An Alabama Christmas Right Here in the Twin Cities

We are so blessed by the generosity of everyone. This post is mostly for family in Alabama. You take the time to think of our family and shop for us. Then you ship gifts to us. We keep them under the tree until the eve of Christmas Eve and then we have an "Alabama" Christmas. (Cioci Lynda and Dad--Your gifts came after we had our AL Christmas. So sorry there isn't a picture of the girls opening them.)

The girls, sporting gingerbread cookie nightgowns, in front of the tree.

Aunt Leigh sent beautifu Princess Belle holiday dresses.

They love their Muskateer Barbies from Cioci.

Thanks for the magazine subscription and new purse and wallet.

And the Holiday Barbies!! Can't forget those.

The Things They Say

Ella: "Mom, how many times did you marry?"

Me: Knowing that she means 'how many times did you get married?' but not knowing why she would ask such a thing. So, I waited without responding.

Ella: Looking very lost in thought, "Oh, you have two kids so you got married two times!!!"

McKenna's Christmas Concert

McKenna is in the Children's Choir at our church. She loves singing and is pretty good at it. Our church put on a Christmas Concert and the Children's Choir sang in it. Here are a few pics:

A Christmas Tradition

Okay, so....blogger has change some things. I am still figuring out photo location on my blog posts. Anyhoo....these photos are of my sister modeling a Christmas tradition on the "Higgins" side of the family. Uncle Dave, without fail, wears this outfit each Christmas. Right now-as I  post-he is proudly donning his Christmas apparel. It's complete with slim cut jeans that may or may not be tapered at the leg and stone washed!!

You'll notice that Sara has her mouth opened in one of the photos-that is because Uncle Dave walks around with his jaw hanging down as if ALWAYS astonished about something. Ya gotta love him! I do!

Ella's Christmas Program

Added: I uploaded a short video at the end of this post!

Ella's preschool puts on a Christmas program each year. I remember Ella chose not to really sing last year. Do you remember? But, this year she did. After the show she was pumped up on adrenaline and asked several times to do the show again. I am so glad that preschool has helped to increase her self esteem and confidence! Here are a few pictures for you (I have a digital video but blogger has changed too much and I can't figure out how to upload my video. Once I get that figured out, I will post it. Any advice is much appreciated!). By the way, Ella was a sheep. She stood on the back row for most of it.

Here they are walking into the church. Ella is the "leader of the sheeps" as she would say.

Ella singing next to her good friend E.D.

I love this photo. I apparently snapped mid-word. It's cute, too me.

Both preschool classes. Ella is in the way back row-to the right of the photo.

Ella and Mrs. Barb

Ella and Mrs. Jan

Merry Christmas

Hopefully, you all got your Christmas card. You probably recognize some of these photots from your card. Each year, Mammy and Papa give the girls beautiful holiday dresses. This year they are sporting the American Girl holiday dresses.

A girls' weekend in Nashville

In December, I was blessed to be able to join some of my family on a very extra-special weekend trip to Nashville, TN. I am so blessed and grateful to my husband (and in-laws) for watching the girls. This weekend was very important to my grandmother. In November of 2008 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a lumpectomy. In January of 2009 she went through chemotherapy and then completed treatment with 7 weeks of radiation (5 days a week). During that process she lost her mother. On the last day of her radiation treatment, she traveled from Alabama to Ohio to say her goodbyes and then to assist her siblings in the planning of the funeral.

So, by December of 2009....she was due for some good, girls only, fun. So my grandmother, mom, sister and a few aunts met up in Nashville to shop, gab, and see the Radio City Rockette's Christmas Spectacular. We shopped, watched chick flicks (The Proposal- which was hilarious), shopped more, ate more, toured the Opryland Hotel and took in a show! It was a fun-filled weekend that will not be forgotten. I'm honored to have been a part of it.

Here we are: Mom, Sara and me--we are on the Delta river ride inside the Opryland Hotel. I will be posting a few more pics of the Opryland Hotel in a different post. I am waiting on my mom to burn the pics I took to a CD. This particular river ride is neat. The hotel collected waters from a number of bodies of water around the world. They have a list of where all of the water is from. Very cool!

Isn't my cousin Kasey so pretty!?

Some of the most beautiful (and scrumptious) cupcakes you will ever see! We had these at the Opry Mills Mall. They were very good.

Aunt Lynda and Haley

Sara, pole dancing!

Grandma, me and cousin Taylor

Ahhh, how sweet!

Sara and Grandma. I think this is a great shot of both of them.

All of us, minus my Mom and Grandma:

Heather, Sara, Taylor, Me, Haley, Pam, Lynda, and Kim

Haley with everyone's ticket for the show.

Hot Grandma!

Aunt Lynda with her "corn-corn" in the hotel room. Here's a VERY short story to explain: Lynda, as a baby (and elementary student, and yes-as a young teenager) sucked her thumb. Somewhere along the way she developed the habit of sucking her thumb while caressing the corner of her pillow case. The word corner became "corn-corn" and as an adult she still enjoys sleeping with a special pillowcase. No, she doesn't suck her thumb anymore! =)

Here's a picture showing you that I experimented with the Bump It!

We weren't allowed to take pictures during the Rockettes show. It's funny, I didn't really expect to like seeing the Rockettes. I was surprised to see that their show was FANTASTIC! It was very family friendly. It's definately amazing to see what crazy things they can do with their legs.  As Chandler Bing says, "their legs move as if independent from their body." It's almost beyond belief how perfectly synchronized they can dance. The show ended with a Nativity display with live animals and singing. They called it the Perennial Miracle, the true meaning of Christmas.

It was an amazing weekend!

The Things They Say

While taking a bath in mom and dad's jacuzzi tub, with jets running and soap bubbling everywhere, McKenna leaned back in the tub. She lazily looked up at me and said, "This is the life!"

Deck the Kjelshus Halls

Free Orchestral Event!!

I am all about free events. Especially free, kid-friendly, events. Even better-free, kid-friendly and arts and crafts events! Recently, the girls and I went to a children's orchestra at Northwestern College. It was so fun. Before hand, the girls were given the opportunity to walk through an instrument "petting zoo." They were able to touch and feel most instruments. They even got to try a few out.

Next on the itinerary: craft time. The girls made masks of characters from Peter and the Wolf.

Lastly, we sat and listened to some beautiful music. The student conductor explained things so well to the kid dominate audience. He even allowed them all to stand up and conduct the orchestra through a song. This was McKenna's favorite part. (Didn't surprise me!)