Christmas Bells are ringing

We went to our Apartment complex's Christmas party

Ava thought Santa was over rated and would rather have her Dada

She would only sit on Santa's lap if Greg did too

She was a little shy that night

She was excited to see a full size Christmas tree rather than our "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree in our apartment

She wanted to take all the ornaments home

Mr. & Mrs. Claus rocking out

Very elaborate costumes

Dancing with Dada

we were trying to edge her closer to Santa to get used to him

Walking Ava up to Santa

I love this picture of them

So we all ended up sitting on their laps

Mama gave into letting her have Chocolate since it is Christmas

Santa even decks his car out

The Candy Cane lights up when they drive!

Ava found our tree and decided she would open presents

Little mischief

However she could only open the ones that Daddy wrapped because Mama put too much tape on her's and made it hard to tear

biting can't even get through to it!

"Mom can you open it for me?"

I smell trouble

So we had to make a FORT of pillows & our coffee table around our mini tree so that she could not get to it.  Ohhh one year olds.....

Pen helping Dad decorate the mini trees

Our "Charlie Brown Christmas Trees". 

Baby it's cold outside

Brrrrr!

Last week were fortunate enough to have Matt and Jen Brown visit us. We had such a great time with them going out to eat, driving around Christmas lights, exploring NAS Norfolk, having Harry Potter marathons, and play some intense card games. They even pushed us out of the house to have a date night while they watched Ava. We are really going to miss them when they move to San Diego (in March). Hopefully the stars with align with the Navy at some point and we can be stationed with them. We have been forced to spend the majority of our time indoors with the frigid weather in VA Beach.

Ava and Greg were tackling me

More family wrestling

Ava is such a big girl that she holds her own banana to chow down on. It's still her favorite food.

The Browns plus Ava

Standing tall for Jen

she loves to chew on her wash cloths....strange but cute

HA!

Greg hiding under the covers from Ava

She found him!

Cuddling in the weee hours of the morning

All four of us sleep on our bed in the morning...quite the crowd

she loves her interactive book she got from Aunt Candace!

Chocolate Tasting

Chocolate tasting.....died and gone to heaven

My sorority Alumnae group did a chocolate tasting at the Royal Chocolate shop in VA Beach town center. We learned the history of chocolate, the process of making chocolate, and the importance of buying fair trade chocolate.  I discovered that I will devour the majority of chocolate unless it has dried fruit in it (think chocolate covered banana runts- BLECH). We finished the night off with an ornament exchange. 

Jen, Christine, Kelly, and Amber

Amanda, Andrea (my old advisor!), Amber, Kelly, and Christine. (I was laughing because Jen had just told me that I had chocolate covering ALL my teeth and I looked like a hobo).

Our Tidewater Phi Mu Alumnae Group

Our chocolate tasting table- Christine, me, and Jen.