Glaedelig Lille Julaften!

Our 2012 Christmas Tree. Dylly did a fairly good job leaving it alone, considering it is an enormous temptation. I ended up having to remove one strand of beads on the bottom, because they were just too much to resist (and caused too much catastrophe when pulled off!) We only hung baby-safe ornaments within Dylly range, and she had a few favorites to pull off that were re-hung several dozen times. But all in all, I'm glad we put it up in the room we hang out in all the time. We enjoyed it much more that way. 

Our Lille Julaften dinner table (I forgot to take any pictures after the candles were lit or anyone was sitting around it - shame on me!) We had Risen Grot (a Danish rice porridge) and grape juice as always, with the addition of a creamy tomato tortellini soup which may be Dylan's new favorite food. Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Kelly, & Uncle Jesse were all here. Unfortunately Mimi couldn't make it this year due to bad weather. We were all so disappointed not to see her this Christmas - we'll have to make a trip to Wooster soon! 

Dyl, modeling her Christmas tutu! (Because what little girl doesn't need a Christmas tutu?!?)

Dylly & Grandpa. I know they're not looking at the camera, but I thought it was too cute not to post it. She is a Grandpa's girl all of the sudden. When we went to church that morning, she just wanted to go straight to Grandpa!

Christmas Eve morning - watching Baby Signing Time while sitting in her rocking chair that Grandmum Wisconsin gave her when she was born. She thinks it's fun to sit & rock in, but she can't be left alone with it or soon enough she's standing up in it and waving her arms around. She's going to be a rock climber someday - she climbs on everything!

I was a complete slacker about posting during actual Christmas time - so I'll post about them a little belatedly. These are all the pictures I have on my camera, so I need to borrow Grandma's camera and download the millions of pictures from Christmas Eve & Christmas Day on there. Then I'll post about both of those days as well. We really did have a wonderful Christmas - it was so much more fun this year with a 15 month old Dylly around to provide tons of cuteness. We just love her SO much. We hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too!

Dylly's 1st Santa Photo Shoot!

Dylly's 1st time meeting Santa Claus! (Sorry for the terrible iPod photo of a printed picture. I'm too cheap to pay $10 more for the right to download it! ;)) Dylly really had fun meeting Santa. She was happy to sit in his lap, but was too busy pointing at everything on the "set" to take time to smile. Santa was great and worked really hard to get her to smile - he sat with her, put her on a rocking reindeer & sat behind her, rolled a ball with her on the floor, and let her stand in front of him while he sat in a chair. She was happy for all of it, but serious. The minute he'd let her go and she could run around and grab things, she'd smile away. In any case, this one at least has happy eyes! It was probably the worst picture of Santa, but the best picture of Dyl. So we went with it. Yay for a good first Santa experience!

After meeting Santa, Dyl & I went for a ride on the train in the mall. Another first!

She thought it was great fun - especially in the beginning. She liked waving at all the people we rode by, and had to try looking at all the various windows in our train car.

"Why aren't  you coming with us Grandma??" 

Someone might have struggled a little bit with the "hands, arms, legs, & head inside the car at all times." ;) Also with the "sitting at all times" rule - I'm pretty sure there was no sitting at all!

All aboard!

Looking like a sad caboose passenger. But really she was having fun, and I still think she looks adorable - even if she's not smiling. 

Playing in the kids' area after our train ride. She officially had her first Auntie Anne's pretzel experience today too - she's a fan of the almond pretzel, just like her Mom & Grandma! 

Elves on the shelf

"Hey, I've never sat up here before..."

"Oooh, look at this cool window frame thingy."

"I can keep a good eye on everybody from up here!"

"This is SO much fun!"

"Who's this? The elf on the shelf? He's keeping an eye on me to report to Santa?!? Oh dear, too bad he can see that Christmas tree I keep snitching ornaments off of..."

"We do make a pretty cute pair though!"

16 days till Christmas!

Dylly, all dressed up to go to the Christmas Play at Ebenezer Baptist Church this evening! We were out at Grandma & Grandpa's before that, making kleinjer, having dinner, and constructing Christmas count down candles. It's been quite the Christmas-y day - and very fun too! 

She definitely has a few little curls in her hair. When she's in the bath and her hair is all wet, it's down her neck almost to her shoulders!

Practicing her pirouettes. <3 p="p">

Getting our coats on to head out the door to the play. She had a blast at the play, as well as eating tasty treats and seeing all her friends (Emrie, Henry, Greta, Charley, Harper, August, Saylor, & Eden) afterwards. There was even a real donkey in the play, and all the kids got to pet it & it's baby outside when the play was over. Too cool!

Lecturing Grandma about something or the other. ;) She's probably telling Grandma to only look at the Christmas tree, but not touch it, because that's the #1 thing she hears these days!

It was a fun day - but boy have I got a lot of things to do to be ready for Christmas in 16 days! I think I need to borrow some of Santa's elves...