more december fun

what a crazy month!  i feel like so much is jam packed into 24 days. so much shopping, wrapping, baking, mailing, dropping off presents, parties, setting up for parties, cleaning for the parties, cleaning after the parties. it's craziness.  one thing i have tried to do is slow down a little bit.  i didn't do that great of a job.  some days i felt like we were never even home. but, i made a conscious effort to have more low key days.  and since the weather has been so beautiful, we've spent a lot of afternoons just playing outside.

izzy will just sit and watch mae play outside for hours.  and lucky for us, it's been perfect weather for that.

my mom sent this picture, pop's gravestone is up, and it's perfect.  there were also wreaths put on all of the graves in the Quantico National Cemetery.  I'm grateful for those that made that possible.  

mae's favorite any time of the year that i can find a cookie cutter tradition is making sugar cookies.  she has become the master decorator.  she pretty much did all of the cookies by herself this year.  one of my favorite traditions growing up, so i'm so glad i get to share it with her.

mae has been asking for ages to take a dance class.  so, we finally signed her up for a ballet/tap class that starts in january.  her ballet shoes came in the mail yesterday and she was so pumped.  she was ready to put them on and get dancing.

 i had to hide them so she wouldn't wear them all the time. 

love these girls.  and i love how much they love each other.  mae has become quite the little mother.  she is very concerned about izzy.  and is always saying "you okay izzy, i right here izzy".  

izzy is a mama's girl.  whenever i'm around she wants to be near me.  and if she can see me and i'm not sitting by her or holding her, she can get pretty upset.  her fourth tooth is finally starting to break through.  she crawls all over the place, and is starting to pull herself up. she eats more than i do.  and has the brightest smile of any person i know.