Mayfield Dairy

Not quite the dairy that we expected (it isn't a working dairy...more of a place where they make milk and you can learn how they do that by touring the plant - they don't have cows on site, rather have all the milk brought in 18 wheelers - it was interesting to see), we still had a fun time.  (We have our Cagle Dairy memories to think of from last year....and not have to smell the cows upclose - ha ha).  We enjoyed a morning at the Mayfield Dairy north of Atlanta this morning...the best part to the girls - the ice cream at the end - yum!  Grandpa, Granny, Aunt Meredith & Charlie joined us.  Abby was cracking me up...dancing around the store while she ate her ice cream - I tried to snap a photo (Hannah jumped in too) and I spared you the picture of Lexy trying to milk the cow outside the plant that was bigger than all of combined...and yes, we all had to wear shower cap like hair nets (even Charlie) since we toured a working plant - too funny!

Ahoy Mate

Or as the girls said all afternoon "ARRRRGGGGHHHH MATEY".  We had so much fun at Preston Dontje's birthday party...here are a few photos I took before we left (thanks to the Hutchinson's for the pirate attire - and Daddy for making two more swords for the big girls - woo hoo).

The day after....

We spent much of December 26 in pajamas.  Daddy read his book (how he could do it, I'll never know - I can't focus with all the playing (aka noise) - smiley face) and the girls played, played & played some more....a Faklaris tradition (one that drives OCD me crazy) all the toys stay out...FOR DAYS (but to me it seems like years).  It's fun...but Lexy must have asked me more than three times "why are all our toys in the dining room" (b/c I couldn't take them all being in our family room, kitchen, basement, bedroom and more...so I put them in there - ha ha - smiley face).  We have very, very generous family & friends who shared so much with our sweet girls & us - we are forever thankful.  Here's a few shots Chris took of the girls....enjoying the Easy Bake Oven and playing with their American Girl/Bitty Babies....but trust me - they played with every SINGLE thing that was given to them - nothing went untouched - smiley face.  THANK YOU!

Christmas 2009

Santa brought the girls everything they wanted...then their grandparents, Aunts, Uncles & cousins gave them more...smiley face.  It was another great day. 

After much debate, Santa brought Hannah an iPod - yes, our four year old received an iPod (thank you Aunt Laura & Uncle Adam - smiley face).  It was loaded with more Hannah Montana songs than most think possible & simply put - she's in heaven.  She walks around with the iPod player (she doesn't realize it needs headphones - as she sees ours in the kitchen that we play & thinks it's just a big radio) and gets excited when it's a song she knows and blasts it.  Too funny & so sweet. 

Lexy asked Santa for a few things...and he brought her the Nintendo DS.  While still a large learning curve for the game(s) - she's excited and has Daddy to help her (although neither of us are very good with video games - we'll get there).  She taught herself and loves her leapster, so I'm sure this will come with time too. 

Abby only asked Santa for a pink purse, but as I mentioned before, Lexy bought that for her and had told HAL (our elf) to let Santa know...so he surprised her with a Barbie house filled with furniture & fun (he even found some of the girls barbies from the basement and put them in the new house - the girls were impressed he knew to do that - smiley face). 

I'm still trying to figure out how Santa got soot on  our new rug, but alas...he did.  Lots of scrubbing to do for a small spot - but they have told everyone about the new stain. 

After opening all of  Santa's gifts...the girls got lots more from Daddy & Mommy (games, books, dvds and more), Grandpa & Granny (notice the picture with the vanity/hair salon center...among many other gifts - thank you), Gma (see the pictures with the girls and  their matching American Girl/Bitty Baby outfits - again, among many more gifts - thank you too), Aunt Meredith, Uncle Tom & Charlie (see the girls with their many headbands, again among other things - smiley face)....we all enjoyed breakfast at our house that morning.....took lots of pictures (it's hard to choose a few to post - I did love a few of the ones i took with the girls holding hands with their charm bracelets on (if I do say so myself - ha ha) - that's the gift that keeps on giving as we've added so many charms to their bracelets over the years....they have so much to remember - smiley face). 

Eventually after showers & christmas clothes, we headed off to Nana & Papa's for a fun filled day with all our the Faklaris side.  The girls were spoiled again with all kinds of furntiure and accessories for their American Girls and Bitty Babys (wish list items for Hannah!) from Nana & Papa (thank you!), as well as fun games, barbies and an Easy Bake oven (another wish list item from Lexy) from their cousins, Aunts & Uncles.  We played games, ate too much food and even more sweets, watched Christmas movies and just loved being with one another on such a special day.  As always, the time flew past and we could hardly believe it was bedtime....where did the day go. 

We feel so fortunate to have such an incredibly close & fun family....we love getting together with everyone - Christmas & everyday - smiley face.   Life is good!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was another fun filled day.  We started early by making our annual handprint Christmas pictures.  This was the first year that we've had Chris participate (and to think initially it was his present to me when Lexy was a six month old).  While we don't do Lexy's prints anymore (Meredith put the age limit at five years old - ha ha), it was Hannah's last year and Abby actually listened to us this year when we asked her what to do - smiley face. 

After that, we made our gingerbread house (why we call it that is beyond me b/c we've never once made gingerbread...we always put tons of icing on graham crackers & decorate that...but it's still our tradition and a fun one none the less - smiley face) with Granny & Grandpa.  As you can see from the pictures, Abby enjoyed the candy more than the actual decorating - yum!

We took a few pictures before church that afternoon....the sanctuary was beautiful with all the poinsettas and the christmon tree.  I sat on stage with the girls for their choir performance (so I couldn't tell you a word of what was spoken - quite distracting telling 4-6 year olds to sit pretty and stay still - and hand them tissue after tissue - ha ha - or gross as can be really - smiley face).  It was wonderful to look out and see our entire family on the first two pews - thank you everyone for coming - smiley face.

For dinner we headed to my mom's house - where she made a wonderful feast that we all enjoyed....and caught Hannah dressed up as Aunt Dana (or Princess Belle) and Charlie in the santa hat Aunt Meredith wanted so badly...thank you Aunt Laura - smiley face

Off to bed...Santa arrives soon -smiley face!

Night of Lights at Lake Lanier

We enjoyed another LATE night driving through Lake Lanier Islands and looking at the beautiful lights with Gma (it was CROWDED - Chris thinks there were 5,000 cars there - smiley face).  We sang along with the radio as we enjoyed all the pretty sights of Christmas.  Afterwards we enjoyed the carnival....first the girls went on the car ride, then Hannah picked the ferris wheel with Mommy (we nearly touched the sky we were so high up) and Lexy & Gma enjoyed the fast spinning Sizzler (lucky Chris didn't have to ride it - thanks Gma for taking one for the team) and the girls all had fun on the hot air balloons with Abby.  We topped off the night with cotton candy and roasted marshmallows (Hannah was done at that point - we were all EXHAUSTED) - what a treat!  One more day until Christmas....