'twas the night before christmas...

it was such a fun christmas...already filled with so many traditions...that my two oldest girlies L.o.V.e.!!!! i know that ava will love them just as much once she grows just a wee bit!!!! and while it was a fabulous christmas - i just didn't have it in me this year to document every moment with photos! i took about 50 on christmas eve and only SEVENTEEN on christmas day - i checked myself for fever...HA...i really just think i'm exhausted!!!!!!

christmas eve was filled with lots of fun memories! ella, maddie, & i made homemade oatmeal cookies for "santa", fed the reindeer, opened one gift (thanks aunt lori), and read the christmas story from the gospel of luke. the big girls wanted to sleep together (which is exactly what my sister and i used to do on christmas eve) and they were so excited to go to sleep...they really wanted to hit the hay at about 5:30!!!!

i had to take a picture of all three little girls all "snug in their beds"...gosh, i love these little people!!!!

the girls were up super early...and after a quick nurse...we headed out to see the fun surprises that were left...

the big girls got a doll house and sweet baby ava got a very much needed play mat!!! here is what i looked over and saw once she started "playing"...

pure innocence and sweetness. just looking at her makes you remember the reason for the season. i could literally eat her with a spoon!

mom and dayne, brooke, granny & "bd" came over for brunch and we just ate, visited, played, took naps, played some more, ate some more...and just enjoyed each other's company. it was such a special day spent with special people...and i am so thankful for so many things in my life.

***this holiday season has been filled with so many events, such as minor surgery for ella & nursing & such, and i intend to get to some "already started posts" (more for myself than anything)...but for now, i have a tiny baby that needs my attention...

i hope that each and every one of my friends and family had a blessed christmas...filled with memories that will last a lifetime.