Merry Cookie... err, we mean Christmas!

Today we made the time for the annual cookie exchange at one of our favorite restaurants. This year daddy came along too, and I'm not sure who was more eager to dive into all the cookies --Tony or Simone. It was a GREAT event with tons of cookies and some of the best hot chocolate we've ever tasted. YUMMY!

The two trays just behind Simone's head are the ones we made... gingerbread men and ricotta cookies that looked very much like snowballs.
We brought about 5 dozen cookies and came home with many many more.
Daddy is very serious about his cookies. We think he tasted one of every kind.

OH Christmas Tree...

Well, we fast forward a bit to December. Our November went by in the blink of an eye while we were consumed with the big move to our new house -- more on that later. We decided to forgo decorating this year since we are still living out of boxes and with very little furniture. But it just wouldn't be right without a Christmas tree. So, we let Simone pick and decorate her very own tree in the only room of the house that's finished -- her play room. Note to self: When you let a four year old girl pick the tree you probably won't get what you bargained for.

Yes, that's right! She picked a 3 1/2 foot PINK Christmas tree. And decorated it all by herself. She is so proud, and we are thrilled that it makes her so happy. She said it perfectly, "Mommy, this is the BEST Christmas tree we ever had!" This will certainly be a Christmas to remember.

Earlier that day, we went to the Middleburg Christmas parade to start to get into the holiday spirit. It was a lovely day and a very festive time. We'll be back again next year for sure.

Halloween at Home

We got home from our cruise just in time for Halloween. Simone was a mermaid this year -- her last year trick or treating in our old neighborhood. She brought home a GIGANTIC pile of candy and then handed out candy at our house.

The World's Biggest Ship

It's been quite a while and there's much to catch up on. In October, we had a family vacation on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas. It was an amazing ship-- a party, relaxation, and adventure all wrapped into one. Here's a brief random sample of our trip...

In port, Labadeee, Haiti. A totally gorgeous island.




Simone after an evening in the kids club...

With grammy at the market...

One of the zillion rides on the onboard carousel...
The kickoff parade...

Climbing Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica...

Just swimming onboard...

Our ship was re-routed around a hurricane, so we spent the last day in the Bahamas first to Atlantis and then the beach...

A Fall Field Trip

Friday was Simone's school's annual field trip to Cox Farm Fall Festival. This year daddy did the chaperoning, and they had a great time. Daddy did his best at getting some pictures, so I've tried to pick the best ones.

You can really see how tall she has gotten and how long her legs are in these shots. She goes for her annual well visit next week, but our unofficial height measurement is 42".

Happy Birthday Simone!

It is mindblowing to think that Simone actually turned FOUR YEARS OLD. Sigh... incredible. We are grateful that she reached this milestone a happy, healthy, little girl who could not be more loved. To us, however, she is and will always be our baby girl.

To mark the occasion we spent an evening of Simone's design. For her birthday present, Simone wanted a pet. We settled on a fish. So after cupcakes and giftbags at school, we picked her up and headed to the pet store where she picked a small tank and a bright blue beta (which incidentally lived one day. we're now on fish #2).

The second part of her gift was an evening at the circus. Beforehand, we went for a birthday dinner at the Cheesecake factory. Simone had her favorites --chicken soup and broccoli.

And then to the big show...

Simone sat through the entire 2 hour show and only a few times became a little disinterested. But without a doubt, her favorite part was.....the COTTON CANDY.