December week 2 (real Christmas tree, dance recital, Ward party)

Here are photos of the gingerbread houses we did at the family gingerbread house party on 12/6:

Jared's:

Avery's:

Makenna's:

Mine:

12/9: We got our Christmas tree from the same family farm that we get our pumpkins and they had a few animals that the girls enjoyed checking out.

 

Decorating the (fake) tree in the basement:

 

 

 

 

Checking out the lights on the upstairs tree with those glasses that turn the lights into shapes, like snowmen or stars

 

 

The (real) tree in the upstairs front room:

12/10: So Whiskers (our little kitty) got under my feet on Sunday before church and I accidentally stepped right on his paw, and I had tennis shoes on. I felt so bad!! Makenna brings it up every day. She was playing my marimba this evening and said her song was called "You Stepped on Whiskers Paw But It Was an Accident". HA HA HA!!!!

12/11: There used to be a beautiful swamp scene painted on this cypress knee by my mom. Makenna decided to clean it for me and the paint wiped right off! Thankfully, my mom understands and saidshe will repaint it. I'm still really sad about it, though.

12/11: First Dance Recital Rehearsal Day--getting their curl on:

 

 First Dance Recital Rehearsal:

First Dance Recital Rehearsal Day--Avery (on right)--she cried for me the whole second half of their rehearsal time:

12/12: First Dance Recital--before the performance:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Performance!  Makenna wasn't nervous or scared at all and did awesome in the performance. Avery was excited beforehand and actually started doing the dance but then she started crying just a few seconds into it. Somehow, she lost her tulle streamer on the way to the stage. We're still not sure if she started crying because she was scared or because she realized she didn't have the streamer. Makenna said it was really fun; Avery said she wants to do gymnastics, ha ha! I need to upload the video soon.

P.S. Those who know Jared know that he was not thrilled about the make-up or the sleeveless costumes. :P

 

Avery on far left, Makenna in back, bending down:

Avery on far left, Makenna 5th from left:

Avery on far left, Makenna 5th from left; notice how happy Avery looks, as she started the dance, then go to the next photo to see how drastically that changed in a matter of seconds...

Avery on far left, Makenna 5th from left; I wanted to run up there and grab Avery and hug her, poor thing

Avery 2nd from left, Makenna 5th from left; I wanted to run up there and grab Avery and hug her, poor thing!

Makenna 2nd from left, Avery 5th from left; even though Avery had a rough time in the performance, she still went up there with her class for the finale:

12/13: Ward Christmas Party at a skating rink:

 

I was banished from the skating floor; Avery wanted to skate all by herself!

 

Since Avery was skating by herself, the neighbor boy (the girls' friend) went and skated around with her for several minutes. When I walked up to see how she was doing, he said, "Will you stay with her so I can go faster?" HOW CUTE IS THAT???

Makenna liked using this thing to skate by herself until she fell for the second time, then she was DONE!

Avery had so much fun skating by herself until she fell pretty hard on her bum. :(

After they were done with skating, they went and did some jumping with friends:

 
Week 2 Elf on the Shelf!
Day 1: Playing my marimba
2: Eating my gingerbread house
3: Sitting in the upstairs Christmas tree
4: Sitting in the Mega Bloks tower he built
5: Sitting in a little sled, stealing candy canes and peppermints
6: Stealing candy
7: Drawing mustaches/beards/horns/etc. on the twins' pictures

Avery did not think #7 was funny at all, ha ha! It took them half the day to find him when he was in the tree. :D