Deck the halls.....

 Christmas this year was a wonderful and fun blur of activity for our family.

 In the middle of moving into our new house we managed to fit in a whole slew of fun events including Sequoia's first big stage performance in her school's Christmas Cantata.

 She dressed up in her pretty Christmas dress and joined her classmates at the local auditorium for the performance of Jingle Bells, which we had been rehearsing non-stop for the previous month.

 We were very proud by how well she did. No stage fright in that girl ... gets that from her mommy.

 It was fun getting to put up a tree in our new house and we all enjoyed decorating it.

 We had a great Christmas Eve dinner at Sequoia's Uncle Jeff and Aunt Peggy's house.

 Sequoia really enjoys playing with her big cousins, and they absolutely love playing with her too.

 I am really thankful that we are in the area right now, at a time when her cousins are at an age where they love playing with her. She is getting to really know them these days.

 A few years from now they will be insane teenagers with far too important things going on to pay much attention to a little girl trying to tag along ... but by then they will already have a strong bond and history with each other.

 Of course Sequoia loves spending time with her Gram-mom.

 And this picture of Sequoia with her cousins Chris and Will, all crammed under a glass top coffee table is pretty much the definition of how well these kids get along.

 So meanwhile, back at our new house late on Christmas Eve, we had plenty of preparations to do for Santa's big arrival. This was Sequoia's first year of really understanding the concept of the Santa Clause story.

 We had to write a nice note for Santa, and leave him a plate of cookies, some carrots for the reindeer and a glass of milk.

 Sequoia dutifully signed her name to the letter and we went to bed excited about the next morning.

 Sequoia loved all of the presents that she got this year....including the Princess Color Book that she asked Santa for and her fishing game from her Mamacita. Of course, every present was for her regardless of whose name was on it.

 Later on Christmas Day we all went to cousin Ryley's and Aiden's house for Christmas Dinner.

 Sequoia had fun sporting her fancy princess dress up accessories that her Gram-mom had given her for Christmas.

 She also had a ball playing with her awesome tea set, a gift from her Aunt Sherri.

 And of course, more than anything, Sequoia loved playing with her cousins.

It was a very merry Christmas indeed.