New Years Eve

See ya 2009!

Holiday Review: Part III

Christmas Night

Elisabeth and her new music table.
The most phenomenal thing ever for a handicapped/visually impaired child.



My new bowl from my mom. (Also most phenomenal)



Movies with Uncle Michael.



and
The Christmas Feast

Still to come:

Lisa's Holiday Awards
2009

Pooped

Christmas

will do this

to you.

Tomorrow:

Holiday Review: Part III.

I promise.

Holiday Review: Part II

Christmas Day

Uncle Michael took the girls and their new red wagon and walked to the park. Lorelai insisted on bringing the picnic basket despite very un-picnic-like weather conditions.



I couldn't get Donald's attention away from his new Ipod Touch. He loves it.

After brunch, a few Christmas visits...



First, to our friend Les (above left) who was celebrating his 95th Christmas. Les lived next door to us 5 years ago and hasn't any family in the world (so we have adopted him into ours).

Then we were off to visit Grandma Brinkerhoff (above right). We tried our hardest to bring her back to our place for dinner, but she wouldn't step foot out into the cold.



Finally, a nostalgic spin in the Nova.

Going...



going....



gone.

Up tomorrow: Christmas Night

Holiday Review: Part I

Christmas Morning

Remember when I told you that my girls have been very good this year? Apparently Santa agreed with me; he dropped a load of goodies off in front of our tree. And I can't tell you how glad I am that he decided to leave my girls a Radio Flyer Red Wagon. I think every child should wake up to find a red wagon beneath the Christmas tree at some point during their childhood career.

The girls trying on new pajamas (Left). Elisabeth and Uncle Michael (Right). She loved the taste of her new piano....almost as much as the sound.

For brunch I whipped together my famous breakfast roll. Ha...just kidding. It's totally not famous, and I had to call my sister for a refresher course on how to make it.

And all the while our home was filled with sound of Christmas records playing in the music parlor. Do you remember which my favorite is? (I talked about it last year..click here)

More tomorrow...

Away in a Manger

[The Sorenson Family nativity set.]


Merry Christmas.

A Holiday Greeting

Merry Christmas

from my

Little Ladies.

Elisabeth (2), Alexandra (7), and Lorelai Leigh (5)

These girls have been very good.

I have a feeling Santa will be stopping by our house tomorrow night.

Freshly Picked

Artwork by my Grandfather, Claude Coats.

Want to see more? click here.

**********

Only 3 more days.

I still need to...

wrap a few gifts,

clean the house, and

make fudge.

I'm enjoying the season.

Hope you are too.

Merrily,

Lisa

Lorelai's 1st Piano Recital

Just 1 month and 2 days after her first piano lesson, Lorelai Leigh performed in her first piano recital. Let me just say that this was one of the highlights of my parenting career. She had such confidence....such poise. She looked like a natural. This girl is going places!

And now, without further ado, I give you Lorelai Leigh, age 5....

The Performance:

Bravo!

All you need is....

LOVE

What a day! What a day!

Today was a day of miraculous firsts for sweet Elisabeth.

First of all....

Elisabeth usually stays put. She has a small area in the family room that she is accustomed to and has never ever crawled or rolled out of her 'little area'. I think part of it is her lack of vision; she never saw that something else was out there. And I also think that part of it was her lack of ability to think beyond the family room. So she always just stayed put....until today. She actually army crawled her way into my bedroom! It was amazing! Donald and I cheered the whole time. Wonderful I tell you, simply wonderful.

And then....

She ate a Gerber stage 3 Turkey, Vegetable and Rice dinner without it being mixed with yogurt. Did you catch that? She ate it straight out of the jar and enjoyed it. Holy moly, Donald and I were besides ourselves. This was HUGE.

And finally....

Elisabeth sat herself up from a crawling position for the first time ever! I could not believe my eyes. Of course, she only stayed up for 2 seconds and then lost her balance and landed back onto her hands again, but nevertheless, she did it!

What a day! What a day!

And now I give you Elisabeth leaving the family room for the first time:

Flashback

You better not pout...

Alexandra ~ 2006

Spa Day

First Lorelai:

And then Lex:

Followed by manicures:

And a walk down the runway for Lor:



I love having

daughters.