My Fair Laney: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Here is a recap of our December thus far...

First, we decked the halls! It was bittersweet, being the last Christmas in our first house.

I have most of the gifts wrapped. And speaking of gifts, I have already been given the best gift this Christmas. A couple of weeks ago, Anna Scott looked at me, smiled and said, "I lud you Mommy." She has said "I love you" many times after being prompted, but she has never put a name at the end or said it out of nowhere. It doesn't get better than that. You can't put those feelings into a box and wrap them (though sometimes I wish I could).

I love ornaments. They are a very special part of our Christmas each year.

Yes, we have been together that long. :)

I shared the ornaments on Anna Scott's nursery tree in a former post, but this one was so special just 2 years ago. On Christmas Day 2010, we told our family and friends that we were having a baby GIRL.

Anna Scott has added a new touch to my decorating with her artwork and such. She is quite the little artist for a 19 month old! The mistletoes are my favorite, but isn't that a pretty "canny nane" as Anna Scott says...

Her very first salt dough ornament...

and this sweet, chocolate, completely edible (trust me) Christmas tree.

She has grown fond of Leon, her Elf on the Shelf and loves to read about him and his adventures to the North Pole. Leon watches Anna Scott throughout the day and reports to the North Pole each night to give Santa an update on Anna Scott's behavior. We will have to wait until Christmas Day to see if she has been naughty or nice!

Here are some random snapshots from this month...

We enjoyed the FBC Singing Christmas Tree. My Dad is the director and Scott and I were in all 4 performances. Anna Scott attended two of them and was mesmerized by the tree, lights and music. Jesus is the Reason for the Season, and it is such a joy to share the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus left the halls of Heaven and came to the hay of Bethlehem in order to bring himself closer to us. He came to where we were, and he still comes to where we are today, asking us to accept him into our hearts. Christmas is when we celebrate the birthday of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Anna Scott loves the "Happy Birthday Song" so we have been singing Happy Birthday to Jesus all month.

Playing the drums at the end of the program. She would have been a good addition to the orchestra! :)

Anna Scott attended the last story time of the year at the Crestline library. She has loved story time there. They do such a wonderful job. At this special story time, Mrs. Claus made an appearance. Anna Scott liked Mrs. Claus much more than she liked Santa Claus (more on this later). She must know who runs the show at the North Pole. :)

Here are some photos from story time that day...

We went to one of our cousin Jalon's basketball games this month. Anna Scott cheered the entire game saying, "Go Go Go!" When a time-out was called or they stopped playing, she would say "Uh oh." :)

We enjoyed a very delicious Pizza Hut dinner after the game.

Anna Scott loves to play the piano. She learned her very first note this month: Middle C.

She can sit down at the piano and point to that note exactly. We will have to start lessons soon! :)

The first half of December was so warm that she enjoyed running around in her diaper on occasion.

Thankfully, the cold weather has arrived, because Anna Scott wants to get some wear out her new scarf this Winter. :) She loves it (because of the snowman, "noman") and I think it's the cutest thing in the whole wide world.

Leon brought Anna Scott a gift back from the North Pole one night last week...

She is trying to put the wrapping paper back in the picture below.

It was her very own ornament to hang on our tree - the perfect early Christmas gift.

Anna Scott traveled to Jackson to visit Aunt Allison and Uncle Alan earlier this month. They enjoyed having her around and she enjoyed some backyard putt-putt golf. :)

We attended a wedding this month and Anna Scott loved dancing with her little friend, the flower girl. I love this sweet picture of them holding hands on the dance floor.

Anna Scott LOVED the band. She danced for over an hour, and had the time of her life. She reminds me more of her Daddy every day.

When she wasn't dancing, she was at the foot of the stage admiring the music.

Our church's Christmas program was last weekend. This is Old Brashier's Chapel, where Scott leads music. So happy that Jacob, Chan, and Jalon got to come! Anna Scott decided everyone else was smiling, so she would smile too. :) This is actually what she does when we say, "Show me your pretty teeth..."

After the Christmas program, Anna Scott had fun with the other kids in the fellowship hall.

Anna Scott loves Christmas. She loves to sing all of the Christmas songs (we have sung them all so much that she can finish just about every phrase in all of the songs). She loves the Christmas lights and she talks a lot about Rudolph's red nose that glows. A couple of days ago, we took Anna Scott to see Santa for a second time. I thought she may be a little more interested after talking about him all month.

To refresh your memory, this was the first time...

And here is the second time. Let's just say, we won't be trying a third time.

But really, it's not that she doesn't like Santa Claus! She just wants me to sit with him too! :)

She loved the coloring book he gave her (in the picture below)! When we talk about Santa now, she says "white beard" and "glasses" and "book" because he gave her the coloring book. When we ask her "What is Santa going to bring you this year," she replies, "Toys!" At least she is not hard to please.

Scott and I attended the radiology Christmas party this past week. Here we are about to leave for the party. I had a wonderful time with my handsome date!

We left to come "Home for the Holidays" on Friday. Home is Arab, Alabama, for those of you who don't know. Our first stop was a fun dinner date/play date with Cooper and his family. Cooper is my good friend Jennifer's little boy. He is two years old and his mommy is expecting another baby boy in May. Jennifer's younger sister Haleigh and my younger sister Allison are holding their nephew and niece in the picture below. Precious!

On Saturday, we drove to Nashville for our Tennessee Christmas with my Dad's family. Anna Scott watched Elmo and colored on our trip up and watched Mary Poppins (her very first Disney movie) on our way back to Arab.

She loves to "cuder" (color). She can sit for the longest time just coloring away, and she is so serious about it too. Maybe that is a little bit of ME (HER MOTHER) coming out in her! Could it be?!?! :)

Here are a few pictures of our Tennessee Christmas...