Christmas!

Christmas tree hunting. The weekend after Thanksgiving we embarked on what is turning into a traditional Christmas tree day, where we went to a farm to get a tree and then had some friends over for chili afterwards. Although . . .the tree looked a lot better in its natural habitat than it did in our home and next year we may go hunting at the grocery store Christmas tree lot.

 Christmas play. I took the girls to a children's theatre production while Mike was doing something or other, probably church related, one Friday night. The play was great and kept both Avery's and Elliot's attention (amazingly) until the very end.

For a family activity, we took the girls to the Bellevue Botanical Gardens lights display, Garden D'lights I believe it's called. The lights are all made up to look like flowers and plants and animals and it was a fun new place to explore.

 

California Christmas! We spent Christmas in CA this year with my family. We came in just one day after the HUGE rainstorm hit So. CA, and it stayed pretty nice for the week we were there. It's nice to get some CA sun when we go down to visit.

 At the Reagan presidential library which had a historical American Christmas tree display of all the different decades from the revolutionary war until the present. The library also had a minature of the White House, and the detail and furniture in this house was amazing. My two very attractive siblings below with Avery. I'm trying my hardest to persuade them to move to WA.

 Mom and dad in front of the 1950's tree.

Singing jingle bells for the Christmas Eve program.

 Or, holding the jingle bell somewhat disdainfully while everyone else sings.

Mary and a reluctant angel who didn't want to wear her clothes. Sam, my sister Leah's cute little 1 y.o., was a reluctant sheperd as well. It made for an abbreviated retelling of the nativity.

Christmas Eve with the family

 Christmas morning!

 Beff, Dan, Leaih and Sam with their GORGEOUS handmade hats crocheted by yours truly (thanks for being such good sports guys!).

At the children's garden in the Thousand Oaks botanical gardens. We got to go on a couple fun hikes while we were in TO.  Even the slurpy mud didn't stop us from enjoying the beautiful scenery and my mom's guided tour of the native plants.

Ventura Harbor carousel! This makes our to do list nearly every visit, along with the Channel Islands nat'l park museum and they are our favorites.