are we there yet?

yeah, the holidays. very difficult this year. and exhausting. (though i think for a while they're inevitably going to be exhausting.) but we got through them! with red cheeks, high fevers, medicine (in mouths, on shirts, in hair), a little bit of beer, lots of family support, a few tears, a lot of "no's" (surprisingly more from young ones than old ;)), a lot of wrapping paper, a lot more smiles (even when we didn't feel like wearing them), and insane amounts of love...we got through them! and they will always hold a multitude of memories.some good, some bad...but they're all ours. and we'll love them.

haven't had time to put any pictures in an album yet. and truthfully, with everything going on there aren't a whole lot worthy of keeping anyway ;) here are some quick snapshots...

avery showing us the cookies she left for santa. and by cookies, i mean smashed up bits of sugar cookies that we pried off the cookie sheet and then crumbled a little more. i guess she thinks santa must not have very strong teeth with all the treats he eats? (note: t-shirt and pants, red face and tylenol soaked hair from a long and traumatic afternoon of fever and medicine wars)


our little drummer girl ;) (we went to a holiday concert the previous weekend, and after they sang "drummer boy", zane looked at me and said "nola's our little drummer girl...")


oh, the outakes i could post from this photo shoot :) at least they're both smiling! (note: avery's little sick eyes :( breaks my heart. she's been a trooper though!)

while i'm thinking of it...
best holiday moment from yesterday. right after this picture was taken, i was sitting on the floor with the girls. avery started throwing her blanket on nola's head and saying "where's nolya? peek-a-boo!" and removing the blanket. nola started laughing, avery was laughing, and i was trying not to cry during their little moment. it was a true christmas gift.