.....Christmas......

.....it's amazing how much changes in 365 days......these pictures were sent to me from Lottie, the sweet woman who sold Christmas trees last year on our old NYC street corner.....I only recently acquired these photos that she took of the kids......she and Elsie became the best of friends over the month of December.....we would walk by her 3-5 times per day, even more frequently on some days; and every pass by would include conversation.......Elsie admired her, drew her pictures, made her bracelets in art class, included Lottie in night time prayers and on Christmas Eve last year, Stefan and I held back tears as Elsie and Lottie said their emotional goodbye......

....luckily, thanks to technology, we can keep up with Lottie......she sent us these precious photos from December 2011 when she informed us she would not be back in NYC, as she and her husband are newly pregnant......

....one year can change so much......

.....and Lottie's sweet pictures remind me that my babies are growing by the minute.....the girls completely understood Christmas this year and although Brody did not, he mastered the phrase, Christmas tree.......we laugh days later after Christmas as he still emphatically and confidently says it so clearly......it might be his best enunciated word yet.....

.....the girls asked a lot about Santa, the North Pole and how it all fits in with Jesus this year......to the point that Elsie's critical thinking and firing of questions completely have us on our toes for next year......

....Momma, why is this wrapping paper the same as the one from Santa?......Momma, how will Santa get down our chimney if the fire makes it too hot to slide down?.....Momma, where will the reindeer actually land the sleigh?......Momma, do Santa and Jesus know each other?.....

....Santa made a special visit to our new house earlier in the month and Elsie remembered every single thing she asked him for that day.....and she reminded us of it on Christmas Eve......

.....and I reminded her that this new house was an early present......Santa would bring her as much as he could, but needed to save some of the things she wanted for next Christmas since she and her whole family got such a nice gift at Thanksgiving......

.....that all made a lot of sense to her......

....and as fun as Santa, the elves and the reindeer are, we also try to keep the reason for Christmas a main theme.....Callie wore her Happy Birthday Jesus crown almost all day on Christmas Eve......

.....we talked a lot about the joy of giving......we discussed acts of kindness......we baked my great grandmother's cranberry bread together and just being with my girls in the kitchen felt like Christmas......

....we spent a lot of time with old and new friends.....good, quality time......memories we made and are still talking about weeks later.....

.....the girls also made their independent debuts to new neighbors, all by themselves, to say Merry Christmas and deliver a loaf......of course I observed on the sidelines, waving from afar......but both girls are freakishly independent this month.....

....and I am loving it....I'll set the table, Momma......can I pour all of the milks?.....I want to put my snow gear on all by myself......I'll put the stamps on those Christmas cards......

.....their age is making our physical exertion of child rearing easier.....leaving more time for Stefan and me to have energy post the kid's bedtime for this......

     .....eggnog on ice with dark rum......yum.....

....but Christmas morning was more magical than it was the year the before.....their expressions and sweet sayings are enough to leave me euphoric for the rest of winter.....

......we had a gorgeous day that beckoned us outdoors......begging us to take our new, favorite toys for a spin......Stefan and I were especially grateful since the kids would have pleaded for play in the fresh air rain, snow, sleet or shine......

.....and little Brody would not get out of his new red wagon until he saw that his sisters were also hopping off their bikes.....if they were on wheels, he wanted to be pulled in his wagon to keep up with them.....if they were off to the playground, he was close behind.....it's been so fun to see him really admire and pine for his sister's attention.....

......due to the wintery mix on Christmas Eve, our outside time was cut short......puddles are her weakness.....she can not walk by a puddle without dousing herself in water.....

....and puddles on Christmas Day are very cold and numb little toes quickly.....

.....drawing us home for more play, more sitting by the fire, and more new presents to enjoy.....

.....Mickey's got it right......

.....eat, drink, celebrate the main thing, focus on the ones you love and be merry......