Christmas Day

The girls slept in until 8:30 on Christmas morning so I snuck down and took some pictures of what Santa had left in front of the tree. Rylee got a jeep and Abbie got the life-size doll from the movie Tangled that she was asking for. Santa also filled stockings this year with very practical PJ's since the girls are growing so quickly their tummys have been hanging out so thank goodness Frigalee told Santa about the bare bellies at the Virts house.

Rylee climbed right in her jeep, but she kept asking Abbie to climb in with her....

so Abbie did because that is the kind of person Abbie is. She gives in and does everything Rylee wants her to do. Rylee is so lucky to have such a giving sister!

Abbie with the life-size Rapunzel

We took the Jeep outside for a spin before we started opening any other presents. Once we got outside Abbie noticed there were tracks from Santa's sleigh and reindeer in our front yard. Abbie cared about the tracks while Rylee just wanted Abbie to make the jeep go faster.

The girls got a ton of other presents including a talking cat, meowing lion, Nintendo DS, clothes, and Rylee's favorite, a talking Elmo.

We had just a relaxing Christmas morning. We played with toys and set up the Wii where Abbie beat us in canoeing and bowling before we showered and got ready to head to Grandma Nate's for dinner. It was so nice to just enjoy Christmas and not just rush through to head to some place else.

After dinner at Grandma Nate's we talked Uncle Fredy, Grandma Nate, and Jeremy into joining Abbie and I in a few games of Twister and Pictionary. It was a fabulous Christmas and one that I will remember as one of the best for years to come. Yet another year has passed and 2010 was another amazing year and I am lucky I have such an amazing family. I feel blessed to have such a caring husband and two beautiful daughters and can hardly wait to see what 2011 has in store for the Virts.

Christmas Eve

We were really fortunate this year that Jeremy didn't work any of Christmas. I can't remember when he hasn't worked either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day...it was so nice to share the whole thing with him. Christmas Eve was at Tante Lilli's new condo but all other traditions stayed the same. We ate appetizers after church since that is faster than a sit down dinner for everyone and then the present opening begins.

Look at that, one of Santa's VERY cute elves....

Uncle Manfred's gifts were big hits. Rylee got a doll that talked and called her mommy....

and Abbie got a Easy Bake oven. Look out, now she is the chef!

Another HUGE hit this year was the pillow pets from Tante Lilli. Abbie asked for the polar bear but Rylee got the puppy too and both have snuggled with them every night since.

This year both Grandmas were at Christmas Eve so the girls enjoyed showing them their gifts

Rylee also volunteered to help Oma with some of her gifts too....

Once we leave Lilli's we still have a lot of Virts' family traditions to finish on Christmas Eve. We feed the reindeer, set out the cookies and milk for Santa, and read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas before we all nestle in our own beds to await Santa's arrival.

Our Christmas Baking and Decorating

We had a nice week long break from school before Christmas this year so the girls and I decided to use the time to do some baking. Most of you know that baking is not in my domestic duties so we mixed up some sugar cookie mix by adding an egg and some flour and were good to go! Abbie loved decorating them with frosting and sprinkles and Rylee loved eating them. We made a good team!


Abbie, you decorate the cookies...I'll watch and eat this salami.

The finished product



After we perfected the cookies, we decided it would also be a good time to put together and decorate the gingerbread house. It was nice to be ready for Christmas so we could spend some time together before the chaos started.

Virts' Family Christmas

We celebrated Christmas with Jeremy's family on the 21st. Jeremy's brother, Josh, was home for the holidays so we seized the opportunity for a fun-filled family get-together. We started off Christmas in Belt with some sledding in the park. The kids had a great time and it was so fun to watch all the girls and grown-ups relax and have a good time.

Jeremy did some sled pulling.....

and so did Grandpa Jerry,


Josh did some driving or teaching to drive...

Jeremy had some drivers too...

and Grandma Nita did some sledding.

Chloe, Rylee, and Abbie

Ashley and Abbie

Caitlyn and Rylee


Rylee was a trooper and lasted outside just as long as the big girls.


After we had spent a few hours sledding we headed back to Grandma and Grandpa's for sandwiches for lunch and, of course, some present opening. The ritual of opening presents happens so fast and is kind of a whirlwind here..I wish I got pictures of the girls opening everything, but it all happens so fast that I am happy to catch just a few pictures. Abbie was spoiled by getting a jewelry maker from Auntie Rosie and Uncle Josh (this is one of the things she wanted the most) and Zhu Zhu pet houses and matching Abbie and doll dresses from Grandma and Grandpa.

Rylee was in 7th heaven because she got a Dora trike (Big Wheel) that sings and makes noise from Grandma and Grandpa and a Sit and Play from Auntie Rosie. These fun toys, plus those of my nieces, made for a fun afternoon of playing. We even headed outside again for some more time on the 4-wheelers and sledding.

As the day started to wind down we stayed for pizza for dinner. The girls started to entertain Grandma and Grandpa with their true colors.

Here is the naked chicken dance that Rylee knows is always a hit and full of laughs

Sometimes dirty socks make good gloves too....

