. It was another brand. The actual pillow pets are still slightly cuter than the one I got. But, at this point, I was not going to ship it back and deal with that whole mess. Sam doesn't know the difference....but I always will!!!

This cute girl was a champ traveler! She loved her first Christmas. Ok, really, she had no clue, so she went present-less...minus the new jammies from Grandma and Grandpa!

Christmas Even hanging the stockings my Grandma made for all of us when we were kids. Sam insisted they be hung...not by the fire with care, but by the staircase with string.

I love these pictures of the girls in their Christmas dresses. My mom and I made Rory's headband and I curled Sam's hair. She was so excited to have her hair curled, but did not like the time it took to do it.

And this guy. He is such a trooper. Living in a house full of girls does have a dramatic flare. He's all grizzly because, well, he does that during the winter. He says he's cold. I tell him to just get fat and he won't be so cold. j/k He couldn't get fat if he tried!! He's such a wonderful dad to his girls. They adore him and loves them so much.