Santa Claus Came To Town...

…a little early for the Speyrers. Even though I am just now getting around to posting, Santa actually visited us on 12/17. We put in this request to Santa so that we could enjoy our own little Christmas eve and Christmas morning at home and we are SO glad we decided to do that!! It was so wonderful! The girls were super sweet about everything! Pop Pop also got to come stay with us for the festivities and we were so happy to have him here with us too! Nick cooked a pork roast on our Christmas eve and we visited and opened our gifts to one another. We have started a tradition of opening Christmas PJs on Christmas eve so both girls got their matching Christmas PJs along with a thing or two from Momma and Daddy as well as gifts from one another. Of course Emily doesn't know what's going on yet, but I think it's important to teach about giving gifts during the Christmas season as well as receiving them. I picked up a little something for Kate to give to Emily and she surprised me with how well she did handling the whole situation. Kate helped me wrap it and was happy to give it to her baby sister for Christmas. The girls were also sweet about their things from Santa. Emily got an exersaucer, a door jumper and few other small things. Kate got a princess 4-wheeler, a set of Disney princess figurines and a few other small things. We expected a big reaction over the 4-wheeler and there was probably more of one over the princess figurines but she was excited about everything. Daddy and Momma had to show Kate what the 4-wheeler was all about before she was really anxious to get on it, but once she finally hopped on she was ready to go! We had such a great weekend and are so thankful for all of our blessings! We hope you enjoy our pictures from our holiday.

Kate helping hand out presents on Christmas eve

Hard to believe this is all before Santa even came! Also, I have to say that Kate exhibited some great patience waiting to open her gifts until we had them handed out

Kate's gift to Emily--Mike the Tiger. Kate has one of her own that plays the LSU fight song. This one does an LSU cheer. Kate really likes the new Mike but was happy to give it to Emily

We were so happy Pop Pop was here

Emily's toy from Momma and Daddy (Kate's enjoying it too!)

Kate and Daddy going to put cookies and milk out for Santa before bed

Treasures from Santa

Kate LOVES her princess figurines!

Emily checking out the frog on the exersaucer

The whole family on Christmas morning

Emily and her new friend Sophie the giraffe

With Pop Pop

Daddy showing Kate how her power wheels works

Emily in her door jumper

Ready to ride!

Momma's gift from Daddy--a real fire in the fireplace. First one in the 4 years that we've lived in this house!

Merry Christmas!

We hope everyone is having a wonderful, blessed holiday season! Ours certainly has been! We are enjoying our Christmas day with Nonna and Papa in Alabama. We have been having a great time celebrating with family for the past couple of weeks actually. We notified Santa that we would like for him to visit Kate and Emily on Saturday 12/17 so that we could enjoy our goodies from Santa at home. It was so much fun! There will be many pictures to come once we are back home. We simply wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas with Mama LaHaye

We celebrated Christmas with Mama LaHaye in Port Barre on the 10th. We had so much fun getting together with family! Nonna and Papa were still in town for Emily's baptism so they enjoyed visiting with everyone as well. We weren't able to make it to Christmas with Mama Speyrer the following day but were there in spirit. We will soon be traveling to Florence to spend Christmas with Nonna and Papa this year. We are so blessed to have such a big, wonderful family! It is so fun all of the time, but especially during the holidays having so many chances to get to spend some quality time with all of them! Here are some pictures from our first Christmas celebration with Mama LaHaye.

Kate and her Parrain, Marcus

Mama LaHaye and a curious Emily

Mama LaHaye with both girls

Kate waiting in anticipation of the present opening

Miss Emily

All of the kiddos during the present opening

Emily 4 Months Old & Baptized

Emily was 4 months old on the 11th. Time is flying by and our big girl is as happy as ever. We went for her 4 month check up last week and she weighed in at 16 lbs, 7 oz and 26 inches long, which is 90th percentile for weight and off the charts for length. Emily is really starting to interact more with us as well as with toys and her surroundings. She has mastered the ability to reach for and grab anything that she wants that is within reach. We also broke out the Bumbo seat in the last month and she has been happy sitting in it like a big girl.

