1st week of December

Let the Christmas Adventures begin...

My sister and I love to spend our December weekends doing holiday activities with the girls.  We are always on the search to find fun and festive events to fill our weekend days with. 

The first day of December meant Maura could finally start the Advent calendar that Elfie brought on his first visit this year:

 

 

 Saturday afternoon was our very first Christmas activity of the season...

 We went to the Christmas party at the YMCA

 

First we visited the craft tables and the girls made a Rudolf water bottle.

  

There were carnival style games with prizes, a story telling corner, a Santa's workshop (which we didn't visit because the long line was very slow moving) balloon animals and face painting...

 

Maura and Tatum got adorable Rudolf's

{Audra and Teagan passed on the experience}

 

And of course we visited Santa !!
Not sure why I don't have a picture to prove it though ??
Santa and Mrs. Claus spent lots of time with each child/group and gave each child a Build-a-Bear reindeer with light up antlers!

We left with arms full of stuffed animals, craft projects, prizes and balloon animal creations.
As we were driving out of the parking lot I looked up through the sunroof
and what to my wondering eyes should appear...


...but three tiny {water bottle} reindeer !!

Oops, we quickly stopped to retrieve them before heading home.

 

 A few hours later we all went out to get Christmas portraits done.

It was super busy and we waited way too long past our appointment time.

But in the end it was worth it as we got some great pictures of the kids.

 

Being adorable must be exhausting...

Sleeping Beauty made it long enough to get through pictures, thankfully...

then she was done!

 

After choosing our pictures we did a little window shopping while waiting for them to print:

 Sisters {Tatum & Teagan} in PJs walking hand in hand in crocs :)

 

And of course we stopped at the candy shop,

which may or may not have been the bribery we used to get smiles and cooperation during the pictures.

 

My sister and I literally closed the portrait shop that night...

we were the last ones to pick up our printed pictures at close to 11pm.

Phew, D.O.N.E.

 

Sunday afternoon Maura had a dance performance at the mall

Interestingly the girls are standing oldest to youngest from left to right

Audra, then Maura's friend Tori, then Maura  

Can't judge age by height !

 

After the quick show the girls changed into their matching Christmas pajamas for pictures with the Man of the season.

 

Weekend #1 is a wrap:

a Christmas party

Christmas portraits

a Christmas dance performance

and 2 visits with Santa