New Year's Weekend 2015

New Year's Eve was very tame around here! :) Daddy put Felicity's new (narrow) carseat in our car, and he needed little sister to test it out. Can't believe that we will be a three-car seat family any day now. My back seat sure looks different! :) We even got a seat-belt extender to make it easier for Ave to buckle herself. She's excited about "taking care of both babies" in the back. We'll see how that goes! ;)

 We toasted with the girls at 7pm! They weren't huge fans of the sparkling grape juice, but they enjoyed the "cheers" part over and over again! We talked about what we were thankful for in 2014, and we all said what we were looking forward to most in 2015. Brandon's and mine were exactly the same. :) I guess you do become the same person after a while. ;) Daddy had kept us a fire going all day, so it was nice and cozy in our house!

 On New Year's Day, the girls dressed up in their pretty outfits from Aunt Connie and Uncle Kenneth!

 This year we celebrated Christmas with Gigi and G-Pops on New Year's Day! Our girls could hardly wait for them to get here that Thursday afternoon! They attacked them both upon coming in the door! ;)

The girls with Gigi and G-Pops before they opened their presents!

We started off by face timing with Uncle D, Aunt J (happy birthday, Aunt J!), and baby Blair, and the girls opened their gifts from them!

Avaree is so much fun to watch open gifts! Everything is amazing, and she wants me to see it all! I love it! She has been obsessed with these super soft purple and zebra house shoes!

LOVE this adorable outfit from Uncle D and Aunt J! I wish they made it in my size!

Meanwhile, the only way we even got Felicity to look at her present was to show her that it had fruit snacks in it! She is a hoot! Then, she saw the Minnie cup and decided she was into this! ;)

Thank you, Uncle D, Aunt J, and Blair! It was definitely not the same that we didn't get to see Spencer, Shan, and Evy, or Darrin, Jamie, and Blair, but we are looking forward to getting to see them after baby boy comes! :) For now, technology is a treasured gift! 

After that, Avaree started passing out gifts, and Felicity figured out that she had more presents to open!

All on her own, Avaree initially requested that Gigi and G-Pops get to go first. She quickly forgot this HUGE comment, but it's okay. I know the struggle is real, and she does have a sweet heart! I love how excited she was to watch her grandparents open their gifts this year though! I hope that she will always want to shop with me for special things for them!

Gigi loved her necklace!

G-Pops loved his new work gloves!

Felicity was very interested!

Then, it was little sister's turn! Gigi tore off the end of the paper, so that she could see what was in the box, and she started going bananas trying to get it off!

Then, silly Elmo was tied so many times to the box!

She was waiting so patiently, but she wanted to hold him so badly!

Almost!

She got to hold him! This is Hug Me, Elmo, so he hugged her back and talked to her! She loves him!

Happy girl!

Avaree was up next! She got an Elsa dress and has worn it at least once every day since! ;)

G-Pops got some golf balls too!

Gigi (and Elmo) liked her pictures!

Felicity finally got the hang of it! She loved her Elmo books!

Sister got some new tennis shoes that fit her EVER GROWING feet!

Little sis loved her Minnie jammies and socks!

Daddy opened for baby Brandt! 

…and for himself! A golf discount card!

We are so thankful for all the wonderful gifts! 

My favorite gift was a zoo membership for our whole family!!! I can't WAIT!!!!!!!!!!

After opening gifts, we had our Christmas dinner of steaks, mac and cheese, rolls, bacon-wrapped green beans, and pumpkin cake/gluten free cookies! 

Then, it was bath time! The girls enjoyed some cuddle time with Gigi before bed!

The next morning, Felicity woke up with fever, and she didn't feel good AT ALL. She fell asleep sitting on Gigi's lap while Avaree searched through my Young Living product guide--ha! 

Later that morning, after Felicity got in her bed for her real nap, Gigi treated Avaree and I to amazing pedicures, and then we picked up a super yummy lunch to bring home!

G-Pops and Avaree danced to "The Sound of Music" sing along many times that afternoon!

We had such a fun weekend celebrating Christmas with Gigi and G-Pops! 

Sunday morning, though, Felicity continued to run fever and feel just yucky. She only wanted to be held, and I didn't mind since I woke up feeling awful too!

Avaree pretty much entertained herself all day (at least until Daddy got home from church)!

Occasionally, once her oils and meds kicked in, Felicity ventured over to the other side of the room!

Want a real life picture of how I felt? This is it!

She couldn't sleep laying down, so she slept on me, and I couldn't sleep because I couldn't get comfortable, so I did math flash cards with photographer Avaree on the couch while she slept!

Thankfully, we are both feeling better today! We have been praying that baby brother would stay put until we are all better. So thankful to God for allowing that so far! 
Happy 2015!!