Little Red Coats

The red coats are coming! The red coats are coming! That is all I can think about when I look at all of our pictures from the past several weeks. My children have really worn other clothes than just their little pea coats, but you certianly wouldn't know it. It looks like that is all they wear night and day!

It just so happens that most of our festive activities have been outside and it has been bitter cold here these past few weeks! Last Friday, some friends of ours invited us to join them to go to Little Bethlehem in Gilbert. It is something that the local church puts on for free (yay for free!) and I highly recommend going if you have young children.

They have an entire little village set up and you get to walk the streets of Bethlehem on the night Jesus is born! We got to sample oven-baked bread (& hot chocolate), see a carpenter, a potter, the inn, a jail, and lots and lots of animals! The animals were Caroline's favorite part and Anna Cate enjoyed seeing Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus in the stable.

Fowler Family

Please note that my child is wearing hot pink socks on her hands. She was adamant about not wanting to wear the gloves, but preferred socks. You have to pick your battles.

Delaney Family

Their little girls are almost the same ages and ours so when we get them together, it is a lot of girly fun! :)

Checking out the super-sized horse at the stable.

The people of Bethelehem dancing around the town's well to a song that we heard played about 5 times while we were there. I still can't get the little ditty out of my head.

Callie checking out one of the horses.

"Whoa mom, he's really big!"

We even got to walk in the stable to see baby Jesus with the shepards and wise men! Caroline was all up on the baby Jesus, wanting to touch his head, but Anna Cate was really timid at first. I realized she thought he was real, and once I explained he was just a baby doll, then she wanted to touch his arm.

Thanks guys! We had a great time! :)

***

On Saturday night, Anna Cate and I got to go on a special date to see the Nutcracker ballet!

Her sweet friend Mason's birthday was on Sunday, so to celebrate, we went with Mason and her mom (and Carlysle and Miss Leslie) to a special dinner and the ballet! Carrie found an awesome deal on tickets with Groupon and we had a special girls' night out. This was Mason and Carlysle's first time to the ballet so to make the night super duper special, we made some ballerina ornaments.

And wrapped them up with some cute stickers I had found at Hobby Lobby.

While Anna Cate and I were getting ready, poor little Caroline was so excited because she thought she was going somewhere too. When I was dressing Anna Cate, Caroline went to her dresser and pulled out these clothes for me to put on her. She also wanted to stand by the tree with Anna Cate to take a picture.

excited about her special night out with mama!

ok, this just might be the most awkward picture ever, but it is the only one I have of all 6 of us. I guess we should have stooped down to the girls' level or held them up with us. They were all so excited to go!!

We went to California Dreaming (ooohhh fancy!) for dinner and they got to open up their special ornaments.

the birthday girl!

Miss Carlysle and her ballerina

Thanks Mason and Miss Carrie for including us in your celebration! We can't wait to start doing something special like this each year with all of our little girlfriends once they all get big enough to go! :)