Christmas Joys...

We had such a wonderful Christmas. We spent Christmas eve going out to pick up some last minute gifts and wrapping them, then we got ready to go to Christmas eve service at church then the annual Martin family Christmas with my brother, sister-in-law, nephew and dad. They prepared a great dinner then we opened presents and Hunter and Sydney spent some time playing with all their gifts. We had such a wonderful time celebrating Christmas as a family, then it was time to go home and get ready for Santa. Sydney and I went home and she prepared her Reindeer food and baked Santa's Cookies. Sydney sprinkled all of the reindeer's food outside and put Santa cookies on the fireplace with his milk and then we went into her room to read Christmas story and get ready for bed. I had been telling Sydney all day that when she went to bed she had to make sure that she did not come out of her room or Santa may not stop at our house and I never heard a peep from her once she went to bed. After Santa made his appearance at home I slipped into bed because I knew it would not be long before the pitter-patter of feet would be running down the hall. When Sydney awakened Christmas morning she was so excited, all she could say was Oh my goodness, mommy, I have been so good all year, Santa brought me everything I wanted. She ran from toy to toy opening and playing and saying how good she had been....Seeing her face on Christmas morning could brighten any ones face....it was so special and priceless.....These are the times that I love...Simple Christmas joys...

PaPa and his babies....

Making reindeer food...

Sydney loves her Easy Bake oven from PaPa

Two Sweet Cousins...all ready for Santa....

Sprinkling the reindeer food for all of Santa's reindeer....

Getting Santa's cookies ready...

Waiting for Santa

Checking to see what Santa put in the stocking...

Look PaPa what Santa brought you.....tangerines

Look Mommy....Santa brought me a ICARLY remote.....

Let me see what is in Mom's stocking....

Veterinarian Sydney hard at work...playing with her Barbie Pet Vet Set from Santa, Sydney says that one of the jobs she wants to have when she grows up is to be a veterinarian and help the animals.

After our busy Christmas eve and Santa fun at home, mommy was baking and Sydney was having fun with all her surprises and then it was time to go to Uncle Tims where we spend every Christmas day with all our Hatcher Family have a good 'ole fashion Christmas lunch and open presents with the cousins.....After we finished here it was home to go and get ready for another Christmas celebration with the Jimenez family. Thank you TiTi Carmen and Serena for my Uggs and diva outfit and build-a-bear and Thank you Santa for my Kitchen...

Unwrapping gifts at Meme's

Checking out her cool camera from Uncle Tim and Aunt Vickie

Sydney had such a wonderful Christmas, Santa brought her everything on her list, kitchen, Barbie Townhouse, ZhuZhu pets and the purple horse that Sydney was sure that Santa would forget because he would not know which horse that she wanted but Santa surprised her....;), she got a Barbie PetVet Set, cupcake maker, Kids Bop 16 CD, ICarley boombox, other ICarley toys, clothes from Aunt Pam and Aunt Vickie, barbie and clothes from Lilly, Teddy bear, pet net and doodle pad from Aunt Marilyn, Uggs and diva outfit and build-a-bear from TiTi Carmen and Serena and barbie drawing board from Mommy.

Dear Santa.....

Dear Santa

I have good evre year How have you bin doing. I would like a horse, zhu zhu pet, kitchen, barbie townhouse

Sydney Jimenez

Love how the lights twinkle...

This past Saturday night, Sydney and I bundled up and headed out to Lights on the Neuse in Clayton. They have lots of Christmas lights and a hayride that you go on to enjoy them. After the hayride we went to see Santa and then over to the 3-D Christmas barn....this was really cool but Sydney did not enjoy this as much because she was so excited about heading over to the campfire to roast our smores. After looking at all the lights we headed over to the campfire to cook our smores, this was Sydneys 1st time roasting marshmallows so she didn't know that fire-roasted marshmallows are cooked and not white like they are in the bag, so she took one look at the black-streaked marshmallow and said YUK, I am not eating that....so we finished our smores at home and they were so GOOD!!

Sydney loved the snow at lights on the neuse!!

Some of the lights we saw on the hayride..

Sydney said this is Santas church..

Santa mannequin in the 3-D barn....

Trying to stretch up and get the marshmallow in the fire.....

Nothing like good "ol messy marshmallows....

Jingle Bell Rock.....

Sydney had her Christmas party at dance class last Tuesday night. It was the only time during the year other than the recital that parents are allowed to come in and observe, so me being the "involved" person that I am was SO EXCITED! I was ready with camera in hand! The girls did some dances to Christmas songs and then afterwards had some Christmas goodies. It was so precious and I love these memories because it always makes me think that Sydney will not always be young like this and I want to take all this in while I can.....Because Sydney you are your Mommy's heart!!!!!!!!

Sydney hopping...I mean skippin....Love her!! Don't worry baby...we will practice our skipping...:)

The old-time Massey tradition of skip around the circle....Who shall I choose???

Yummy Cupcakes!!!!

Oh Christmas Tree...Oh Christmas Tree

This year Sydney and I have our first real Christmas tree. Last year our prelit tree broke we we took it to the dumpster and this year Sydney was SO EXCITED about going to the tree farm to pick out our tree. The Friday after thanksgiving we headed to Charlie Wilders tree farm and Sydney walked and walked until she found just the right tree. She picked out the tree and we took it home and Sydney kept saying that she loved how our tree smelled so "minty". She decorated our tree with all her special ornaments that she is made over the years and other special ornaments we have collected over the years. The one negative thing about our tree that drives her mommy CRAZY is that when I went to purchase the lights for the tree I didn't pay attention to the box and see that some lights were white wires and some were green wires. Obviously I would like to have had the green wire lights but once they were bought they were going on the tree and will be corrected next year. It definitely annoys me every time I look at the tree and see the white wires but, past that Sydney did a great job and the tree is so pretty. We decided no more prelit's for us, it will be a new tradition for us of going to the farm to pick out our tree each year, just like I did when I was small!

So excited to find just the right tree....

This is the perfrect tree Mommy!!

Let the decorating begin.....!!

Checking the "minty"smell!

The tree is complete...what an awesome job she did!

So proud of my girl for writing all her classmates names on all 20presents..

Looking at the list and checking it twice..:)

Packing the presents to take for classroom christmas party.

We LOOVVEE Parades

We spent Saturday morning watching the Bunn Christmas Parade, We love parades and this year we have seen like 3 so far. The Bunn Christmas parade is my favorite, it is in our hometown and it is short and sweet and the kids get all excited about the candy that is thrown from the floats. We enjoyed watching Hunter in the Bunn Christmas parade in the Cub Scouts this year.

Here comes Bunn Cub Scout Troupe....

Way to go Hunter....Throw us Lollipops!!

Gathering candy from the floats....Sydney loves to pick up candy and give it to her friends..

Parade watching buddies...