Christmas in Raleigh

 

 

Christmas

We had a lovely Christmas season.  We went to Virginia before Christmas to celebrate with our Virginia and Pennsylvania family.  It was nice to get to see everyone and bond.  Here are a few pictures from our trip.

 Leighton loves Grandmom's fuzzy rug!

 

Petting Spooky

She liked getting in the box more than opening boxes

 

 Did I mention she loved this rug?

 

Snuggling with Grandmom

 



Kisses

Discovery

Leighton has been doing lots of discovery and trying new things. 

Too bad lots of things just aren't allowed! 

I can do lots of things by myself now too. 

I walk and carry my lunch box into school by myself. 

The other waddlers have their mommies carry them in.  Not me, I am a big girl!

 

The difference a year makes

Then

 

 

Now

 

 

Decorating Our Tree

Once we got home from the mountains, Stuart and I couldn't wait to decorate our tree.  We had to move the furniture around first.  We found the perfect spot for the tree then started decorating the living room while we listened to christmas music.  Leighton ran around and watched us while we attempted to teach her that ornaments stay on the tree.

Helping mom put the star on the tree

Brown Family Tradition

The day after Thanksgiving we woke early to head into the mountains with Bb and Pops to go and find and cut down our own Christmas tree.  On the way up we stopped for lunch at Shelton winery.  Then it was off to the log cabin bed and breakfast.  We spent a lovely and relaxing evening at the bed and breakfast then woke up to a huge and delicious home cooked breakfast with the most delicious sweet rolls.  Yummy!  After breakfast, we headed off to the tree farm and searched for that perfect tree.  After looking for a bit we found our trees headed back to Raleigh.

Playing with Pops

Silly time with dad

Helping Bb walk Hannah

 Eating dinner at the B&B

 



Playing with mom

Enjoying the cool mountain air

Bundled up!

I think she has the cutest cry face!

 

At the tree farm

We found it!  Our perfect tree!

Thanksgiving 2012

We had a lovely Thanksgiving Break.  Stuart's cousin Jack and his dog Savannah came to stay with us.  It was wonderful having a puppy dog back in the household.  Actually more like dangerous.  For a week afterward I wondered if Stuart was going to come home with a puppy for Leighton.  Savannah is so sweet and Leighton loved having a dog to play with!

 

Thanksgiving morning we all woke up and baked our casseroles then headed off to Durham for the Pike family get together.  Leighton was a little shy around her huge family then warmed up and had fun playing outside with her many girl cousins.

 

 Corn hole with dad

 

Never far from her ball

Silly time

Eating Thanksgiving meal for the 1st time

Attempt at a family photo