Baumholder got snow on and off for the whole week before Christmas, although it also got rain, so the snow never accumulated very much. Still, we enjoyed somewhat of a white Christmas, and Annika got a chance to get outside. She didn’t really love the snow (another experience together that went differently than I envisioned. . . ) and after walking around for a little bit said “Annika cold . . .  home?”

Christmas morning was relaxed and wonderful. Annika was appropriately spoiled, and Brad managed to surprise me once again. He got me a new large format printer that I can’t wait to try out  (it hasn’t quite got here yet . . .) He loves the down slippers and book that I got him, but I can’t help but feel as though I have been outdone again.

We had Christmas Eve dinner at our house with Brad’s brother Jeff and his family and then we had Christmas dinner together the next day at their house. All of the cousins enjoyed showing off and playing with each other’s new toys. The kids got indoor slides, which are still providing hours of entertainment. Annika has developed a new fascination with princesses, and so she loved trying out Avery’s new princess dresses and dancing with her handsome prince, Andrew. We felt very lucky this Christmas to be so close to family and are grateful that Annika has such good friends in her cousins.

Anyway, before Christmas I decided that it would be really fun if Annika and I made pinecone bird feeders together. I told her that we were going to make presents for the birds and she was very excited. That is about the point that the project started to go much differently than I had envisioned it. While I was getting the string and pinecones Annika opened the jar of peanut butter and helped herself by the handful. Once we got started Annika just kept eating peanut butter, even licking it off the pinecone. At one point she ate a handful of birdseed. I told her that it was gross and she said “mmmmm!” We finally finished and hung them up outside. We really did have fun together, but it was another reminder that projects with an almost two year old never go quite a nicely as they do in my head.

Annika enjoyed decorating the tree more than I thought she would. She enjoys it so much, in fact, that the bottom few branches get re-decorated everyday.

A better picture than this next one might have been giant pregnant lady standing on the edge of the bathtub trying to get the picture she imagined in her head. This isn’t quite it, but I like it anyway.