December in a nutshell Part ONE…

Warning LONG post below! 🙂

PREFACE: I love December and Christmas time for so many reasons, first, the refocus of our lives to Christ, and second spending time with family and lastly all the traditions.

With a new baby, I am a little ‘germ-i-fobic’ I hate taking our babies into crowds, (Lorelei’s only left the house twice other than going to doctors appointments). So the usual fun christmas time festivities out in the community we usually attend didn’t happen this year. But it was nice to have a lower key Christmas, and just do some crafts and such at home. And I loved doing our Christmas Shopping via the internet (I may never go back to christmas shopping in the stores!).

Also, with Toph’s Recent job change he had the opportunity to go to a conference in Texas. He was a little nervous about leaving me and the kids and new baby, so family was called in as reinforcements to ’emily-sit’. 🙂 So many little things happened during the week he was away and my mom and sister helped me SO MUCH in holding down the fort. My mom helped during the days and Amy came and spent her nights here. I am lucky to have such a great family.

So the highlights from the month:
Pink tub bathing

Snow playing (Doesn’t Elliot just look adorable in that snowsuit? And the boys worked so hard on getting that ball all rolled up)

Lorelei got to meet Aunt Cathrine for the first time

Still enjoying dressing Lorelei in bows

Watching a sleeping baby, and laughing when we check on her and finding headbands over her eyes!

Discovered Hand Dancing (thanks Sisters JoAnna and Emily!) And now Elliot and I want to be hand dancers.

Making gingerbread house (Tucker and Truman worked together incredibly well to build this masterpiece, while Elliot ate all candy with in his reach, and when he couldn’t get anymore yelled, ‘Need more Tandy! (Candy) for the rest of the evening.)

Elliot’s still loving being with Baby Sis, and goes and sits next to her, or climbs on my lap while I hold her just to talk to her, my favorite is when he says ‘hello pretty girl!’

And this video I wanted to see if I could get him to call Lorelei ‘baby princess’, because it makes me laugh when he says it. He didn’t say it, but it was pretty cute video anyways! 🙂

Honk her nose from Emily Phillips on Vimeo.

Getting lots of loves and cuddles from grams

Being spoiled rotten by aunt Amy. (and it wasn’t just Lorelei or Truman, we all were)


Enjoying the lights of a beautifully decorated christmas tree, (especially Lorelei)

Daily advent service calendar given to our family from their primary leaders (so great in helping keep the children’s focused on Christ this Christmas)

A revival of the pots and pans band that was started many years ago.

Pots and Pans Band from Emily Phillips on Vimeo.