Advent

 Advent season -Week 1: Hope

Our church does this really amazing Advent count down at Christmas.  This year the box contained gifts to gift others each week and scripture to read each week. Caroline for the first week picked a friend that no longer goes to her school and gifted her with hope.  

Week 2- Peace

Week 3- Joy

Week 4- Love

Monday -Jupiter and Saturn came together to make what looks like a very bright star.  This was taken from Texas Tech's observatory and so beautiful! I can see why it was called the Christmas star.

We watched the Online Christmas eve service Caroline got to light the Christmas candle.  At the end of the service the band sang "Oh Holy Night" my favorite Christmas song.  and turned off the lifts with just had candles for the congregation.  I let the girls, with supervision, hold candles and sing too. 

 Christmas Eve and Christmas Day:

Ali has turned the playroom into her art studio. 

"It's Pinocchio, mom"

The Falcos gave the girls window art clings.  The girls loved creating and painting.

Papaw Santa dropped off presents from Nana, Papaw and Mimi.

Christmas eve snacks

Ali made Grinch fruit

We baked Santa's Cookies (just the stars and chocolate hockey pucks) 

Nana brought ham dip (my favorite!!) and sausage balls for the girls and Chris

I was given two hot chocolate bombs so for Christmas eve snacks we made hot chocolate. 

Ali was given an American Girl Jeep by Nana and Papaw.  Tons of stuffed animals got rides all around the house.

Caroline got a microscope.  

Picture taken from her microscope-

  Caroline has been trying to find things to look at under her microscope from outside and in the kitchen.

Ali wearing her new shirt from Kaden

Caroline opening her stocking from Nana

Don't mind us... Just being weird

Here is the 2nd note to Santa from Caroline

Here is the first note she crumpled up that I saved from the trash.  On the bottom is says PS: I think I am on the naughty list.  She defiantly was not! They checked the Santa tracker every 5 minutes and updated Dad and I on where Santa was. We learned a lot about geography.

   Both girls went to bed early.  They must have willed themselves to be asleep by 7:00.PM  Around 9:45PM Caroline woke up and was really upset. "Mom!  Santa didn't come!".  She was worried all day she didn't deserve presents and the was so sad when she thought she didn't get anything.  I assured her she had been asleep for 2 hours and it was still night.  She even looked outside and checked the Santa tracker.  Satisfied - she went back to bed.

The girls woke up at 7:30am and Santa did come!!

Caroline loves to wear my shirts to bed now and wasn't wearing her Christmas Jammies

Chris bought me a Dyson Hair dryer. I have been using the same hair dryer since becoming an adult- (19 years old hair dryer).   I LOVE MY New DRYER! Tonight it dried my hair in under 5 minutes.  He also got me a great warm robe and earrings. Caroline got me a pair of Gryffindor pj pants & Ali wrapped up some lotion and a ruler for me.

Santa bought Caroline a HUGE bucket of slime.  

This afternoon was really nice we played outside most of the afternoon.  Ali took her bluetooth speaker clipped to her bike around the park blasting Christmas music.  

Tonight for Christmas dinner we all got our favorites: Chris- steak, Caroline wanted ranch style beans, Ali a fruit salad ( and Dilly Bars for dessert from Dairy Queen) and I made mash potato and cream peas. 

This year has been different but it was a fun day together.

Carter Christmas

Christmas break has started! A new friend joined our house on Thursday night.  Gwen the penguin came to stay with us until Christmas.  

Caroline Loves that penguin and we are so glad she hear for a little while.  

The David family flew in Thursday night and came to stay in Lubbock.  The kids played amazing together and had so much fun playing spies, wolves, hide & seek, the floor is lava & roller coaster. The Cogburn kids came over Friday afternoon and there was a huge nerf war at the park. 

Aunt Dondi let Ali "braid" her hair

This weekend all the Carter family met up in Ruidoso.  We all left Saturday morning and were able to get there by early afternoon.  

Trying on Skis for Sunday skiing

After 3:00 Winter Park (the sledding hill) was half price so after picking up the girls skis we headed to the sledding hill. 

Here we go!

She did it!!

The girls went down the hills so many times

Ali and Dad

About to throw a snow ball at her mother. 

I took Caroline down the really big hill 5 times while Chris took Ali down the smaller hills and then we switched.  

Ali going down the penguin hill

"Bye mom!"

Abby and Ali doing snow angels

Winter Park was so fun! After Sledding we celebrated Christmas together.  My mom made tacos and we put out our favorite Christmas snacks and opened presents from each other.

We started with the youngest and went to the oldest to open presents. This year Lolly was the winner as she gave the best gifts!  Chris got the tool he wanted, Caroline got a bow and Arrow set & Ali got a giant plastic drawer full of craft things and she got her tape dispenser! My mom also found me some lockers for our back porch.

Harry Potter cup from Aunt Jacee

Jaden and his shoulder pet.  Caroline picked it out for him.

Jacee got her Toms!

Ali likes to open present and immediately play with it.

My dad took two pictures of his girls in matching pants. The first picture has no picture of pants -the second has pants but I don't think we were ready.

All the cousins eating breakfast

Sunday we went skiing.  This was Ali's 2nd time skiing - the last time she skied she went down once and didn't want to ski again.  This time she tore up the mountain!

Chris was an amazing teacher and had Ali zooming down the mountain and able to stop great.  

Chris also helped teach Jaden.  

Caroline had a really great day.  I let her ride a lift at the smaller hill by herself and ski down. I could see her the whole time but she was so excited and felt big to do it by herself.

snowball fight!

This snowball hit me from Chris

Team Santa PJs

Sunday night the adults played Rumikub and Acquirer 

It was such a fun trip!