Almost Christmas...

More pictures (and a few videos)  from our holiday preparations. 

Deedee does some fishing.

Gwennie all dressed up for Aunt Erika's graduation party!

Mesmerized by the tree...

William had a fun time eating  decorating a gingerbread house with Nanna...

Gwennie got some nice snuggle time with Grandpa as he showed her the tree.

Reading Star Wars (what else?) 

William is learning to appreciate the joys of Christmas! I caught him in a rare moment, just sitting quietly, staring at the fire.

Back at home in Carlisle, we had a few days to spend with Daddy during his holiday break from law school. We took William to a local farm with a cute holiday play area. Gwennie, all bundled up, came along too. 

Christmas cookie baking - to take to William's preschool the next morning. There was a little cookie party in the gym after their Christmas program.

One benefit of egg allergies = being allowed to sample the dough since there are no raw eggs in the recipe!

Gwennie helped "Santa" wrap.

This was William's face at the exact moment he spotted Esch in the crowd at his Christmas program. They sang Jingle Bells, Rudolph, and the show-stopper, "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. Here is a short video:

click here

One of my favorite photos of him, ever.

He spotted me!

Taking a little rest from singing :)

Gwennie got her gift from Santa (this play mat) a few weeks early. She likes it so much that she played herself to sleep, smiling.

Gwen is cooing, squealing, and giggling up a storm. She turned 12 weeks old this week and will celebrate her 3-month birthday on Christmas. Here's a video from last night, laughing with Daddy:

click here

December (thus far) in pictures

We're all in the holiday spirit lately - Gwen is preparing for her many firsts. Here she's wearing "My First Christmas" PJs that were William's.

Our little man is now very into Star Wars - can you tell? Though he's never seen the movies, his Daddy reads him books and knows all about the characters. As soon as Esch gets home in the evening, he is asked, "Do you want to battle me?"

We're having fun with holiday traditions including making the salt dough ornaments I made with Nanna growing up. I will never forget how William kept asking if he could eat them. After saying no for the 13th time and explaining that they do look like cookies but are not, in fact, food, I let him sample the dough (which is just water, flour, and salt) - he was not thrilled with the taste. Georgia must have been, though - she later tried to eat one ill-fated, low-hung star off of the tree.

Last week we had 2 days in the high 60s, and took advantage with walks and some much-needed park time.

Gwennie had fun, too:

Last weekend we bundled up at night and took the kids to the Boiling Springs (nearby small town) Tree Lighting. It was cute - hundreds of luminaries all around the lake in the park, hundreds of people, free candy canes and hot chocolate, a lovably out-of-tune high school band playing carols, and the big event... after the tree, which was floating in the middle of the water suddenly burst to life during "O Christmas Tree"... SANTA appeared, moving toward the waiting crowd in a rowboat. William liked it; Gwen snoozed.)

Gwen and I are best friends and are already sharing clothing. Here, she's wearing my first dress circa 1982. I thought it was cute...

she thought it was delicious.

One of those warm afternoons I bribed WW into a few pictures in the back yard with promises of sandbox play. It was warm enough for short sleeves and probably about the same temperature as inside the house, but I still put Gwen in her winter bunting because... well, look at it!

William spent a long weekend in Clarion with Gugu and Pop-Pop, and at night after Dad was done studying (he is taking his first final as I type this), we got to have some rare quiet time with Gwennie. She is full of coos, and happy little squeals are her newest trick.

Our friend DeeDee the elf is back this year. Each morning he magically appears in a new place and William loves looking for him.

Deedee made himself a bed in our tissue box (sign says, "SHH! Elf sleeping!)

Off to get ready for the 3 year old elf's return. We missed him so much. Thanks for giving him a fun time, Gula and Pop-Pop!

New videos

Click on the below links for some videos of our little crew:

William playing with Gwen

Gwen and Daddy

William asleep at dinner

William laughing at old Xmas cartoon

Also... bonus pictures -

of Gwennie today, at 10 weeks:

And her big brother:

Thankful

It's nice having our family on a "student" calendar while Esch is in law school - we have longer holiday breaks than we would if he were working a normal job. We arrived in Clarion the Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving (Gwen's first visit to GuGu and PopPop's!) and stayed until Thursday, when we all drove to Boalsburg for Thanksgiving at Nanna and Grandpa's house. 

Gwennie "talking" to GuGu.

William loves playing with his Dad's old toys 

(this visit, the Transformers were brought out!) when we visit Clarion.

Sleepy cuddles with Aunt Erika.

We took a family picture for the McCombie's Christmas card. I was just testing with the tripod here - before I ran in to join - but thought that this was a cute moment.

Morgan, Aunt Amy, Grandpa and Gwennie before the big meal!

Our dapper dude on Turkey Day.

Thanksgiving was the first time Nain and Taid had seen Gwen since the day she was born. 

She was now 8 weeks old!

Chatting over tea.

Aunt Denise and Gwennie.

The girls! (Shannon, G, me, Erika)

Loving Nanna.

So tuckered out the day after Thanksgiving. (Gwen actually had her best nights' sleep ever that night - 8 hours straight!)

Nain and Taid's new (infamous after having practically the whole of Boalsburg looking for her while she was lost for TWO WEEKS!) dog, Mora.

Hi, Grandpa!

This was the "keeper" in a very rascally little 10-minute episode trying to get a shot of the kids with Nain and Taid. Big Brother was having a little temper tantrum for the first half.