Daddy's Girls

This year the three of us all loaded up in the car and headed down to Baton Rouge to spend Christmas down there.  We got there Sunday afternoon so we got to spend all of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day there.  Christmas Eve was spent decorating cookies for Santa going to church Cousin Luke (on the right) was part of the live nativity And then we all went over to Jimmy and Theresa's for a (ridiculously) huge dinner and to open a few presents Lizard got them matching nightgowns We spent the night at Jen and Ryan's that night so that we could all wake up together.  Don't worry, we told Santa when we wrote to him that we would be there so he found Lilli.  It was just Dad, his girls, their husbands and his grandchildren for most of the morning.  Santa brought her car! She loved it in the house but was too scared to actually drive it.  Hopefully soon. The big kids loved it though! She loved the paint your own piggy bank that

We spent Saturday in Vivian with the whole McCormick family for Christmas.  Matt, Lilli and I are in Baton Rouge and Josh and Hailey will be in Blanchard this year so we decided to celebrate a little early.  It didn't matter that it wasn't the actual day because any day that we can be together is so special.  We were all there early afternoon and spent the day eating and laughing.  It was so nice to watch Lilli and Austin together too.  He's getting big enough now that they are interacting more and it's so cute to see.  Those two are going to get in so much trouble together! Of course I only got pictures of the present opening but the day was so much more than that.  And I wish I would have gotten a picture of that meal! You are never disappointed when Yaya and Cap'n are cooking. :) She got her Barbie house!

Tonight Lilli and I went over to Hailey's house to hang out for awhile when she got off work.  Lilli asked if we could take their golf cart around the neighborhood to look at lights and Hailey was more than happy to do it. Well, we got one street over and it started moving a little slow so we decided to turn around.  It made it about 2 more minutes before it wasn't going to go anymore.  So... I hopped out to push.  It had a little bit of juice because it was a lot easier with Hailey pushing the gas.  About the time we got turned back on to her street even that got a little tough for just me.  I wish we could have had someone else there to get a picture of this scene.  Two pregnant ladies... me pushing the back and Hailey out of the cart with one hand pushing and one hand steering and my (almost) 3 year old on the floorboard holding down the gas pedal.  We were out of breath by the time we got back and Lilli said her hand hurt but we made it! We didn't want to disappoi

Tonight me, Lilli and Yaya went to the Rose Garden in Shreveport to see their Christmas decorations.  I don't know how I had never heard of this before this year but I am glad I know now.  I think it will be another Christmas tradition.  It's about a 1/4 mile walk through a garden that is filled with lights and Christmas art displays.  We met The Stinsons and The Causeys there too.  Something about having other kids around always makes it so much better for Lilli and I always enjoy their parents company too.  We spent almost 2 hours there looking at the lights and watching the kids run around.  I don't know how they have all of that energy!  Then me and Lilli went with Yaya to eat at Nicky's to end the night.  I know my little girl is going to sleep well tonight!

Yaya and I continued our tradition of taking Lilli to see Santa this year.  We always meet at Mall St. Vincent to have her picture taken and then eat at Piccadilly.  I can't believe it's her 3rd Christmas to do this! It's the first year we've gotten her to smile.  She even told him she wanted a Barbie house for Christmas.  I told her she better keep being a good girl and I bet that will happen somehow. :)

And she mixed up the dry ingredients for pancakes for our Saturday morning and had been drinking the syrup.  Lilli was so excited to see her.  We can't wait to see where she ends up in the morning after her trip to the North Pole tonight. 

  Is fresh, bacon wrapped back strap on the grill! I've had lots of posts lately about Matt's deer he's gotten so far this year.  If anyone questioned whether or not we ate it, there is now no doubt! Lilli loves it too.  It's one of the few meats we can put on her plate that she will eat most of.  Doesn't get much better than this!

Although I'm not sure Matt would have agreed with that after work yesterday afternoon.  He got home and immediately started putting the lights up on the outside of the house.  He may not have thought it was the best time of the year as he was working on them but I'm pretty sure that changed when Lilli screamed "Yay Daddy!!" as they were lit.  

I absolutely love Thanksgiving.  Getting to be with the family and relax at the deer camp is one of my favorite things to do.  But I also love it when Thanksgiving is over because it is time for my FAVORITE time of year.  Christmas!! Lilli and I left the deer camp early this morning to come home and decorate.  We were home about 10:30 and it is now 3:15 and I am sitting on the couch writing this and looking at my decorated tree.  I couldn't wait to get home to do this and Lilli was right there with me and even more excited.  Most of my family thinks I'm a little nutty because I also have most of my Christmas shopping done.  I will say it's easy when you really only buy for the kids but I do it for two reason.  1) so that I don't have to brave the store during the crazy holiday shopping and 2) because I love to have presents to wrap to put under the tree the day it goes up. As we played Christmas music and decorated, Lilli  kept saying "Daddy is going to be so

Matt and I have spent every Thanksgiving with the rest of the McCormick Family at the deer camp but this year was extra special.  It was Austin's first Thanksgiving and all of the girls stayed for 3 nights so we had extended time together.  The boys always kick off Thanksgiving week the weekend before with the opening of duck season.  They spend that weekend, go home for a few days and then go back Tuesday or Wednesday for the rest of the week.  The girls and the kids all got there Wednesday and stayed until Saturday.  It was so relaxing to hang around and visit, EAT (way too much) and watch football.  My favorite part about this new camp is that we were all able to sit around a table and eat together.  That's the first time that's happened since I've been around.  The guys did a lot of hunting too of course so it made it the perfect week for everyone. Lilli was so excited that Daddy got a deer Uncle Josh reading his old Berenstein Bears books to her   G

Matt, Lilli, and I secretly went to Stork Vision in Shreveport last Friday to find out if she was going to have a brother or a sister.  We didn't tell anyone about our appointment because we wanted to surprise them with the news. I ordered these from Etsy.com (I wish I would have taken the time to use my real camera) Our original plan was to mail these to my family in Baton Rouge and Texas and have them open them on Thanksgiving Day.  Then we were going to get all of the McCormicks in the same room and have them scratch them off at the same time that day too.  Well, it didn't quite work out that way.  I was too excited plus I knew there was no way we could see Hailey and Yaya this week plus be at the deer camp for a whole 24 hours before we told without Lilli spilling the beans.  So... it took all of 5 minutes for me to change my mind and have Matt call his Mom and I sent a text to Rachel, Hailey and some friends.  I still mailed them to my family in Baton Rouge and they g

And I bet 3 years ago Cap'n never thought he'd be doing it.  She had a blast though.  She told me when she got home about their tea party.  Yaya and Cap'n kept Lilli last night and I think everyone had fun.  Yaya said they brought a blanket outside to watch the leaves fall and I also heard from Lilli that they "read lots of Bernstein Bears books, watched a movie and baked cookies."  Yaya sent this picture this morning and said she'd been waiting a long time to have a little one help in the kitchen.  Lilli always loves to be a "big helper" every step of the way.     

  I'm so excited to get to share the news that Josh and Hailey are going to have a baby! They are due mid July so our kids will only be a little over 2 months apart! How fun is that?! And we get to be pregnant together! They are both over the moon and we couldn't be happier for them.  Congratulations to both of you!

Lilli's ballet studio had an open house today.  Me, Matt and Yaya all got to sit in on a class to see what she's been doing the last 3 months.  It wasn't always the most organized with a class full of 2 year olds but it sure was cute! She was super excited we were all there and so proud to show off her moves.  We also talked about the recital that will be in June and got to see what their costume will look like. I wish I would have taken a picture but it will be all frilly pink. Can't wait to see all of them in that!