Christmas Eve

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Flight canceled after long day at the airport.

Santa Comes to Belmont!

Scroll to the bottom for the good stuff.

Sophie is such a fun baby sister. I am (almost) always very sweet to her. Here you can see me waking her with a kiss.

We got to go (yesterday) to see Leonard Bearstein. You might remember we went last year, too. Sophie & I were enraptured for about 10 minutes, and then we discovered the really fun things - stairs & an escalator.

Here I am (note the cute new 'do) walking from the orchestra back to the car in the rain.

And, now...the good stuff... Here is some photography by ME!!!!

When company comes over, Mommy likes to vacuum & clean first. Here you can see all the toys are up on the fireplace.

I like to welcome guests (Joy & Elisa) by dumping my toys all over the floor. Nothing says "mi casa es tu casa" like that.

Virginia Video

Here is one video of a very funny girl.

Richmond, the Third (Gardens, Gifts, & a Giraffe)

On Sunday night, we went to a botanical garden to see their lights.

Sophie & Aunt Rebecca looking at the train.

The big girls (sorry Sophie) sitting in an Asian house.

When we got back to the hotel (after scoring some free Panera cookies & fruit), we got to open some Christmas presents! How cool is that?!? These are all the ones from Uncle Neil & Aunt Rebecca. Their theme this year is ebony & ivory. One present was bought on the trip, so we had to improvise a little.

Sophie giving Uncle Neil a cozy hug.

Monday morning, we headed to the zoo, while the Delaware crowd headed back up north. Here Daddy is feeding a giraffe. We also got to feed sheep, camels, a zebra, goats, deer, warthogs, and llamas.

More Richmond...

We went to a restaurant that had about 20 different kinds of hot dog. Here Uncle Neil & Sophie provide pre-dinner entertainment.

I was, of course, the dinner show. Here I am eating an onion. Aunt Rebecca says I'll eat anything.Sophie was a little sick on this trip. She had a nasty cold & (at times) a wee fever.

But, a girl has to always look co-ordinated. This is her birthday present from Uncle Neil & Aunt Rebecca. (It was cute clothes!)

Richmond with some Roosmas

This weekend, we got to drive up to Richmond, Virginia to see Uncle Neil & Aunt Rebecca. It is the half-way point between us & them.On the drive up, we stopped at Arby's for some lunch. Sometimes, if Mommy has to do something important (like go to the bathroom) AND Daddy has to do something important (like do photodocumentation of our trip), we are confined to some highchairs. See how good we are???

Speaking of lunch, guess what was the main course at the Science Museum of Richmond?

Uncle Neil is a little strange.

Here is a little rest & relaxation. We are probably winding down from one excursion & getting prepared to head on our next one.

Holiday at the Gardens or A Traumatic Encounter with the Big Man

Yes, things started off alright. It was a little drizzly outside, but it stopped by the time we pulled up to the gardens. Kate had been so excited all day, so we hated to say we weren't going. The girls were very excited to see, almost immediately, a Christmas tree with a train circling it.

So maybe it was a little cold. But, Kate is always all smiles when Daddy is around. As for Sophie, she had her mother's keys to play with.

And, of course there was the main attraction... the beautiful lights everywhere.

But, all these things lose their luster when a strange man wants you to sit on his lap. This was about as close as Kate would willingly go to the right jolly old elf.

Sophie, unfortunately, had no choice. She was thrust upon his lap for a photo op. She's probably not even sleeping now - she's just plotting revenge.

The Big 0-1!!

Today was my birthday, so I get to narrate the blog... 1st necessity (according to Dad): a hat. Mommy forgot to buy one, so Daddy crafted one for me. I didn't like it, as you see...going going

GONE!

2nd necessity (most important - according to Mom): cake!
3rd necessity: Presents!!! This is from Opa & Grandma. It comes all the way from Holland! It is very fun.From Daddy & Mommy: A teddy bear as big as me!! In this picture, I am patting his tummy.

Daddy was spinning a post-cake yarn, so I am sitting attentively listening. See how I am utilizing 2 of my presents.

Random Pics of the Day

Who's YOUR daddy??

Micah & I went to hear "The Magic of Christmas" at the symphony tonight. Before, we went outdoor ice skating.

It was lots of fun!We LOVED some of the decorations we saw downtown. The big Christmas trees were pretty, but this was my FAVORITE!

A Pre-Bed Drink

Nothing gets me ready for bed like a nice shot of something...

This is my sultry look.
Good to the last drop. (For any of my more sensitive friends - it is only grape juice.)

Billy Graham Christmas Special

Hey folks. My last three months have been consumed by this project. A super awesome team of people have made this program a really incredible Christmas Special.
It airs near your sometime between tomorrow and next weekend so go to www.billygraham.org/tv to see when it airs in your area.

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Kate's rabbit impression

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Kate is sophie's private chef!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Don't I look like my new friend - the snowman? Man, I wish Daddy would finish taking pictures, so I could go into the warm house like Sophie. (Visible in the dining room window.)

Our fresh wreath from the Christmas tree lot in downtown Belmont.

Quietly sitting - admiring the tree...

But, sometimes, the excitement of Christmas is too overwhelming!

Life With Daddy

Daddy has finished the December television special. (Be sure to check out when it airs by you at: http://www.billygraham.org/TV_Index.asp.) So, we have lots of time to play with him. This is what I gave Daddy for his birthday. We have lots of fun building towers.

On Saturday, I was a little sick. Daddy stayed home with Sophie & me while Mommy ran some errands. This is a delicious meat & cheese sandwich that Daddy prepared for me.

Daddy taught me the finer points of photography. Here is the first picture I ever took!

Sophie was left to her own devices. Here she is talking on her phone, drinking, & driving!
Sometimes we give Daddy a break, and we play with each other. Here I am chauffering Sophie about. She is a pretty good passenger, I can't complain.