Christmas Day Video 2011

Instead of uploading the little videos I took Christmas Day morning, I made an iMovie of them. This is probably something only a grandparent would love...nothing to fun, funny or fancy. Just a morning in the life of these girls-a special one in their case. I was torn this year with a really good camera and a really blah video camera-should have busted out the flip. Regardless, here are bits and pieces of our first Christmas morning as a family of four!

Embree Claire is Officially a Crawler!

Embree Claire has been rocking for quite sometime and in this last week she's picked her up hands and made a few moves. Well today she really busted some forward motion for us! I declare her to officially be a crawler! Way to go little one! So thankful for this week off so we could watch her learn this new skill!

Christmas Present and Christmas Past

Embree Claire at 8 months, as herself

Embree Claire at 8 months, as Frosty

Sidney Kate at 7 months, as herself

Sidney Kate at 7 months, as Frosty

And I believe this was my first post on the Lil Venable Fam blogspot...
For Comparison purposes...

The Goods

So after we woke up...we got to see this face a lot! And that's such a fun thing!

Seriously-might be the first year she's really ooed and awwed like this...loved it!

This one however, couldn't care less-she'd rather be sleeping. Just look at that face. She's thinking, "Minnie who?!"

Cash register! My child longs to be a "store girl" and I believe all her wishes came through with this gift! Rock on Santa!

New camera-great shot, have no idea how I did it. Woot!

And these two will be trouble one day...just look at their faces in these pictures!

Already making plans...and how about those adorable recliners?! Movie night fun in the future!

Got this idea from Jill Tuttle and I love it! I made a book for each girl of their year in pictures. I honestly think Sidney Kate loved hers-she loved looking at every picture and remembering what she was doing. That totally put a pause in our opening of gifts but it was awesome!

Time to drive...so wish this worked to our favor when she turned 16...years of experience.

Again...will be trouble one day!

Okay, so I have a great plan. Jackson, our neighbor, got a car that you can drive with your iPod. So I want to be able to drive SKV and ECV's car with mine...I just need a wifi spot on their car...and some other stuff I'm sure-but how awesome would that be?!

SANTA!

We hurried home after Mama's to get ready for Santa. Sidney Kate wanted to wear her new pjs, so we got her dressed, threw her into bed and...

...realized we FORGOT to put out cookies and milk for Santa! Even after Daddy and SKV spent a good part of the day making them. Soooo, we went back and pulled her out of bed to pour the milk and pick some some cookies.
Shew!

The next morning it approached 7:30 and we figured we needed to wake up some sleepy heads. I know soon and very soon they will be waking us up...so until then we'll enjoy this part.

GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE!

Look at that pout pout face!

Does it get any more precious?!

Maybe-crazy parents, don't you know NOT to wake a sleeping child?!

Onto the good stuff!

Christmas Eve at Mama V's

After the minor set back of a flat tire on the ol "Hond-er" we arrived at Mama's for our Christmas Eve dinner and fun. Still on camera high I probably took over 100 pictures...but here are the ones that made this post. :)

Mama and the girls...I have no idea how to get all folks in the picture in focus...still learning :)

Gran Mary and the needy one. She's only needy when she's tired...and if you are within 45 minutes of 7:00 I'd say she's needy. This baby needs and loves her sleep. But she was a trooper through Christmas Eve!

We're getting old enough to have an official kids table!

If I had to do a Christmas in pictures...you know like the "Year in Pictures" this one would probably be number 1! I can't imagine I took another picture as sweet as this one. Embree Claire loves some Rylan and he loves some ECV. He also doesn't mind that she nearly rips his face off. :)

Claiming her territory!

No one is safe with this bunch...glad there are some responsible adults around because you notice not one parent is in the picture!

Loves opening presents and has become fast at it!

Mama will forever be getting Victoria Secret bags/boxes from us. Just too funny NOT to give her something in them.

Dirty Santa-and all new random! I hear Ollie's was responsible for this-so if your kid is on this blanket and you didn't get one...head on over.

New Camera!

Smile if you are excited that Mommy got a new camera!
Smile if you are really excited because the pictures of your youth can only get better...I thought so. :)
Daddy got Mommy a new camera-bye bye point and shoot cameras!
I'm just about excited as one can be...I have no idea how to do all of the fancy things I dream of doing...but I can learn and until then...I'll at least have clear-er shots and more sweet moments.

Disney Princesses on ICE!

In early December we hit up Disney Princesses on Ice...and-it-was-UH-MAZING!
Sidney Kate really enjoyed seeing her favorite princesses and I believe I had a blast myself! It was amazing how the stories unfolded without you really paying much attention to the stage hands-they were constantly hitting you with new characters along with surprises left and right!
The stories we were told were: 1) Princess and the Frog 2) Cinderella and 3) Tangled. Wow wow was Tangled awesome-they even flew from Rapunzel's hair! And at the very end all of the Disney Princesses came out with their menfolk. Sidney Kate loved it, Mommy loved it and Daddy said that all his dreams came true because of it...hahaha!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Venables!(Now I have a new camera which means way more pictures than I can ever post...ahhh!) :)

Dentist at 3.5 years

We are at the dentist for SKVs 2nd check up! She is rocking this like no other. She has had X-rays-the small ones and big ones!! We have pictures of her teeth to take home and everything!! She was the bravest of brave!! Now off to built gingerbread houses....shhh-don't tell the dentist!

Feeding the Baby

Sidney Kate LOVES feeding Embree Claire. Usually we share, she feeds then I feed. But on this day she did it all. I find it hard to watch because she's left handed...but she does it well. I remember Uncle Tony saying something about watching Susu cut a tomato left handed...it's just a hard thing to do. :)

Bathtime Baby

Embree Claire has moved to the big girl tub...I may have blogged this before...but it's so my favorite thing! It was a Christmas gift from us to Sidney Kate her first Christmas...so the age difference is Embree Claire 7 months and Sidney Kate 8 months.

Look-at-all-that-HAIR! We haven't used a hair dryer once on ECV...SKV was using it since month 1. Ah the many sweet differences in these little ones.

We be shopping

Today-Black Friday-is a day that I go shopping with Momma. So today was daddy's first day with the girls. They cleaned and played...and went shopping.

Trick or Treating

We started off the night with a trip to Uncle Keith and Aunt Emily's for our annual Halloween picture. We missed the Freemans this year, but hopefully we'll all be available next Halloween!

It's never easy taking the pictures...and apparently it isn't easy smiling for them. But man aren't they cute!

Our second stop was Mama's. SKV was counting our trips for us...this was our second she noted.

ECV was reaching out of Mama's arms...Mama gave her a piece and she plugged that baby right into her mouth.

Third on our route was Gran Mary and Papa's.

Followed by Mama Cox's house...

angels singing right? I don't even know what they were doing but it's funny.

Our final stop was Uncle Josh's house. We made him our last stop in hopes that Aunt Jill would make it home from work. She didn't-doh! Apparently Halloween is not a holiday she gets off...maybe next year. :)

Of course SKV wants to feed Gui treats before she gets hers. Yummy raisins for the little fella.

Cheese!! We missed you Aunt Jill!

...We started our "treating" after daycare...but those pictures are on Mommy's phone...they might make it here one day. :)