Countdown to Christmas!

 We have been busy, busy getting ready for Christmas. This is one of my most favorite times of the year. I love all the time with family and the excitement my girls have.

We "adopted" a foster child for Christmas again this year. This year we got a 13 year old, so it was very different than our two babies we got last year. She wanted makeup, a movie, art supplies, and she loved horses. We got her a horse paint by number, makeup and nail stuff, the movie she wanted, and a few shirts. I hope she feels blessed this Christmas as well as the rest of the foster children in Oklahoma.

 We took a warm December trip to the zoo. We got to see the new baby zebra and he is so stinking cute!

 It was such a warm day that all the animals were out to play.

 I always love the elk. He looks so majestic out there with his antlers.

 We took another warm day and had a fun park trip. My sweet Tae bug is looking all grown up.

 This was a fun craft. We colored and made our nativity scene. We talked about the story of Jesus and also took the time to talk about refugees and the importance to love like Jesus. Everyone deserves to be loved like Jesus.

 We went and saw Santa. I love the progression of Hensley. She wasn't too thrilled and was giving a grumpy face in the beginning, but by the end she was talking to him and telling him what she wanted for Christmas.

 She even sat on his lap!

 We made these cute snowflake ballerinas and hung them up for decoration. 

 The girls and I have been dealing with an icky cold which means lots of laziness and cuddles.

 They had to try on daddy's work boots and stomp around.

 I just love this view <3

 The girls enjoyed licking the chocolate off the spoons when I made cookies for the cookie exchange.

 Chocolate pistachio thumbprint cookies and chocolate peppermint macaroons. Yum!

 Our cookie tray we brought home.

 Tae saved some of her allowance to buy her cousins Christmas gifts this year. We took a little mommy/daughter trip to go shopping.

 This was quite the undertaking. It didn't come with instructions and it was a little much for little hands, but we got it finished and the girls were excited it looked like Elsa's ice castle.

 And sometimes this is how you eat breakfast. On your rocking horse :)

The girls putting on a Christmas play for me. Silly girls.