Turkey Day and Christmas!

Time to finally update. I really have no clue why I have been so anti-blogging lately but here it is!

Thanksgiving this year was fun! We had our normal small dinner with just us and like last year that night we went to Disney on Ice. Lily and Ellie got to dress up and I brought some fun things like glow sticks and princess wands for them to have while watching the show!

Rapunzel Lily:

 Sleeping Beauty Ellie:

 I really enjoy going to things like this. It makes me wish I could ice skate! We got to see a lot of our favorite Disney characters this year! There was Snow White, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, and Pocahontas! 

 There were some things that the girls didn't know- like the It's a small world part. Someday we will have to go to Disneyland so they can go on the ride. 

 Ellie's favorite part was the Blue fairy from Pinocchio- she thought she was "so beautiful!"

 Lily's favorite part was during the Mulan part the warriors were fighting in the mountains and it started to snow and it snowed all over us!

 The girls tried to catch the "snow" on their tongues!

 I love seeing how excited the girls get and the show and I hope it is something we can continue letting them go to for a few more years. 

In the start of December we finally got some snow! Chad took the girls out to build what became a snow reindeer. Pretty cute if you ask me.

For Christmas this year we were lucky to have some of Chad's family come to Iowa! I didn't take very many pictures but I'm ok with it because I had fun being a part of things rather then worrying about documenting it.

Over the past 9 years we have enjoyed finding ways to mix all of our family traditions together while starting a few of our own. Two of the things we did for Chad's family traditions were build gingerbread houses: 

 Nice Madison.

 Lily and Ellie were in heaven. They loved the houses and did really well this year! 

On Christmas went to the movies per family tradition as well! Chad took the girls to see Monsters Inc. in 3D while the rest of us saw the Hobbit. 

As far traditions for my family- I am so lucky to have such great in-laws who humor me and do things like this: 

We also rang bells and sang songs at the designated time so all my family would be doing at the same time. 

Lily and Ellie must have been really good this year because Santa brought them so much stuff!

 

Christmas night Chad's sisters Jessica and Madison made a bunch of props for a fun little photo shoot that turned out pretty awesome if you ask me: 

  

We felt so blessed to have family come and be with us for Christmas. Thank you Raleigh's for coming and having so much fun with us! We sure do hope to get to be around family more in this new year. 

Now as the new year is here we are sure looking forward to what 2013 might bring.