Tag: Christmas Memories

Christmas in Port Gamble 2015

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Christmas is only a few weeks away and we have traditions that we must keep up with! Ok, that sounds very serious but since our arrival in Washington we have found some wonderful new traditions as a family. So this year we were off again to Port Gamble for their holiday fair and a trip to see Santa.

This year was fun. We arrived earlier than we have in the past and it made a huge difference. The girls had the chance to do all of the arts and crafts stations in Santa’s house, which included cookies, ornament making, pine cone bird feeders and more! Most years we have arrived fairly late in the afternoon and everything is a zoo. Its pays to be early!

Our usual Santa was not there this year, which was a bummer but the man who came in was very nice. It seems as though things were a little bit scaled back this year, maybe based on last years turn out? Because the crowds had not shown up yet, the girls had the chance to talk a lot with Santa and he certainly made them giggle with silly jokes and songs. Mommy and Daddy also had the chance to hear what they wanted for Christmas, as they haven’t been very helpful on that front.

Abby and Ellie with Santa
Santa had something pretty funny to say!
Making yummy Christmas cookies!
Little cookie monster making her cookie creations.
One of Ellie’s cookie creations… we had to make her finish the other one first even though she wanted to stop and eat the one she had already made.
Abby was very detailed and serious about her cookies. She wouldn’t turn around and smile for me!
Abby’s finished cookies. That’s an upside down silly face on the cookie to the right.

After cookies and crafts it was off to explore some of our favorite shops while we waited for the tree lighting ceremony. Because of a storm that had blown through just several days before, the usual tree was out of commission but the lighting with Santa was still fun for the kids and the anticipation of fireworks kept the fun going.

And there was anticipation…

Lots of it…

Because of winds and some issues setting up, the fireworks were delayed by nearly half an hour. Luckily, we had hot chocolate, warm coats and several shuttles full of people from the local retirement communities to keep us amused. (Apparently they couldn’t find two of the residents, who ended up being on the shuttle the entire time but had fallen asleep. They also took a vote to stay and wait for the fireworks or leave and go home and just as they decided, the show started. It was fun).

The fireworks were fun and pretty. They changed things up a bit this year too! Afterwards we hopped back into the car to warm up and then headed out to find some much needed dinner.

Now that the girls are getting older, I have to say we get the chance to enjoy these events and traditions a bit more. This was the first year that I didn’t feel stressed out and chaotic. I hate to see the girls growing so fast, I really do. I miss their baby faces and toddler years. But I will say that I am enjoying these new stages in their life. The ability to enjoy things with them more, talking with them, and having a greater appreciation with one another. I find that if I learn to stop and appreciate every stage and moment, watching them grow before my eyes hurts a little less. But only just a little.

Now we count down to Christmas!

Christmas Time Performances

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Christmas break is about to begin! But before school breaks for a few weeks, each class performed a few songs and poems for parents and family. It was very cute and I love the reindeer hate that Abby made. Ellie was a tad shy, but that’s ok. She still looked adorable and had a fun time. 
Listening to the Nativity Story. One of their guest teachers had a great book for young children that teaches all about the Nativity.
That’s one cute little reindeer!
Ellie sitting so quietly and patiently during the Nativity story.
The performance is done! Now its time for cookies and hot chocolate. Maybe even a present from her teachers too!

Christmas Lights

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Tonight we piled ourselves into the car, the girls in their jammies, with some yummy treats and drove all over the city see some Christmas lights. Just like most cities, Seattle has a Candy Cane Lane which was adorable and well done. Its located in some of the older neighborhoods near the University so the homes that were decorated had a lot of the old Seattle charm. Several other neighborhoods tout some spectacular lighting displays and we took a peek at those as well. 
Searching for Christmas lights has become a Wharton tradition with the girls. I am glad that even though we have moved away from California and the San Fernando Valley we can still carry on with those traditions. Makes my heart warm and puts a huge smile on my face. The girls eventually fell asleep, which allowed Shaun and I to enjoy a quiet drive too. It was a simple night but one we enjoyed very much.
Candy Cane Lane
Candy Cane Lane
One of several neighborhoods near Green Lake all decked out for Christmas

