Our Christmas

you may already know that Kara loves setting the table. Christmas Eve was no exception. Ben helped her out a little, and I think she did a very nice job. Kiersten helped a little too. She was very proud to sip out of the glass with no straw.

Here is a good picture of their cute Christmas dresses. Kara started running a fever on Christmas eve. As long as we can keep it down with tylenol or motrin, she is still happy. But I can tell as soon as it is wearing off. She starts whining, and shivering, and saying her tummy hurts. poor girl!

Evie got into the excitement a little more than I expected her to. She knew something fun was going on.

sweet Karalee

cute Kiersten

we let them open new nightgowns and slippers before bed. Then we drove around to look at Christmas lights until all 3 fell asleep. They were all in bed by 9, and Ben and I were in bed by 10:30. Ben woke me up around midnight, saying Kara was running a fever of 104. He stayed up with her until her fever went back down.

Evangeline got a blanket with her name embroidered on it, since she wasn't around when the rest of us got blankets last year.

ready for bed. You can tell in this picture that Kara wasn't feeling well.

Kiersten woke up around 5:30, and found Ben and Kara in the guest room. She asked him if he thought Santa had been here. He told her to get his phone so he could see what time it was. He okayed her to wake me and Evie up, and we all went downstairs. Kiersten was thrilled to see this dance star Mickey she has been talking about for weeks.

Kara first saw that santa had eaten the cookies she left, and then walked right past her gift to the stockings, and started looking in them. Then she noticed the big rapunzel tower she had somehow not seen. Don't know how she missed it, but the look on her face when She realized it was there was pretty great. it even has a painting that changes when she paints it with water.

they wanted to open presents right away. They got so many fun presents from everyone.

Kiersten pretended to call Papa, and then told us he said he was coming on the airplane to see us.

I finally got a carpet cleaner. It's been hard not to open it the last few weeks, but now I have it, and have already started using it. I'll post before and after pictures later. The livingroom carpet is looking way better.

of course Ben was happy with his wii game. Donkey Kong country 2. The girls have enjoyed watching him play it the past few days.

Kara got this zhu zhu pets giant city. It's pretty cool, but I don't know where we will keep it.

Ben and Kiersten thought it was funny to put Evie in this doll stroller Kiersten recieved.

Kara with her gifts

Evie got lots of fun things too.

Kiersten's gifts. I think Kara and Kiersten will be getting mostly clothes for their birthdays after getting all these toys! I am going to have to go through the playroom and get rid of some things to make room for it all.

I thought we should take a group picture since we were all dressed yesterday, and the livingroom was cleared out for carpet cleaning. Evie is 5 months, and this is really the first family pic we've taken that you can see everyone.

I tricked Kiersten into wearing this new outfit from the Sutherlands. I called it a dress and leggings. If I'd called it a shirt, she'd have refused to wear it.