12 Days of Christmas: The Blizzard

On Christmas Eve, our fair state was battered by a ferocious blizzard, the likes of which have not been seen in more than five years, according to reports. Emma's Mom could not have been happier, as I was crossing my fingers for a white Christmas. However, my heart goes out to holiday travelers who were waylaid by the elements.

Since going outside was not an option, Emma's Mom and Dad opted to entertain the Bee with puzzles, a round of dress-up and lots of stories and songs. By the late afternoon, the snowpocalypse had abated, and I decided to take the Bee outside for some fun in the powder. Her little legs were not quite long enough to traverse the snow, though, and she ended up getting stuck in the same spot over and over again. Poor Bee. We made a snow angel and I showed her how to make a rather sloppy snowball. With very red noses, we went back inside the warm house and I grabbed the camera just in time to catch a magnificent sunset that set the sky and snow ablaze with a rosy glow. I miss California, but it has nothing compared to the splendor of this quiet winter wonderland.

After we tucked the Bee into bed, Emma's Mom and Dad popped in some classic holiday DVDs and fell to wrapping presents with a vengeance. By midnight we were done, and not a moment too soon, as we were both exhausted. It was one of those moments that you wished could last forever, but, alas, Christmas was at last here...to be continued!

12 Days of Christmas: The Cookies

The Baby Bee and I made sugar cookies and snickerdoodles for gifts this year. She helped stir and was a most a gracious kitchen tester. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to take pictures while we were making gift cookies, but I did get some shots of the second batch, which were for the Bee family. I am pretty certain the cookies lasted all of two days in our house...

12 Days of Christmas: The Tree

There was much rejoicing at the Bee household on the day we picked up our tree. Its delightful pine scent filled the room and its 6-foot stature lent a certain festive dignity to the house. To prepare for Operation Decorate the Tree, we loaded the iPod with carols, filled our mugs with mochas and somehow all ended up in the same outfit. Don't ask me how, but we were each wearing jeans and brown tops, making us look for all the world like suburban tree elves. After three hours of hanging, clipping and appraising, the tree was finished. We saved the last ornament, a golden butterfly, for the Baby Bee, who took her task very seriously. After staring at the tree for about five minutes straight, she finally decided on the perfect spot :). The Bee family would like to thank Trees for Troops for our beautiful tree!

12 Days of Christmas: The Christmas Card

Oh, dear readers, I apologize profusely for the lapse in Bee updates. As an extra-special holiday bonus to all of you, I promise many posts to come during the next few days. There are many moments going all the way back to September that I must share! To tide you all over until then, here is a taste of the annual Christmas card photo shoot. (To see last year's, click here!) Emma's Mom and Dad are proud to report there were no tears this year, only copious amounts of giggling, singing and fidgeting. It's amazing how much the wee ones change over the course of a year. We took the pictures in our house, with Emma's Mom serving as Executive Shutterbug and Emma's Dad as Shutterbug Assistant Extraordinaire, re: stuffed animal animator, Wheels on the Bus singer and enthusiastic arm waver. Only 104 shots later and it was a wrap! I hope you enjoy the photos and would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for reading and commenting this last year. The Bee family wishes you a joyous and safe holiday. Stay tuned for the coming updates!