Christmas 2013

We really had fun this Christmas! Helen loved decorating the tree and looking at all of the decorations.

We were lucky to have lots of fun parties and church activities to participate in. Helen was the star in the Christmas play at church.

See? She really was a star. She actually did so much better than I thought she would and stayed on the stage and sat where she was supposed to the whole time they told the Christmas story! She also had a performance at school, she did pretty well, but had to sit down for part of it. Ha! We loved going to the live Nativity at her school with her favorite teachers Aunt JuJu and Moe. We went out to eat Mexican afterwards and she loved it (she did not stay in her seat at all). She even put in to ride to and from dinner with them.

She loves going to their house, they have the best Christmas decorations!

One of her teachers at school had a Christmas Open house and Helen had a fine time partying with her friends!

We got to go to a fun dinner party with my parents at our good friends house. Helen was most excited that they have a pool right in their living room! She could hardly wait to get in it! Their kids were so sweet to her and she can't wait to go back!

Every year we go with our Godchildren to get pictures made with Santa. We were so excited when we got to add Helen to the mix. Last year she would not get in the picture with Santa. This year she did, but she did NOT like it. She had to be bribed with candy canes!

Helen really got into all things Christmas this year. She learned the story at school and loved to talk about Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethleham to have Jesus in the manger. It was so funny when we went to church and to the live nativity because she would ask really loudly "where Jesus? He not in his bed?". She also loved reading new Christmas books, pulling cards out of the Advent calendar, kissing under the kissing ball, and finding where her Elf on the Shelf was every morning. She would always say, "Look at her, she is so silly!". It was a lot of fun and she still asks where the Elf is sometimes. Christmas Eve we went to candle light service at church with my parents. They came back for breakfast Christmas morning and to open presents. Helen loved everything that Santa brought her!

Every year when we go to the Family Adoption Services party in the fall they give us a lady bug ornament. Helen loved hanging it on our tree. She hugged and kissed it before she put it on.