Holiday Season '13

The Christmas spirit has swept into the Kalmar house!  Even a Texas sized ice storm couldn't dampen the joy of the season  - but it did give us a chance to get out the sled.  The girls were really into the entire holiday show this year as you would expect.  We enjoyed all the routines like looking at Christmas lights through the neighborhoods and in downtown Frisco, the largest holiday light show in Texas.  The build up was bigger then ever and led to 4 rounds of gift exchanging. 

 Jordan and Taylor venture into the elements after a mid December ice storm dumped several inches of ice on North Texas

Taylor discovers you don't need a steep hill on a sheet of ice!

Jordan is equipped to handle the elements

Our beautiful tree was feeling the weight of the ice - we're happy to say it has bounced back

These icicles were a hazard!



Moving on to the holiday routines - Christmas means baking and Jordan enjoys helping make some holiday cookies

Taylor makes her cookies with precision

Mom and Great Grandma help the girls build a Gingerbread house

Our HOA dues at work - Jordan & Taylor enjoy a petting zoo...

...and they get to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus

 Round 1 of gift giving - gifts for each other

"Look - we got each other the same thing!"

Gift giving success!

Round 2 - Michigan family gifts - Taylor shows off her lock box from Aunt Bonnie  

Jordan shows off a gift from the Imlay City Kalmar's

Christmas Eve was finally here and the girls were excited to participate in the church living nativity as donkeys

After church we went to Grandma & Grandpa's for a great Prime Rib dinner and another round of gifts

Taylor escorts Great Grandma to the tree

Round 3 - ready, set, go!

Beautiful holiday scarfs, in pink and purple of course



These awesome stuffed animals are called "Stuffies" and you can stuff all your other stuffed toys in them! 

After several takes, we finally got the family picture right

Later on Christmas Eve, after one last drive to look at holiday lights, Jordan was out feeding the Reindeer we expected during the darkest hours of the night.  The idea of Santa Claus walking around the house unchecked concerned Taylor who asked that we close the bedroom door when they went to sleep, when we typically leave it open a little!

The magic of Christmas Eve



Jordan was quick to search the stockings - based on her pure excitement to get Twizzlers Santa could have probably saved a few bucks this season

Maybe this shirt gets us closer to the answer to that age old question - what does the fox say?

Talk about a throwback gift - this made headlines at the Kalmar Christmas about 30 years ago

After the Atari the girls set their sites on the biggest wrapped gift under the tree

Ahh - a new television for the playroom...to play the Atari on!

As we calmed down from gift giving, Mom made a brunch rivaling the best Norman Rockwell painting

Later on Christmas afternoon, the entire family hung out playing video games and had an awesome time!  Jordan is showing some skills on "Jungle Hunt"

Taylor sets some records on "Centipede" in her new zebra shirt

If you ask Jordan & Taylor they would tell you their Samsung Galaxies were their favorite gifts

 We even had some time to take in a 3-D movie in the afternoon



Mom enjoys a game of "Princess Yahtzee" with the girls

As the weather warmed nicely, we all got outside for a bike ride and trip to the park - Dad snaps a "selfie" of himself and Taylor 

Jordan shows off her new purple coat while enjoying the playground

This corner has the most holiday spirit on the street - unofficially called the neighborhood "North Pole"

That's all folks for 2013 - what an exciting year for the whole family and we cannot wait to see what the New Year brings!