Christmas 2012

While we were in Arizona we got to see a lot of Steve's family, which is always a good time. This year the girls appreciated their pull as the first of their generation more strongly than they have before. They have realized that they can pretty  much get anyone to do anything they want, and this year they exercised that will by getting their great-uncles and grown-up cousins to put on a horse show for them.

 

Clara put them through their paces in a series of circles,

and Elena taught them how to do dressage.  It was so funny!

On Christmas Eve we made three batches of cookies, to make sure Santa would have something he liked.  Clara picked chocolate cookies with candy cane bits in them, so here she is crushing the candy canes to get them ready to stir in.

In addition to the cookies Grammie Ellen and Daddy got brave enough to try a gingerbread house requiring assembly.  It was from Ikea, and didn't come with anything with gingerbread, so that was quite a feat.

 

Christina put together an antipasti platter, as part of her Italian Christmas Eve contributions.

And by the time we got to dinner these two little girls sure were ready.

After dinner came the Christmas Eve presents - this shot is blurry and we're putting it up here anyway, because we think it's funny  how Clara is making Elena into a reindeer.

These little elves helped to sort all the presents into piles.

Then they went to bed.  While they were sleeping Rudolf decided to land on the gingerbread house (Nana and G-Daddy's house has no chimney, so when he saw the one on this house he couldn't resist!).

Santa left a note trying to explain what had happened, and ate up his cookies.  The other reindeer politely nibbled at their carrots.

And they left some fun things for Clara and Elena to enjoy when they woke up.

An understanding reaction to Rudolph's antics.

And although they were excited about all of their gifts we were kind of all excited about this Snoopy Sno-Cone maker - both Christina and Steve had wanted these as kids, and it's pretty cool that Elena has one now.

She will happily make a Sno-Cone for anyone in line.

The fun morning was followed up by a nap for Clara:

And chips and dip for Elena and the grownups.

And then the extended family arrived again!  Clara immediately latched on to "her boy" (Johnny) and he and his brother and cousins proceeded to tease Clara and Elena for the rest of the afternoon (much to their delight).

Christina loves the Yule Log on Netflix - she put it on for the party, and Auntie Jeannie came to warm her hands by the fire.

Since most of the extended family was all present there was a Wirth Family photo op.

And then there was a celebration of "Decade-ence" as we called it - this year we have/had celebrations of turning 40, 50, 60, and 80!

A piggyback ride from dad after pictures.

The cousins tattooed Clara and Elena all up their arms and legs with washable markers.  Clara had to come show her G'Pa, and they flashed their tats proudly to all of us.

It was, indeed, a very merry Christmas!