Merry Christmas- 2014!!

You've probably already seen this card (hi mom!) but... Merry Christmas from the Danners!!

Our Christmas was pretty crazy, with lots of traveling and time with family.  Nola was a lot of fun this year because she knew what was going on.  She had a good idea last year, but this year she knew more about Santa and Christmas.  She surprised me with everything she knew!  

On Christmas Eve she opened a couple of presents- PJs and a DVD- and we watched a movie.  We made some cookies for Santa, set out carrots for the reindeer and wrote him a letter on the chalkboard.  Nola was pretty excited to go to bed which made the normal bedtime routine pretty easy.

Nola asked about Santa as soon as she woke up.  I had to keep her in her room for a few minutes while Robert was getting the camera ready- that was traumatic, but I'll know to get everything ready the night before next year!

Checking to see if he drank the milk.

Santa wrote that Rudolph dropped one of the carrots and we found it outside!  Nola still talks about it.  That was a nice touch, Santa :)

Nola was a pro at opening up her presents.  She was excited about all of them, except the pajamas.  Santa brought the two things she asked for- a pink rocking horse and Frozen microphone.  She loved them!

We spent some time playing with Nola's new toys then packed up and headed to Lincoln to celebrate with Robert's family.

Nola got lots of gifts and lots of love.  She loved her McStuffins costume and wore it in the car on the way to our third Christmas- Wichita with my family.

Winning!

We got in late Christmas night and were exhausted.  Then next day my Grandparents came to town for lunch and we opened a few presents.  That night we found out that Jessica was coming to town after all, but her husband John wasn't coming.  Nola is in LOVE with John so we made a sign and went to the airport to surprise Aunt Jessica. 

Nola was so excited to see Jessica she barely noticed the absence of a tall guy.  

The rest of the weekend was filled with laughter, moscow mules, poker, and a trip to visit an old friend's new baby.

We got home Sunday night and I used the last couple of days to clean and organize like crazy.  I donated a bunch of stuff, turned Nola's changing table into a desk, and put away all of our Christmas goodies. 

She still fits!

So, what are we going to do with the rest of my week off?!?!  

We've got big plans, but you'll have to wait and see.......

  

Letters

I love to paint furniture, but I'll paint pretty much anything.  I've painted quite a few letters for new moms.  Both of these were done for friends that had baby girls.

If you are interested in getting something custom painted, visit www.swirlsandstripes.com for details and pricing. 

Family Photos

Since Nola was born, we've had family photos taken every year around her birthday.  I love having photos done so we can look back and see how much she's changed, plus I have a ton of frames in my house to fill thanks to a photo wall in the dining room.  This year we found a photographer in Columbus and she did a great job- Jenn from Snaps + Sprouts Photography.

It was pretty windy that day and Nola was a crazy ball of energy, but Jenn still managed to get some fantastic shots!

And just for fun, here are a few to compare!

One year old on the top, three years old on the bottom.

Additional photo credits: Dragonfly Photography and Avion Photography

Santa take 3

We visited Santa last weekend and Nola was really excited.  I was anxious to find out how she was going to react this year after crying last year and the year before.  She has been talking about Santa a lot and even asked to visit the one at the mall while we were shopping last week.  So, with high hopes, we dressed her up in an outfit that I wore as a toddler and headed down to Lincoln.  

The good news: she didn't cry.  The bad news: she wouldn't sit on his lap.  Honestly, I don't even care because look how cute this picture is?!?!?

She was hiding from him.  She did talk to him a little, gave him a high-five, and showed him her kitten.

We stayed for a few minutes and then she was ready to leave.  We spent the rest of the weekend celebrating Robert's birthday.

I love that Nola is starting to understand what's going on, especially during this time of the year.  She even saw a worker at Sam's that looked like Santa and asked him for a pink pony for Christmas, it was pretty cute.  She's growing up so fast!

Did I mention she's potty trained?  :)