Happy 5th Birthday, Ava!

Happy 5th birthday, baby bear! 

This cake was no joke, y'all. When you tell your daughter that you'll make her any cake she wants for her birthday, you'd better mean it ;)

Merry Christmas, 2014.

 Merry Christmas, y'all! This year we began what I'm assuming will be our first annual Harry Potter viewing on Christmas Day. Since then, we've watched the next three - she's hooked. That's my girl ;)

Ava and Jackson's Christmas Program 2014.

One of the things I really adore about our preschool, aside from the amazing teachers, small ratios and spirit of Christianity and giving, is their Christmas and end of year programs! There is something so exciting and charming about watching my children on stage, being supported and lifted up by so many who love them. Makes my heart swell every time!

This year was even more awesome than last year, since Jackson was in the program as well. Check out their adorable costumes and amazing set design:

Snow Day!

...psych. We're not getting any real snow around here.

Being Texans, there's a premium on snow. It's basically taken on the same mythical quality as Unicorns and the Loch Ness monster. That's why, each December, some of the local malls and outdoor arenas host "snow days", where they literally haul in tons of snow from, well, who knows where? Where's the closest place that has snow to spare? Oklahoma?

Anywho, we decided to go out to the Hill Country Galleria this past weekend to check it all out and show the kids some snow. Ava saw snow when she was 14 months old - which is, oddly enough, how old Jack is today - but she doesn't remember it, so this was the first time seeing snow in both of their memories! Their faces definitely showed the wonder of it all:

Unfortunately, their excitement was short-lived. It was jam-packed in the teeny tiny area, and people were throwing snowballs with the type of reckless abandon that one can only feel when exposed to a fleeting, temporary snow. Ava got pegged in the head by one rogue snowball, and the novelty wore off. That's my girl. Jack, in typical fashion, was less than impressed. Wet? Cold? Slippery? No way, Jose. 

Santa and Mrs. Claus Pictures: 2014.

Jack wasn't so sure about Mrs. Claus, but he certainly preferred her to Santa! Oy!

And then there's my personal favorite, and the standard by which successive years Santa pictures will be judged....It so perfectly sums up both of their personalities!