Merry Christmas....a little late

Merry Christmas...a few weeks late! I am just now getting these pictures posted from our Christmas vacation. My goal was to get them done before going back to work. Its now midnight the night before my first day back to work. Goal accomplished. :)

We had a great Christmas vacation. We completed our annual Tour de Texas, the drive from Dallas to Beaumont to Georgetown to Dallas.

Our first stop was Beaumont. After years of saying I wouldn't buy matching pajamas, I did it. Caroline and I had matching pjs and we loved it! They have owls all over them so we are beginning the Chi Omega brainwashing early. :)

Me, Caroline, Madison, Kim, and Tresea

Me and my little hootie
Madison and Caroline opening presents.
Caroline and her grandma.

Caroline received a new digital camera for Christmas.Here she is taking a picture of Uncle Chad...
But her favorite thing is to show you the picture on the screen afterwards.

Santa brought Caroline the puppy she asked for. We are very thankful Santa gave her a little FurReal toy puppy that barks, sniffs, and walks but doesn't require food, water and doesn't shed. :)
Madison and Caroline. Madison received a Harry Potter temporary tattoo so that's what's on her forehead.

Next stop was Georgetown. Every year my parents read Caroline "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve. Its a very special tradition that was even more fun this year.

Something in the story excited Caroline. I love this look of joy on her face!

Putting out cookies for Santa.
Christmas morning, Caroline and Nana watched the deer in the backyard.
Caroline brought Nana her stocking.
Our family picture on Christmas morning. I clearly had not consumed enough coffee. :)
Kevin and his spiffy new running gloves.

Caroline and her new scarf.

Christmas morning breakfast - Caroline asked Papa to sit with her and watch Sid the Science Kid (Caroline's new favorite show).


Kevin and I received a new digital SLR camera for Christmas so I spent the holidays practicing taking pictures of my favorite subject. Here are some pictures from Christmas day.

A cat named Max that lives in mom and dad's neighborhood spent the afternoon with Caroline and she fell in love with him.

I love that it looks like they are both posing in this picture.
My sweet girl. Notice Caroline has changed clothes and I'm walking around outside in my pjs.
My parents' next door neighbors have two daughters, Caroline and Julia. Our Caroline talks about that Caroline all the time so we went over to see them on Christmas day. They have a pet deer that they rescued from their deer lease about 9 months ago that they are still taking care of. Caroline fed Buddy the Deer and the girls roller skated through their house!

Some pictures of Caroline playing "Ring Around the Rosy" and swinging with Nana and Papa.

Getting the newspaper at Nana and Papa's is always exciting.
Caroline finally protested all of my picture taking by putting her hands on her hips and walking away. (I think she gets that from Kevin. :) )

Christmas hugs for Nana.

Uncle Mike came the morning after Christmas. Caroline was wearing her dance clothes when he arrived and was eager for him to get there so she could open more presents.


The next morning we looked out the back window and Buddy the Deer was waiting on Caroline. She was so excited!! Papa grabbed the bucket of deer corn and we fed Buddy. I love Buddy and I kind of want a pet deer now. :)

The Joy of Giving and Kevin the Dentist

We opened Christmas presents last night. We were going to do it tonight (the 21st) since we are leaving tomorrow for our Tour de Texas but we were excited and said "why not open them tonight?!"

I have been wondering why towels and Caroline's blankets were wadded up under our Christmas tree with the presents. Caroline told me those were our Christmas presents. She took her toys and wrapped them in towels and blankets to give Kevin and myself. Isn't that cute? And while we opened presents last night, she kept running into her room and bringing toys to us and telling us they were our Christmas presents. Our family room was a disaster with her blankets wrapped around all of her toys but it was too precious to gripe about because she was enjoying giving things to us. There is still a pink My Little Pony wrapped in a red towel under the tree that Caroline said is for Daddy for Christmas. You can see it in some of the pictures below. (Don't get me wrong, she LOVES getting presents too!)

We gave Caroline a sing-a-long Dora DVD with inflatable microphone. Here she is trying it out.Later Kevin played dentist last night and flossed Caroline's teeth. It was hilarious because he was asking her the typical questions a dental hygienist asks you when you can't respond because they are doing their things in your mouth.


First thing this morning, Caroline (aka Princess Aurora) was dressed and singing to her new Dora DVD.

The princess crown/headband was her other gift from us for Christmas. Its more comfortable than a tiara for her little princess head. :)

I like this picture because it looks like she's doing the YMCA.

Changed the princess crown and traded out the microphone for a wand.
Cooking with her new "Princess of Everything" apron she received from my uncle Perry, aunt Nan, and cousins Taylor and Haley. This is what she made me for breakfast. :)

Future Food Network celebrity chef!