FD Kid Christmas

The annual Fire Department Christmas party had Abbie excited and Rylee less than impressed with Santa. Both girls were having fun decorating cookies and coloring when Daddy pulled up with Santa in the fire truck. Santa got out of the truck and as all of the kids started to run up for a spot on the floor, Rylee started to cry. Rylee is not interested about Santa at all. She would prefer staying as far away as possible. Abbie, however, sat on the floor and crawled up on his lap when he called her name for a present. She also listened to everything he had to say, including telling Jeremy he needed to put Christmas lights up on the house so that Santa can find it on Christmas Eve (thanks Santa...maybe we will get lights up on the house this year).

Santa brought both girls a new dry erase board. He must have known the last one has been used well and fought over so many times that they could both use their own (to preserve mom's sanity).

Rylee's 1st movie

On December 10, 2011 Rylee attended her 1st movie in a theater. We took her and Abbie to see Tangled in 3D. Rylee wasn't a big fan of the glasses but she LOVED the popcorn! The movie didn't really hold her attention and cause her to sit through the whole thing but she didn't cause a disruption either. Abbie, on the other hand, loved the movie and has asked Santa for the life-size Rapunzel doll.


Rylee in her 3D glasses

Abbie Christmas Program

December 8th was Abbie's Christmas program. Those Kindergarteners were the cutest things I have ever seen. They sang and had actions to 5 songs!! My favorites were a cowboy rendition of "Jangle Bells" and the Reindeer Pokey where you put your antlers in, your red nose in, and your fluffy tail in!

Abbie makes a pretty cute Rudolph

Have their antlers on and are ready to sing....

"You put your fluffy tail in, you put your fluffy tail out, you put your fluffy tail in and you shake it all about."

This is the "Yee Haw" after the cowboy "Jangle Bells"

Rylee Birthday

Rylee's 2nd birthday was celebrated on the afternoon of December 5th. Grandma Nate along with Lilli and Harry had vacationed in Cancun the week before Rylee's birthday and were delayed flying out of Mexico so we almost thought Grandma was going to miss Rylee's birthday. We pushed back the party and had Grandma head to the party right from the airport. We enjoyed lunch at Applebees and then back to our house for cake and presents.

Within the last few weeks Rylee's talking and vocabulary had taken off and she is chatting up a storm. "Duck" is a current infatuation of hers and she loves to see pictures of them and repeat numerous times, "Duck, Duck, Duck." Auntie Jacie bought her a book about a duck and it even quacks. Rylee loved it and spent about 5 minutes entertaining the group by saying "Duck" and laughing. It is a video that will warm my heart in 15 years when she is all grown-up.

Jeremy and I bought Rylee a playhouse for her birthday present. Currently the playhouse is indoors but will eventually be moved outside in spring. Rylee loves the house AND the doorbell AND the play phone that hangs on the wall. She will repeatedly tell you during the day, "House, House" if you won't take her downstairs to play in it. Grandma Nate has furnished the house with dishes, play food, and cradle for the baby...what else could you need?

Right now Elmo is Rylee's favorite cartoon character so it is what she chose for her birthday theme. It's so cute to hear her say "Elmo" in her little voice so I quickly jumped on board when she said his name while we were at the store.

Yum, I love ice cream cake!

Rylee,

Where has two years gone??? I seems just like yesterday that you were just a tiny newborn in my arms and we were bringing you home from the hospital. This year has been so fun watching you grow and learn new things. You have developed such an amazing personality in the last year especially now that you have started talking. You were a late talker. It wasn't until about 11 months that you became interested in really communicating. Now you add a word or two a day to your vocabulary. You even started out with manners!!!??? One of the first things you said was "Tank Too" when we would give you something or do something for you. Mamma and Daddy were words you were saying before 11 months but quickly Sissy, Abbie, and Ammie (Grandma Nate) became part of your vocabulary and towards the end of December you added your own name to the list. You love walking around and talking on a phone and you still love anything with music. Each time music is played you start to dance and as we approached Christmas this year you had learned the words (or most of them anyway) to Jingle Bells and were singing along with the dancing. One of your favorite birthday gifts was a singing card so I wonder if you will be musical? You did the chicken dance a lot this year..your version of the chicken dance was to flap your arms without your shirt on. You got the idea from Abbie and started doing it often because it always got quite a laugh from your audience. This year you also loved playing babies, wrestling with Sissy, being "tackled" (tickled), and doing anything Abbie was doing. Whatever Abbie is doing, you are right there doing it too. Your favorites right now are ice cream and popcorn...you can be bribed with either. You are my child that has no fear of anything and so we signed you up for swimming lessons and gymnastics this year. At swimming lessons you loved to jump in from the side of the pool. You weren't much for learning to lay on your back or start to reach forward but you LOVED to jump in. I had to be so careful because you would jump whether I was looking or not! We went to the waterslides this year and Abbie really didn't like the bigger slides and wanted to stay on more of the kid slides, but you loved the bigger slides. In fact, the bigger the better! Gymnastics was okay but honestly you weren't really interested, especially when week after week you did the same thing. I laugh and joke about how different you are from Abbie and how you are much more of a free spirit without any cares, but I am happy you are that way. It would be so boring if the two of you were the same so it is so fun to watch you change and develop personalities. I can hardly wait to see how you change in the upcoming year. Rylee, I love you so much!

Love,

Mom

Just a short glimpse of Rylee after her 2nd birthday