We Wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Well, here I am, another year and late blogging Christmas again. Why is it that I can never seem to get myself together right after the holidays? I don't know, but I think it's because there is so much to do after the holidays--unpacking, putting up decorations, cleaning, putting away presents, etc. Plus, one or more of us are usually sick in the fall/winter time. This year, it's been Lily and I, who have both been on antibiotics and Lily on an inhaler as well, but neither of us can fully kick this respiratory thing we got going on. I am already looking forward to spring, when maybe we can get healthy! We went to Greenville to my parent's house this year for Christmas. We aren't sure about what traveling for the holidays we'll be doing in the years coming up, when we will have an almost 4 year old and another little one, so we decided to make this trip again this year. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and had a great, relaxing time! Lily gets very excited to go there and play with her cousins, who are obviously way more entertaining than adults, like Mommy and Daddy. She loves to play with her older cousins who are 6 and 9 just as much as she likes to play with D, who is her same age. And they are so sweet to her. We got to Greenville on Christmas Eve and I was so sick that I went to bed around 9:00 p.m. We had a wonderful day and meal on Christmas day, just relaxing, talking and playing. Lily had been told the night before that Santa was coming that night, but still slept in and we eventually woke her up at 8:30 to open her Santa presents before my sister's family got there to open their presents from G-ma and G-pa. I love that my little girl likes to sleep in--she takes after her Daddy that way, who, even at this age, would sleep until noon on the weekends if we let him. Unfortunately, I took no pictures on Christmas day--this seems to be a running theme in my life lately, which doesn't bode well for baby #2.

The next day we took the kids to Greenville's Children's Museum, which was so huge and so impressive!! I have now been to 4 children's museums and this one was by far the best!! It had 3 levels of fun for them and such different and cool stuff. Every kid enjoyed themselves, from Austin, all the way down to D.

Lily in a wind tunnel.

Anna climbed all of the way this tower-thing, which goes 3 stories up!!

D doing a little climbing.

Lily liked to climb on this part for some odd reason.

Anna helped Lily climb up part of the way...until Lily decided she was up too high and then Anna helped her down before going back up herself. What a nice older cousin!

D in a racecar!

The 4 of them in a bubble which is surrounded by water!!

Lily playing with one of the water displays.

Lily and D in the construction area.

Lily milking a cow. Water actually comes out of the udders when you pull down on it!!
Lily in the construction zone--they loved this part, especially D!

I have a great video of the kids playing music in the music room at the museum, but for some reason, it's not letting me post it. I'll try again later.

We came back to town on Sunday, but were sad to go. With the baby coming, we have no idea of the next time we will be able to visit. We took the Christmas decorations down on New Year's Day--I have to admit I was sort of happy to see the tree go, just because it takes up so much space, but I was sad to take down our Christmas Village and really really sad to take down our cards and the Christmas things Lily had done in school. These 2 doors just made me happy to see everyday.

Lily enjoying her favorite part of the Christmas tree--the candy canes that I hung on it! I don't buy the peppermint kind because I don't really like those either, so Lily enjoyed the fruity flavored ones a lot!

Lily's school projects.

Our Christmas cards--I love checking the mail everyday during the Christmas season to see what cards we got that day!!

Now we are busy getting ready for Baby, who is due to be here in a short 5 weeks. I am very aware that that means that if this baby works on Lily's schedule, the baby will be here in 1 week...so I am preparing for 1 week left, but hoping for at least 2-3 weeks left. It sure is a lot more complicated the second time around, when you also have to figure out what you are going to do with your first while you are in the hospital. We still haven't settled on a girl's name, but think we know our boy's name. It may not be necessary--we'll see!!