Emily was also baptized on the 10th. We had a very nice, private ceremony at St. George here in Baton Rouge with a few family and friends who shared in this special event with us. Emily was perfect! I think she thought she was about to get a full bath when the Deacon baptized her she seemed to just relax as soon as the water touched her forehead. Below are some recent pictures of Miss Emily and several pictures from the baptism.

Big girl in her Bumbo

One night while Daddy was out of town Momma decided to try out both girls in the tub at the same time with the help of the Bumbo seat. They both absolutely loved it!! Emily did not stop smiling the whole time!

Kate had a big time too! She was so excited for Emily to take a bath with her

Emily with her Parrain and Nanny, Kevin and Dana, before the baptism

Proud parents and Godparents

With all of our kiddos

Our family. Kate isn't much on cooperating for pictures these days

Momma and Daddy with our girl on her special day

Happy Emily!

Daddy and Parrain

Parrain and Braxton with Emily

During the ceremony

Emily being baptized

With the Deacon. We are so very thankful to have had such a special private ceremony

With Pop Pop and Nonna and Papa

Emily and Pop Pop after the baptism

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

I was on the ball getting my blog header and background updated with something Christmas-y but since then have fallen behind in my blog posts…been busy baptizing a baby, getting Christmas shopping done, visiting with Nonna and Papa and celebrating our first Christmases already…all posts to come! We have been in the Christmas spirit around the Speyrer house for a while now. Our tree and decorations in the house have been up since the weekend before Thanksgiving and lights have been up outside since Thanksgiving night. I added some garland around our door last week and Nonna and I knocked out some of my Christmas baking last week while she was here to visit. I honestly don't know how I would have gotten the baking and the majority of my shopping done if she hadn't been here. Papa also helped out as one of Santa's helpers delivering a big gift for Kate from North Alabama. Thank you both for all of your help!! We also enjoyed our visit with Nonna all week last week and with Papa over the weekend!

The girls are also definitely into the Christmas spirit! Emily is her usual happy self enjoying having some new, fun things to look at around the house. Kate loves the "santa tree" (I'm pretty sure she calls it that because she can't really say Christmas) and all of the lights outside. We visit the Santa and Rudolph inflatables at other houses in the neighborhood daily and have driven around another neighborhood or two admiring all of the decorations. Kate is also into reading her Christmas books and singing carols. Tonight in bed she sang Jingle Bells over and over again until she fell asleep. This has always been my favorite time of the year but it is getting better and better as I get to share it with my girls. It is so much fun teaching them about all things Christmas!

Emily decked out in her Christmas shirt in front of the tree

And Miss Kate

Helping Nonna measure out ingredients for the famous Johnson family Christmas Fruit Cookies

Loving getting her hands dirty mixing up the fruit and nuts with Nonna

Emily got in on the action watching from her Bumbo

Kate and Nonna mixing up the batter

The finished product. Yummy!!

Santa has already made his trip around our neighborhood. Here are Kate and Daddy waiting for Santa to come by our house

Kate was definitely excited waiting for Santa but I sort of expected a melt down when he actually got here. Kate did great! She was a little skiddish, of course, but was happy to see Santa. I think it also helped that Santa was handing out candy!

Enjoying her candy cane from Santa

Kate opening an early gift--Elf on the Shelf. We have been very excited to start this tradition this year. I thought Kate might be a little young for it but so far Mike the Elf (I think Daddy had some influence in the naming of our Elf…Mike the Elf shares a name with a favorite local mascot, Mike the Tiger) has been a hit. Kate loves him and he actually has helped a little with her behavior since she knows he will report back to Santa if she's being naughty.

Mike hanging out on the door

A second new tradition this year has been our outside decorations. Nick did a great job on our lights! The picture really doesn't do it justice. I don't quite have the technique down on taking night pictures but you can get the idea of what we have going on.

The garland around the door is my contribution to our outside decorations.

There will be lots more Christmas action to come! We hope all of you are having a joyous, blessed holiday season!