Cute duds

 Check out the adorable matching red coats!

 Emi decides to take baby Jesus (from the Little People Nativity set) for a stroll

 Cora listening to "Twas the Night Before Christmas" in her new white fur cap

 Emi chilling on Greg's chair

Cora transplants the entire nativity scene "because." 

Baking Christmas cookies

While Greg and Sofu tackled the yard for the LAST LEAF COLLECTION OF THE YEAR, we ladies had fun making some Christmas cookies. Cora's quite the pro at the Kitchen Aid and Emi isn't far behind... So far we only made shortbread and good old fashioned sugar cookies. We have a couple more planned, we'll see if we have time :) 

 Breaking for Eskimo kisses

 Emi selecting which cookie cutter to use next

Cora carefully decorating 

Welcome, Oba and Sofu!

We're so excited to host Christmas in Tennessee! Oba and Sofu were able to join us and arrived this afternoon. We celebrated with evening cocktails. We wish the rest of the family could be here as well... maybe next year!?!? 

A great Sunday tradition

So the South (or Memphis area, at least) has tons of fabulous "ma and pa" donut shops. We've gotten into the special habit of getting donuts after church on Sundays and the girls KNOW the routine. 

 Cora is becoming such a big helper! I caught her getting the plates down...

 Emi's surprise at what donut she gets this week

 Can't hardly wait...

 Keeping her eyes on that donut while we pray

 YUM!

 Attempted self-clean-up ;)

Goofy grins in front of the fireplace

Rather than decorate the house for Christmas...

Our weekends have been spent finishing the surround sound installation project that was started back in June. No Christmas tree until the dust from drywall work and painting is done :( 

We are SOOO close! Oh yeah, so is Christmas...

 We broke out one of the girls' Christmas presents for assistance -- Dora the Explorer headlamps. They were VERY helpful!

The girls are good at occupying themselves by playing dress-up/etc... Please don't mind the dusty footprints on the kitchen floor -- I love being married to a former sailor, he's so good at clean-up (and I hate doing floors!)

 Emi took a few turns at the dance-mat

Their joy after finding my stethoscope and fetoscope (notice Emi's decision to only wear 1 slipper...)

The end of another session...

Cora's finished another round of gymnastics and is still loving it and really progressing. She got a "participatory medal" of which she's VERY proud... Can't wait to see if she ever truly competes to earn one :) 

Cora's letter to Santa

This was dictated by Cora to Oba at the computer... 

Dear Santa:

My name is Cora Madea, and I live at the Madea house on Hillwood Lane in Collierville, Tennessee.  We have a fish pond in front.  I am visiting my Oba and Sofu in Michigan.

I have a little sister named Emi.  She is one.

I’ve been a VERY GOOD girl this year. 

For Christmas this year may I please have: more Barbie dolls, a pretty silver piggy bank and a police car.

My sister Emi has been a VERY GOOD girl this year, too.  She would like a fire truck, a baby toy sheep and a baby doll.

                     Sincerely,