Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was so different this year with two wiggly, giggly girls! They just knew something was up and Kate was very wound up! We went to the children's service at 4:30 and ended up in the cry room so Kate could burn off some energy and Hope could... well... stop crying! She had napped in the morning and by 4:30 could have used a second one!

After trying to take some pictures of them in front of the full sized tree we headed off to Kwong Tung, one of our favorite Chinese Restaurants. For the last few years we have made it a tradition to go out for Chinese after church on Christmas Eve in honor of Hope. This was the same restaurant we went on Referral day and it was Hope's first time there! She managed a little nap on the ride there and for a good 20 minutes on my shoulder while we ordered. It really was surreal and frankly... a dream come true.

Then we headed home for another family tradition of opening the gifts from Jim's parents. This gives their gifts a special moment and are very much anticipated by Chris as the first gifts he is allowed to open! In the past Chris has always gotten new pajamas, usually made by me but this year instead, I made the girls little Victorian nightgowns out of white eyelet. Another little dream come true... they just looked so adorable in them, this will be a new tradition. I don't think Chris minded not getting another pair of pajamas he really wouldn't wear beyond Christmas day anyway.... maybe I'll have to start earlier next year to get some done for him!

I must have snapped a couple hundred pictures... most of them were blurry because my little subjects would not, could not, sit. still. So the one's here in this little slide show are most of the, erm... good ones? : )

I will work on Christmas day later... those pictures I think are actually... worse... : ) But who cares... It was just a blurry dream come true!

Christmas Dreams Come True

Merry Christmas to everyone! I pray that you are finding joy this Christmas day. Our family is incredibly blessed with each of our children and we are so overjoyed to be celebrating Hope's first official Christmas with us. We are overjoyed.

For those of you still waiting, my heart goes out to you. Keep the faith and seek joy in the blessings at hand. Dreams come true, and the best ones, seem to take forever to come true...

Seeing Santa

This year's visit with Santa was quite surreal... Hope was here... So Chris was let off the hook since Kate had someone to go with and look who showed up! Mrs. Claus!

I have a picture of them actually looking at the camera but I just LOVE this one! Mrs. Claus had met us in line and chatted with the girls before we went up. When we got there it was like they were best friends. The girls adored her and Santa! Hope was giving them her usual, deep penetrating, just going to figure you out stares while Kate jabbered away! It was a precious moment... Just look at Santa's face!

Sniff... I still have moments of pinching myself... This was one of them. How did I get so lucky?

(don't forget you can click the pic to enlarge it)

Cousins Christmas

DSCN2347, originally uploaded by irwinfamily22.

Getting these five to take a nice family photo was pretty much impossible! I ended up just rolling a video instead... it was much more appropriate!

The dog barking, the chair in the background, Kate only wanting to stand and look at the tree, Grace getting bored with the whole thing, Noah & Chris just taking it all in and Uncle Cliff enjoying Hope's giggle!

It sure feels like Christmas around here!! We are incredibly blessed!

(Notice the 3 girls in their matching Gymboree tops? Grace got one after seeing the girls in theirs! I love that she wanted to match them!)

15 Months & 3 Months a Family

Today marks Hope's 15 month birthday and 3 months ago today we were on top of the Great Wall just hours away from meeting her for the first time.

The last 3 months have gone by so quickly and our sweet, squishy baby has very quickly become a silly, headstrong toddler. Two days ago Hope took her first steps and she giggles like it is the most fun thing she has ever done. She works so hard at overcoming each milestone trying to catch up to her sister. When she began crawling we noticed a huge change in her temperament and know that walking is something she is determined to do!

Not only is she starting to take steps she has learned to climb! I have found her standing in the window seat in her room on more than one occasion and about had a heart attack. Needless to say... the nursery is off limits when mommy is not around to supervise.

She now say's "HI!" when I walk into her room each morning and plays patty cake and claps and makes 'Yeah' sounds. She is babbling away with so much expression I really think she know's what she is saying!

She loves to put her pacifier ring in your mouth and lean in and take it in hers, she giggles away thinking this is great fun... her drooling makes this a bit less fun for me!

Needless to say life is busy and full of fun! I am really looking forward to the holidays this year!

Sisters

On August 9th I posted this picture saying, "Someday soon they will be making each other giggle"




... and now these sisters giggle and make us laugh each and every day! God had an amazing plans for these beautiful girls!