Days leading to Christmas

Just a few pics of pre-christmas fun.  Most of the good pics are on Emily's camera.  Hopefully I can post those once I get them...

I am missing pictures of sledding, game playing, and singing around the piano.  With Cor playing top hand and me taking the bottom, we kept the Christmas songs going...as long as we didn't try to sing, that is.  Grand ole time.

Emily has been diligent about doing yoga since arriving.  I did the first 3 days, which felt awesome.  Then my muscles turned against me and made me take a couple days off to recover.  Luckily Rin was right there to take my place.  She's a natural.

Christmas Zoo time!  Love this tradition.  The animals are always so much more active in the winter.  A favorite this time was the Black Rhino who could NOT sit still.  He was literally hopping around and then would stampede from one end of his enclosure to the other.  So fun to watch.   Beautiful day as well.  Near 50 degrees and sunny...can't beat that in December. Well, except maybe if we went to Austin.

Gingerbread time.  The kids decided on a labyrinth this year, watched over by a Minotaur.  It features a licorice prison, a surprise treasure in one corner, a rainbow tunnel, two secret passages and a Christmas tree in the center.

Thank goodness for Aunties.  Emily later confided in me that  crafts were not really 'her thing'.  Who knew.  Always a good sport, though. Coreen powered through and got the final pieces up with the kids.

Gummy Bear Minotaur