Christmas in Fairfax 2010

This year we decided to stay home for Christmas. We planned a trip to Boone just a week or so before, and had a trip to the beach planned for right after. We wanted the girls to be able to get up, come downstairs, and see their stockings. It was great.

But there was a lot of prep...
Addie started by making ornaments at her preschool.
Then she and Aaron got to work lighting up our little tree. Our neighborhood is kind of crazy for their lights. It was fun to drive around in the evenings and take inventory.



Then we got busy working on the tree. The girls were a big help.

We exchanged some gifts with friends John, Ashley, and Katherine.
The day before Christmas Eve we were invited to join the Benners at their farm for a dessert party after their church service. It was a beautiful small church candlelight service. All 3 of their boys performed! At the dessert party, Addie spent the whole time at the gingerbread cookie decorating table that Krissy cleverly set up. The next morning, Christmas Eve, we enjoyed relaxing together before heading home to our Christmas Eve service.

After the service on Christmas Eve, Addie helped me hang the stockings and assemble a little platter for Santa and his reindeer. She drew a festive picture to commemorate the moment.
Santa got cookies and milk while his reindeer got a carrot and oats. We hear they like those things.
Christmas morning, the girls seemed genuinely surprised to find their stockings full, with extra toys underneath.
Oh, stocking stuff.
The girls played with toys before our pancake breakfast without realizing there were presents downstairs under the tree!
Look! Dad gave us some hats!

Pre-Christmas Boone Trip

We had a great time in Boone! Though we were a little too early to celebrate Christmas, it was everywhere and the girls were excited.
There was also a lot of watching this week:

-Watching themselves brush teeth in the mirror (our mirror at home is too high for them to see).- Watching (well, searching) Gammie's special "I spy" quilt.
-Us watching the girls at their cutest.
-Watching Cars (which they LOVE and got for Christmas just a week later). They wedged themselves between the cushions of the couch to watch.
-We watched - and watched for - deer, who make pretty regular appearances at Gammie and Band-dad's.


We were able to visit with the Valentines, Grandma and Granddaddy, the Tumblestons, and even a 10 minute stop-in with (the other) Sarah McKethan and Patrick.
It was a great trip. Short, with a lot squeezed in.

Addie's First School Concert

Addie's preschool had a Christmas Concert
There wasn't much to it... just a few Sunday School songs (and one song about the foods animals eat), but it was enough to make Aaron and Sarah a little teary - even though Addie didn't sing for the majority of the concert. She stood as she is pictured here: looking around, often with her finger near her mouth.
We know she knew the songs because she had sung them at home. But I guess her first time on stage didn't thrill her enough to join in.