Christmas is Here and Happy Birthday Susannah

December has flown by like a crazy tornado of fun and baking and singing and shopping.  It has been super busy, but also a blast.   Here are the pictures:

I made cinnamon toast for breakfast for Susannah's birthday and she read her birthday cards.  

Then we took her to a Hibachi place for dinner.  It was her first time and she loved it.

Then we had a cupcake at home to top off the day.  

As an extra birthday surprise, the next day I went to school to have lunch with the girls.  Kindergarten eats first, which meant that I saw this little one.

And then the birthday girl came in.  I still can't wrap my head around the fact that you are nine, Susannah.  Every year you amaze me even more with you r creativity, your curiosity and your kindness. This year has been no different.  You have a zest for life and a peaceful countenance that is such an inspiration to your family.  We have so much to learn from you, Beauty.

We love you Duh-Duh! 

That Friday, I let Susannah invite a few friends over after school for cupcakes. 

We are so thankful for all of these sweet friends.

Then it was time for popcorn and Home Alone.  And with that, the two week long birthday celebration finally drew to a close.  :)

That Sunday we had church.

And then Elf by the Christmas tree.

Speaking of Elves, Sam, our Elf, has been upping his game a little this year.  

The next weekend we spent Saturday in our pjs baking treats for our friends and neighbors.

This cinnamon roll tradition is one part happy family memories and one part crazy messy frustration.    

The finished products.......we made 14 tins of cinnamon rolls and 3 loaves of pumpkin bread.  

Honey is in the Christmas spirit too.

Susannah sang with her friends in the Sunday morning service and the evening Christmas concert.  

Another weekend, another baking activity.  These were our Christmas sweater cookies.  The girls each had 4 to decorate.  They loved this.

Last week, we picked the girls up early from school one day for their annual Christmas Surprise.  This year it was a visit to Zoo Lights.  

We arrived before sundown, so we had an hour to see some animals.  We played with this sea lion for a long time.  

He would follow the tennis ball along the glass.  It was the coolest experience watching him flip and swim to "fetch" the ball.  We were the only ones there so it was even more special.  

After a quick dinner the darkness arrived and the lights came up.  First stop was the tube ride.  

The girls loved this.  

The lights were really cool. 

It was below freezing that night so we had to stop for some hot cocoa and a funnel cake to warm ourselves for a bit.  

It was a super fun memory for sure.  

We had to do all the photo ops.

The messages on the walkways were pretty cool too.

Another morning, another Sam antic.

I volunteered in Sarah Avery's class for their winter craft party.  It was so fun to watch her with her classmates.  

It was our turn to host our supper club this month and because some people had out of town guests, we had a larger crowd than normal.  But we managed to fit.  (barely)

I was proud of my table settings so I had to take a couple of pictures.  

We set the bar up in the office which helped make it seem less crowded.  

It was a fun night and a great chance for me to practice all of my new diplomatic hosting techniques on close friends.  

And now here we are, only 3 days until Christmas.  I can't believe that it is here, but I'm excited to celebrate and watch the girls' faces.  We wish all of you the Merriest Christmas and Happiest New Year.  We hope to see some of you in a week or so.