We drove down to Tallahassee for Christmas this year. One last Christmas there before we probably (of course, we've said this the last couple years!) start doing Christmas waking up in our own home on Christmas morning. But for now, we made the trek. We went down on the 23rd, in the late afternoon, so Mackenzie would nap. And I spent all morning packing (I even hired a babysitter to watch Mackenzie so I could pack!). She did great on the way down. Slept for about 2 1/2 hours, we stopped to eat & feed Keelyn, & then she watched a DVD the rest of the way. (Oh and Keelyn slept pretty much the whole way :) )
Mackenzie is really getting to be such a good big sister. I can't get over how good she is doing with this huge change in her little life. The worst we had was a few weeks of lots of whiny & extra crying & a little bit too much loving on the baby (hugs where she was laying on the baby!). But all that is returning to normal & as Keelyn is getting bigger & getting out of the difficult/fussy newborn phase (slowly, but surely!), she is more fun for Mackenzie. She lets Mackenzie hold her without fussing, she smiles & coos at Mackenzie, and I can see the beginning of a great little sisterly bond! 
Mackenzie & I had a great time having Meemi around for a few extra days. I enjoyed the extra (much-needed & appreciated!) hands & Mackenzie enjoyed all the fun provided by a visiting grandparent :) We spent one afternoon making sugar cookies & she had a blast. We have decorated with sprinkles on cookies before, but this was her first attempt at cutting out different shaped cookies & then sprinkling them. What fun! And the added bonus - you get to eat cookies when you are done!
I was super excited to decorate the tree this year. The first where Mackenzie could actually participate (I think I decorated it at night last year while she slept!). As with life with a 2 year old (definitely life with mine, but I'm told this is normal.....), she about through a fit when I wanted to get started! I really wanted her in her Santa pjs, and she didn't want to change clothes...... Brannon corralled her, and I heard him saying as he took her upstairs to change, "You gotta put on some pjs for your mom & her pictures..... He's in for a long life of this type of stuff, I hope he's ready. He doesn't like it when things get to "planned"! Like
coordinated outfits for pictures & decorating. In fact, I think I mostly decorate the tree myself in years past, but now he has to participate!
The first weekend in December, Meemi & Poppee visited & I decided that we would go to a Christmas tree farm to get our tree. At first, it seemed like it might not be worth going about an hour away with two little ones (and it was drizzling rain as we left.....) when The Home Depot is about 10 minutes away......but it was a good little outing for Mackenzie. They had a Santa (not the most realistic looking one) and horses and a play area with a train. And you could buy hot chocolate & cidar. Just more of an overall fun day than simply going to Home Depot. Not to mention the trees looked great since they had not ever been squished onto a trailer to get to the store! And it also stopped drizzling by the time we got there. It was a great day. Our only snafu (well almost snafu) was when Mackenzie almost had a meltdown as we were trying to leave because she wanted to get a pair of sunglasses they had in their little gift area. However, since we were with grandparents, Poppee helped avert a unpleasant situation and bought the glasses for her! Yay for grandparents who like to spoil!!
