snow, snow, and more snow!

The kids built a snow tunnel today in the back yard and couldn't wait to show me what they'd done.  I was impressed!

Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve...

Cookies and milk left for Santa, plus a note from Elizabeth that read, "Dear Santa, All me and Jack really want is a Golden Retriever puppy please i'm fine with anything though mom wants a dog maybe in the summer.  Bye, Elizabeth."  Awwww...

such fun!

This is the second year that we went to the Wiscasset, Waterville, & Farmington Railroad's Victorian Christmas celebration in Alna.  This time, we took Jack's friend, Gavin.  What a great afternoon!  We boarded the train at the old wooden railroad station, which it took us a few miles into the woods to a smaller wooden station where Santa waited near a bonfire for the children.  Each child had the opportunity to sit on Santa's lap for a few minutes, and Santa gave each of them a candy cane and a bell (just like the bells in Polar Express).  It was then time to head back for some hot chocolate and cookies.  Best part?  It even started to snow while we were there!

Portland Head Light

We stopped by Portland Head Light today.  Oh, boy, was it ever cold!

this year's gingerbread houses

"Mall Santa" 2012

our Christmas photos

Miss Kelly's daycare party

climbing on the rocks at the grandparents'

 

We took Duncan to Planet Dog to see Santa--the pictures weren't the greatest, but they were still cute nonetheless!

The Night Tree...

The kids and I spent part of our day at Wolfe's Neck Farm in Freeport today for their Night Tree event, inspired by Eve Bunting's book The Night Tree.  The story is about a family that feeds the forest animals by making decorations for a special tree. We drank hot chocolate and ate cookies as the story was read aloud and then decorated pinecones with birdseed and stringed popcorn, dried apples, and cranberries. We then took a short hike on one of the trails to a campfire in the woods and hung the decorations that we'd made on the trees for the birds and animals along the way.  Best of all?  It was snowing!