Beautiful

Isn't it beautiful when your kids take a nice photo-it truly is cause it's so rare. Another absolutely beautiful thing is when your youngest child finally learns how to put herself to sleep.

Olivia's Christmas Program

I was able to go to Olivia's school today for a Christmas concert the 1st graders put on. It was so cute and fun to watch them perform. Olivia was so excited to perform today, she has now decided to be an actress and has announced her debut performance will be Christmas Eve (she has started to orchestrate a reenactment of the manager scene, staring her, her 2 sisters and the dog). We anxiously await this sure to be grand performance. This is Olivia with her best friend Jana

Olivia and I after the performance

Santa

Don't you love the pictures of your kids with Santa Claus?

Sophie's just pretending, she loved it

Olivia was so happy here, so excited.

This is the first year Maddie wasn't scared to sit on Santa's lap. Last year she wanted to so much, but she was still so leery of him that the whole time she was uncomfortable, and there were no smiles. But this year was great for her, since this was actually the real Santa Claus not just someone dressing up like last years.

Mother

My mom and Aunt came into town this week. This has become somewhat of an annual occurrence. My aunt comes into town to see a polmanologist in Pittsburgh and my mom kindly comes with and they stay with us to be close to her appointments. It's always bittersweet when they come. I always know it's a short trip and when they leave it's right around the holidays, which is the time of year you miss your family the most, when your apart. My love and admiration for my mother grows each year, as I realize more and more of what she truly has achieved in her life. It's a pleasure to have them stay with us, for they truly are 2 of the greatest women I know. This time I console myself with the knowledge that I'll see everybody very soon in February at Bobby's wedding-I just don't know if I dare to take the kids on my own(am I selfish to go to the wedding on my own?)
Grandma and the 3 girls

Mom showing off her iPhone of course. Trent looking on as if thinking "maybe that phone is better than my palm pre", yeah right.