let's pretend . . .

let's pretend that i wrote this post on december 26th.

let's pretend that it isn't full of pictures and really long.

let's pretend you find it at least a little bit interesting.

because these last few months have been one event to the next, i feel like i have been working on projects since early october. after a successful birthday party sunday afternoon, i thought i had a break this week when i was reminded we have a just ducky trunk show. see what i mean.

so, i convinced my very sweet, very patient husband to create the following:

this is a collage of our advent activities during the holiday season. it includes:

writing letters to santa
sibling gift exchange (they each wrapped the gift they bought)
making marshmallow pops (classroom treats)
the alpine village
visit with santa
zoo lights
enchanted forest
making gingerbread houses
and christmas ever at meme & papaw's

let's pretend i remember the activities we did for advent and am not hoping to find the list so i will know next year.

let's pretend i don't have to read my own posts from the linkwithin gadget to remember these things happened. (am i the only one who does that??)

and, so i don't forget, here are some highlights from christmas day:

let's pretend my children don't get all handsie with santa's eggnog and cookies.

ah, the excitement of christmas day . . .

let's pretend they are this sweet to one another all the time. this year, miller was so excited for carter and the stuff she got in her stocking that he didn't even notice his. so sweet.

my little book lover

let's pretend this isn't the only picture we have of the three of them . . .
or let's pretend it is amazing and i want to hang it on my new picture wall.
moments later, spencer started crying and laying her head on the ground. so. over.whelmed.


their favorite gifts:

miller and his new friend he named "pirate miller." miller asked for a pirate costume, so when i decided to make him a doll, i knew it had to be dressed in a matching pirate costume. the look on his face was worth every single sleepless minute during my handmade holiday.

these buzz lightyear hands have been super fun, too. except when all is quiet in the playroom and i am working on something crafty and i suddenly hear  "i am buzz lightyear!"

even though she was super excited about her sewing machine

and her new bike,

it was this gift from meme and papaw that carter said was her favorite.

a nekked spencer shows off her new pink puppy that she loves to push around. this poor girl was extremely overwhelmed christmas day. having never received a gift to open and with very few of her own toys (that poor third child), she didn't understand why people kept taking things away from her so she could open something else.

let's pretend that all the build up of christmas and the celebrating of the season doesn't actually end a little bittersweet and with the extreme desire to immediately pack up all the decorations i worked so hard on making and displaying.

let's just pretend . . .