12th Day of Christmas

Thursday – On the twelfth day of Christmas, we’ve got a full day’s worth of things to do. A puppet show and a Christmas lunch just to name a few. We’ll come back home and let Landry nap in the afternoon. Then we’ll head out again, down to town, to shop the whole evening through.

Alas, it is our last day of the 12 Days of Christmas Celebration. And it was a wonderful experience! I am so glad that we took the time everyday to do something special. It proves that, even if you are busy beyond comprehension, if your family is a priority, you will make time for them!

So today, we did make it to the very mediocre puppet show, and we did make it to lunch, but the shopping was sort of a fail. See, when we got home from our morning events and laid Landry down for a nap. Cory and I decided a nap sounded pretty darn good. So we laid down to take a power nap. But before you know it, we had been out for an hour and a half. I let Cory sleep a little longer, while I ran to the store to pick up a few staples. And when I got back, Cory left to finish Christmas shopping for my present. When he got back, we decided that the rest of our shopping could wait till tomorrow. And we decided to open more gifts instead. Here are pictures from our day.

Landry, waiting for the puppet show to begin. She thought the chairs were fun.

The purse Cory got me. Very Nice! He also got me a diffuser for my pop-up flash. Yay!

Landry helping Daddy open his gift

Daddy got new dress shirts. I told you I went practical.

Here is Landry really getting after a gift. If you are wondering what in the world she is wearing, it is a swimsuit over a pair of crop lounge pants. She found the swimsuit and was determined to wear it, somehow.

Landry got some new appliances for her kitchen center and a Mister Potato Head Set. Here is our little Potato Head Family.

11th Day of Christmas

Wednesday – On the eleventh day of Christmas, you’re back. You were deeply missed! So let’s enjoy tonight, when we open a few Christmas gifts.

I've actually already received my big Christmas gift, a new vehicle. With the changes that are about to take place in our life, (a new baby, a move, etc.) we are all about practicality and budget. Cory and I are planning on getting a little something for each other, but we decided to hold off on those for a few more days. Tonight, we let Landry open a couple of her gifts instead. That's more fun anyway.

We let her open her doctor's kit

She is taking her baby's temperature, but the angle makes it look like she is taking mine.

And we let her open her giant box of crayons. You know the big box that you always wanted, but your mom always said, you didn't need. Well, honestly, I would not normally give a 2-year-old such a huge box of crayons. But I got them for free when I was a crazy person at Toys-R-Us at midnight. Landry LOVED them. She spent lots of time taking her crayons out and putting them back in, naming the colors, and coloring color sheets

And I am so excited to share a new discovery with you. I am so impressed with this! On the back of the crayon box, it said to go to this site. Inside the box of crayons, there is a code. You enter the code and upload a photo, and you can make color sheets like this.

Is that not the greatest? Landry thought it was so cool coloring herself and mommy and daddy. So run out and buy your 64-count crayon box today. You've got to get a code!

The Very Merry Veuleman Elves

Ok, so my friend, Kate, posted one of these on her blog. I couldn't help myself. I had to try it myself! My favorite part, the Cory shimmy!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

10th Day of Christmas

Tuesday – On the tenth day of Christmas, we knew that you’d be gone. So we wanted to leave you a little something, so you’d know we wish you were home.

I put this note in an envelope labeled "10th day of Christmas" and placed the envelope in Cory's bag. The envelope also included a DVD. Here is what was on the DVD....

As you can tell, Landry was really impressed that she could see herself on screen. She just wanted to cut-up. But I know Cory will be so excited just to see his little girl's face and hear her voice while he is away!

9th Day of Christmas

Monday – On the tenth day of Christmas, we knew you had to go. But we hope this will make your trip just a little more enjoyable.

So today and the next couple of days are a little tricky because Cory had to go out of town for a work trip. But he was home this morning and got his note, along with this card Landry had made for him and a small gift.

For some reason, she was really focused in on the snowman's nose. She didn't want to color any other part of him. Oh, and she decided the scarf would look better as a belt.

8th Day of Christmas

Sunday – On the eighth day of Christmas, we’ll enjoy the traditions of Christmas music and fellowship with friends. We’ll worship through song at our Church Musical then fellowship with others at the class party tonight.

Why plan anything special, when it's already been planned for you? Our Christmas musical was that morning, in which I participated. Afterwards, we took the college students out for lunch. Then that night, our small group, from church, had a Christmas party for the whole family. Santa came to the party. So it was the second time this year Landry got to see him. Here are pictures from the day.

We were color-coordinated so we had to take a family picture

Here is Landry playing with one of her big-girl friends, Tennyson (whom that night, Landry called "Trees" because she had a Christmas Tree on her dress)

Landry was a little hesitant to take the gift from Santa

But she didn't mind opening the gift and playing with it.

7th Day of Christmas

Saturday – On the seventh day of Christmas, the weather outside is frightful. So let’s head to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, where the fire is so delightful! And that’s not all on this special day. Let’s head downtown for a Christmas Parade!

The weather was, in fact, very frightful. A little too frightful for us to get out. In the 30's and raining were not ideal conditions for us to leave our warm, cozy home, to eat breakfast then to stand outside for an hour or more. Instead, I cooked a "Cracker Barrel" style breakfast, and we enjoyed a much-needed relaxing day together. We played in the bed, finished making Christmas goodies, cooked in the kitchen center, read books,

built block towers together......

A Landry original

Landry and Daddy played their favorite game, bucking bronco......

And Mommy and Landry played Beauty Shop before going to bed

On the seventh day of Christmas, our plans may have changed. But it worked out for the better. I thank God for this amazing day!!!