happy holidays...

ok...i was singing that when i titled this post!!!!! what can i say, i'm delirious!

i haven't gone to bed before 1:30 in probably 2 weeks...haven't slept in one time that i can think of...and haven't hardly put down the paintbrush (well, except when i'm holding a fork!!!!)...

but it has been such a happy holiday so far!!!!

we have done lots of wonderful things...which i intend to blog about very soon...but for now...

i must paint!!!!

stay tuned for the run-down of what we've been up to! hope this christmas has been your happiest holiday yet!!!!

some of my favorites...

from the tree farm this year!!!

house decorating...

gingerbread house that is!

when gigi & bd came to visit a couple of weeks ago, they brought the girls a gingerbread house kit and ella and maddie have been so anxious to get to work!

sunday evening seemed like the perfect time!

it was really fun...they wanted me to assemble the house...and pipe the icing...and then they put their creative genius to work!

i think they did a great job! they were so excited! maddie kept saying "i love you mommy" (melt) and they kept kissing each other. it was adorable to watch!

ella was the "architect" and devised the decorating plan! maddie's strategic plan was to get as much icing as she could on her fingers so that she would be forced to lick them...she enjoyed "tasting" all of the decorations too! that child has loved "gunk" from the time she was able to eat food!!!!!

it was fun being silly, singing christmas songs, and getting messy...together! to me, that's what christmas is all about...and i'm blessed to get to share the season with three little angels!

all she wants for christmas...

our first born LOST HER FIRST TOOTH!!!! talk about one excited little girl!

ella has had a loose tooth for a couple of weeks now...and friday when she got home from school...and SMILED...i almost cried. seriously. there was a hole!

one of the kindergarten teachers is famous for her tooth pulling abilities and ella really wanted mrs. williamson to pull it...but i wasn't prepared for it to actually happen! apparently, she went upstairs to mrs. w's classroom with her friend ellie to get it pulled. she took hold of it and then asked ella if she wanted her to do it now or later...i guess ella was starting to get cold feet because she said "later"...and that's when mrs. williamson told her it was already done!!!! she was just so proud!

she lost the first tooth she ever had...something about that just makes her seem so grown up!

she was so excited to show us her certificate and she carried her "tooth fairy" pillow around all night! the next morning she came running into our room to show us the $5 that was left! (don't worry...we've received word from the tooth fairy that the "cost" of subsequent teeth goes down...significantly!!!!)

the one beside it is now loose...so i can assume that we'll be getting more frequent visits from the fairy!

such a milestone in the life of our little ella...and i just don't think i've seen a sweeter smile!

trimming...

sweet ava couldn't "hang"...but she sure was excited to see the tree the next morning!!!

the girls were beyond the moon excited about decorating the tree this year! my heart is still smiling about all the giggling, oohing, and aahhing that occurred! if only my mind was a video camera...i never want to forget it! i think that ella must have exclaimed "ooohhh...this is my favorite ornament!" about every. single. ornament. that we own!!!! precious! our tree looks adorable this year...but it definitely has the thumbprint of two little girls that wanted to do lots of independent hanging...and i wouldn't want it any other way!

it's been interesting with ava this year! she sees the girls touching the ornaments so she obviously thinks she should be able to too! she will look at the tree and then look at me and say "da da" (her version of "no no")! needless to say, the bottom of our tree is becoming more bare as the days go on!

who needs an advent calendar when you have an almost 14 month old...by the time christmas comes...we may not have any ornaments left on our tree!!!!!

i don't think there is anything more cozy than sitting by a lit tree...with nothing but the white lights on...

have i mentioned i love christmas?!?!

ella loves to point out all of our "favorite ornaments" for anyone that comes over. i think she may have her mommy's love of christmas too!

i love the fact that our tree has evolved from random ornaments that jeffrey and i bought to precious keepsakes that our children have made and ones we have gotten on vacations! it really does help sweet memories to resurface...i've said it before and i'll say it again (my christmas card will too!)...

but experiencing christmas through the eyes of children is just wonderful...it's the stuff life is made of!!!

santa's woods...2010

the annual "price family tree hunt" was, again, great this year!

in true meredith and jeffrey fashion, we decided to head out on tuesday before thanksgiving to tag our tree. there is just something about feeling like i can't really take my time to peruse and critique all the trees without someone swooping in and tagging THE ONE that makes me crazy...therefore, we always go out before hand, when we're the only people at the farm...to find our perfect tree!!!!

we found it in record time, however!

the obligatory "measurement"...we like "tall" trees!!!!

this year, we decided to switch things up a bit and go with a leyland cypress. we both feel like it is the most beautiful tree that we have ever had...it is perfectly shaped...and looks delightful in our living room!!!!!

the one!!!

part of the appeal of going to the tree farm twice (for me) is that i have the opportunity for TWO photo sessions with my family...this always causes a bit of a "scrooge" moment for my husband...he just can't get in my groove!!!!! you would think after all these years he would be acclimated...we're still working on that one!

daddy...aka "lumberjack with the plumber's crack"!!!

we chopped her down the day after thanksgiving...and not a moment later...and brought the beauty home to decorate! we also made the decision as a family this year that we are going to start a new tradition and have spaghetti every year on the night that we decorate the tree because the girls said that "spaghetti and lettuce are red and green"!!!! works for me! i think that will be a sweet memory that we can add to such a fun, fun time!!!!

it truly is the "most wonderful time of the year"!!!! i hope that your christmas season is off to a great start!!!

they sure do...

love their daddy.

i see it every day.

he's certainly their hero...their #1 guy!

i love capturing these precious moments when they don't know "i'm looking". makes it all the more sweet.

these girls make us happy.

they sure do.