Christmas Eve

   I woke up on Christmas Eve with a plan...I thought the day would go by much faster for the girls if we had an outing, so I thought we would go to the movies.  I called Lesley and Lynnea to see if they wanted to go with us, and they said they were going to climb Pinnacle Mountain.  I asked if they thought Lizzie and Maggie could handle that, and they thought they could, so I pretty much invited the three of us to join them on the hike.  Maggie and Lizzie were FABULOUS  on the hike...there were lots of people hiking that day, and so many were commenting about how amazed they were with the girls and how well they were doing.  I can remember taking my fourth graders on a field trip to climb Pinnacle during one of the last years I taught, and I remembered how some of those ten year olds really struggled with the hike, so I was sort of nervous to see how my (almost) six year olds would do, but I should've never worried!

Made it to the top. 

Yes, that is Lizzie...climbing Pinnacle Mountain in a DRESS! 

It was enough of a battle to get tennis shoes on her feet instead of her

sparkly mary janes, so the dress was a yes!

Lizzie and Lesley

Maggie...even at the top kept begging to "let me go on up higher."

Lizzie and Maggie with Lesley.  Yes, Lynnea and Janis made it

 to the top, too...not sure why I have no picutres of them!

     That evening, we had our traditional Christmas Eve celebration  at Granny's house.

Kristen led the great-grands in singing Christmas carols.

Happy little girls!

Santa stopped by for a visit.

Lizzie getting a suprise from Santa.

Maggie sitting on Santa's lap.

Granny has to sit on Santa's knee, too!

Kristen, Granny, and Heather

Mary and Jack

Gary and Tripp

Looks like a serious conversation between Meems and Jan

This time next year, JJ will be watching her

little baby boy sit on Santa's lap!

And Tara and Brandon will add the thirteenth

great grandchild before next Christmas!

Granny opening her presents.

Kristen was the "Chief Be-dazzler"!

Lizzie's Words Worth Repeating

Lizzie:  "I know that wasn't the REAL Santa at Granny's house.  It was one of his helpers."

Me:  "How do you know?"

Lizzie:  "Duh...he had on TENNIS SHOES!"