It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

First things first - we are all so very thrilled to be officially welcoming Susanna to the family!  Uncle Cliff is a lucky man, and we are all lucky by extension.  Can't wait until the wedding! 

Well, it is officially Christmas season.  We've been getting into the holiday spirit - dressing up, getting our tree, decorating it, and even taking a holiday train ride. 

Well, some of us are getting into the holiday spirit.

Poor Clara wasn't feeling well.  With such a happy baby, it's pretty obvious when things are amiss, poor baby.   She's fine now, but was not in the best of spirits last weekend.

Future stand-up comedian

Least fun wagon ride ever.

Despite Clara's cold, we found a beautiful tree.

Grady was a big help this year - helping to string the lights

Making sure his sister was well attended to

Clara's first ornament for the tree

And hanging up his own ornaments

Of course, Besa was also a great help, as always. 

And Clara enjoyed eating her way through the decorating process. 

Yesterday the kids got a glimpse of Santa - Clara for the first time - aboard the Holiday Express Train.  

The Holiday Express is a gorgeous old steam engine, complete with whistle, that runs on the bluff below our house.   And yes, the whistle is loud! 

Taking in the view -

Grady enjoyed having a special cup of hot chocolate and wearing his train conductor hat.  

But the biggest treat was Santa!  Grady remembered him as the giver-of-candy-canes from last year, so he was ready with a big smile and hello! 

Clara was equally thrilled. 

So was Matt for that matter.... 

Clara has been working really hard on standing up.  Grady has also been working really hard at perfecting the skill....

(Don't worry, that toilet was cleaned that morning.)  She's been pulling up on everything and getting to her feet at a very large slant, but today she managed to do a full-on legitimate stand.  Yay Clara!

She also discovered the stairs yesterday and managed to climb up one before I intervened.

We've discovered a fun game here - we build a fort and then let the kids go crazy.  They love it!

Watch the progression of Grady in the background in these pictures -

Clara is a total daredevil.  This girl has no fear.  I'm both excited and terrified for her to be old enough to play at the playground.

Clara basically loves to do whatever Grady does.  Here she is imitating our post-run stretching workout.

And some random cute photos -

Peek-a-boo!