Santa Makes A Stop In Port Gamble

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I think that it has become very apparent that one of our favorite places to go is Port Gamble. Its small, charming and has a great sense of community. So when we discovered that Santa would be visiting Port Gamble and there would be some fun festivities to go along with it, we were there! We spent the afternoon in the shops, visiting Santa’s workshop and taking part in the tree lighting ceremony and fireworks. It was a great afternoon and evening. Another fun Wharton Adventure in the history books!
Walking the road, singing her own Christmas songs.
Enjoying a stroll with daddy, talking about Santa and his reindeer.
Ellie was so excited to see Santa, I thought she might explode.
At first Ellie was a little shy but then she had plenty to say to Santa. There was a huge line behind us but Santa let her talk and tell her stories. So sweet!
Big smiles with Santa
So happy to see Santa and tell him all their hopes for Christmas, like Abby’s Barbie Dreamhouse.
Making their own Christmas cookies.
Ellie went all out with the cinnamon dots.
Abby loved the cinnamon dots too as well as all the red and green sprinkles that she could handle.
Abby’s finished cookie product. Yummy!
Ellie’s finished cookie product. Yummy!
We closed down Santa’s workshop and stopped for one last picture before we left. I wonder where Santa is off to now?
What a fun afternoon with Santa. Don’t fret though, there is still more to come!
We decided to take a little walk around  town to kill some time before the tree lighting. Ellie kept looking for Santa too. I don’t think he is here though.
Two little monkey’s in a tree!
Look who we found again! Santa was visiting the kids near the little garden and light display.
Abby and Ellie were so excited to see Santa, yet again!
A cold and gloomy night in Port Gamble. Lucky for us the rain stayed away!
The sun is setting and Puget Sound looks beautiful in the stormy, waning light.
Hot chocolate and magic candy canes make the wait for the tree lighting very easy.
Snuggling up until tree lighting time.
Santa counted down, the tree was lit and the fireworks began. What a beautiful sight to see.
Port Gamble might be a small town, but the fireworks were beautiful and very well done.
The Grand Finale!
The tree is lit and now its time to go home!

A Belated Christmas and Snow!

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After a few days of travel and being stuck in the car, it was time to relax and enjoy our time in Montana. When we woke up the next morning it was time to celebrate a belated Christmas with Grandpa Jerry, Grandma Denise, and Auntie Jillian. The girls had such a fun time opening presents, eating our traditional German Pancakes and laughing a lot with each other. 
Cutest Little Elf in the North Pole!
A special t shirt from Auntie Jillian.
The biggest hit out of everything… A Minnie Mouse hair styling kit.
Unwrapping presents can be serious business.
A little bit of attitude goes a long way.
Don’t worry those aren’t real scissors. I wouldn’t be this calm if they were.
Someone really loved her Christmas present from the Wharton Crew.

After all was said and done and the mess of the day was cleaned up, the girls played with their toys and watched movies with “Auntie JJ”. It was a nice quiet afternoon of relaxation. By early evening the girls were itching to get out into the snow to play. Once they were bundled up and ready we sent them out with Grandpa.

This was Ellie’s first time actually playing in the snow. Last year when we came to visit she was too little and completely uninterested in all of that cold white stuff. She had a good time playing even though it was so cold out that the snow was more like dust. Snow balls and snowmen were impossible to make but Abby and Ellie still managed to throw plenty of it around. 
Finally getting their hands into the snow.
Trying to make snowballs.
Cheesy smiles and a refusal to put her hood on.
Ellie’s Snow Angel
Abby’s Snow Angel

The last bit of fun for the evening were snow angels. Luckily the snow was perfect for this! Abby and Ellie came in cold and wet but with huge smiles on their faces. Nothing like playtime in the snow to make a kid happy. A perfect first day in Montana!

Merry Christmas! Christmas Day 2012

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Merry Christmas everyone! Abby and Ellie took their job of falling asleep very serious last night. They slept hard and when they woke up this morning both of them discovered that Santa had come to visit and he left a lot of fun things for them.  I think Abby and Ellie were pretty surprised with what they saw when they came down the stairs this morning.

In true Abby fashion the presents were noticed first but then she quickly discovered that Santa had enjoyed a snack of milk and cookies. He even left a messy little trail of crumbs from the plate to the door. For those who don’t know, we do not have a fireplace in our house so we hang a magical key on our door for Santa so that he can find his way in. When he came to visit, he used the key to enter the house but must have forgotten about it because he left it sitting on the cookie plate. It also looked as though the reindeer had enjoyed a few tasty treats as well.

Soon after this discovery Abby and Ellie were back to presents and could barely wait to open them. They were very lucky girls this year. On top of the giant stuffed animals they received a few new outfits, movies, a few games and some new toys. Ellie discovered that Santa brought her a princess castle of her very own and Abby had a new Cinderella doll complete with carriage that changes back and forth to a pumpkin. From mommy and daddy, the girls were each given a tablet made just for kids. Now we can have our Kindles back!

After presents, we had some breakfast and cleaned up the mess of paper and boxes. In the afternoon, Grandma Zoe joined the fun. After a full morning of presents, you would have thought that maybe the girls were burnt out but they certainly proved us wrong. The girls ripped through more presents with the same excitement they had in the morning. Abby and Ellie received quite a few new outfits that were adorable but like most children moved on the minute they saw what they were. They also received new bedding which has been personalized for each of them and some adorable toys by Melissa and Doug (a fire truck set and a school bus set). Abby and Ellie also had fun with stockings full of fun treats and toys. Grandma Zoe certainly gave them lots to enjoy.

After presents with Grandma we enjoyed a lovely dinner from the Pizza Cookery, one of our favorites. By that point I had to move on from Christmas and get back into packing mode. Packing mode, you say? Yes, tomorrow we leave for Montana and there was plenty left to pack. I hated to move on so quickly from what was a wonderful day but in order to leave at a decent time tomorrow I needed to move forward.
So with that I must say goodnight and continue on with my packing. Merry Christmas one and all! I hope you had a wonderful day filled with family, friends and plenty of special memories. All the best from the Wharton Family!

