Happy Birthday Caroline!

{DECEMBER 5, 2008}

My happy, bouncy, bubbly, beautiful Caroline is five! Where has the time gone? She has such a happy soul, she is so full of sunshine and joy. We just love her -- she brings so much imagination and energy into our family! She's my Bubba Jo, my Caroline Valentine. We had a couple of different parties for her (one earlier when Grandma and Grandpa Becraft came up with Paige) and one on her "real" birthday.

Grandma can always find the funniest, silliest presents that the kids just love. This year's was a big hit... her cap-a-tiller!

As ordered a blue, purple and pick princess castle cake!

Of all the presents she got this year, this is the one that got the big reaction: Tinkerbell socks! Good pick Laura!

Oh, Christmas Tree!

{DECEMBER 2008}

Why, oh why is it so hard to buy a Christmas tree and get it decorated?!? The fates just seemed to be stacked against us this year... blizzards, work schedules and illness absolutely made it impossible for all of us to go out and pick out a tree. The Fergacraft's / Becason's finally gave in and we got out the fake tree that Todd and I had bought (we haven't been home for Christmas in the years we lived in Washington, so we just used a fake one there). It felt so good to finally put up the tree. We decided to just let the kids go and decorate it with whatever they wanted... boy, that tree had personality!

Ohhhh, what a tender moment!

Our traditional Christmas family picture... non my favorite one, but not bad for a timer on my little camera!

Only one last thing we needed to do to be ready for Santa... cookies!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Christmas....

*Phew!* Bring on Christmas, we made it just in time!