Christmas Eve 2012

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Christmas Eve certainly snuck up on us this year. One minute it’s Thanksgiving and the next thing you know, it’s Christmas already! Christmas Eve was fun this year. Our morning was pretty simple, with pancakes for breakfast and Christmas cartoons to enjoy as we gobbled them up. After eating I pulled out the mixer, my recipes and every decorating item I own to prep for cookie making. We had to make sure that Santa had a yummy treat when he came to visit the house!

Once the dough was chilled, the cookies were cut and baked and they had time to cool, cooking decorating commenced. Abby and Ellie had many colors of frosting to choose from as well as different types of sprinkles, confetti and more. They used anything and everything that they could get their little hands on. Once every single cookie had been used as a painter’s canvas, we cleaned up and headed over to Grandpa and Nana’s house to visit and have a lovely Christmas Eve dinner. 

Dinner was wonderful. As always Nana cooked some yummy food which included ham, green bean casserole, cauliflower and cheese and her yummy potatoes. I tried not to eat like a pig but it was hard. Ellie dug in and cleared most of her plate, which isn’t her typical way of handling dinner time. I don’t think either Shaun or I were complaining. After dinner we watched some TV and a few of the holiday classics. Then it was on to presents!  Abby and Ellie received Barbies galore as well as games and some fun stocking stuffers too. Grandpa even gave each of them a huge tub of cotton candy!

Pretty soon it was time to go home, set out the cookies and carrots for Santa and his reindeer and head to bed so that Santa could come and visit. Abby left a note for Santa too, asking him a few questions. It was very cute. I think that she was hoping that if she left a nice note that Santa would stop by and leave lots of goodies! As you can see below, “Santa” was pretty nice this year. I think she will be very happy with what she sees tomorrow morning. Until then, an early Merry Christmas!

Decorating the Tree

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Due to my surgery and recovery, decorating the house and the tree for Christmas came a bit late this year. I had done some of the house beforehand but quickly ran out of time. So, we completed some of these things a bit late. The last thing on our list to do was the tree. Because we intend to travel up to Montana to see my family after Christmas, we were once again stuck to using our artificial tree. I completely understand why we use our artificial tree when we travel after the holiday, but I can’t say I am a fan. I grew up enjoying a beautiful, fresh tree that fills the house with the lovely scent of pine so not having one can be a tough pill to swallow. I know there are things in life that are far worse than not having a real tree but I had to complain for just a moment. But I digress…

This was the first time that Abby and Ellie really had the chance to join in and do some decorating on their own (under the supervision of Shaun and myself of course). Both of the girls caught on pretty fast and were decorating pros in no time. I am very proud to report that not a single ornament was broken this year during the decorating process. Although based on the curiosity I saw this evening, there might be a few broken ones in our very near future. Oh well, that’s why the special ones are out of reach. Despite all of the chaos at times we had a blast and enjoyed some family time together.

Abby’s Preschool Christmas Party

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Just a few days ago Shaun, Ellie and I went to Abby’s preschool for a small party to celebrate Christmas and the last day of school before the break.  We all had the chance to enjoy some treats, take a peek at all of the work Abby has done in school this year and talk with the teachers and parents. It was a short party, only lasted through the remaining half hour of class but we had a lot of fun. As a special treat and surprise, the kids did a small performance for us. They sang six different holiday songs that Miss Betsie and Miss Sheryl have been working on for the last month or so. It was so cute to see Abby perform. Her first ever school performance (aside from dance)! Thank goodness I remembered to bring my camera to the party so that I could capture the whole show! Such a fun day for all of us and it was nice to see all of the progress that Abby has made.

Play Time and a Nutcracker

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Today we headed out to Simi to play for a while at Rockin Kids. The weather has been windy and chilly so the girls have been stuck inside for a bit. After playtime Abby and Ellie wanted to see the big Christmas Tree and giant Nutcracker. Ellie was pretty unsure of him at first but warmed up long enough to get a picture of the two of them. So cute. Christmas is getting close and you can feel the excitement!

Abby and Ellie’s Christmas Show

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As the girls grow older there are more things that you get to enjoy as a parent. Now that both Abby and Ellie are in dance we get to enjoy even the small things that his has to offer, like Christmas performances  The classes don’t spend too much time working on the Christmas dances and it takes place at the studio as opposed to a performing arts center like recital but its fun to watch! 
I have included both videos below for you to enjoy. They are a little choppy, so I apologize but it was a tight fit and I didn’t have the best seat in the house. They sure looked cute though and made mommy and daddy very proud. Ellie did a great job for her first performance too. She didn’t dance the whole time but she also didn’t burst into tears. Every little step is a good one.
In the end the night was a fun one. The girls had a great time and so did Shaun and I. They are growing up so fast but we are loving every minute of it. Now that I have seen all of this, I cannot wait for the recital!