Festival of the Nativities

We went to the Festival of the Nativities in Bellevue this year. It was great way to feel the true Christmas spirit. They had hundreds of Nativities from all over the world!

There was a room the depicted scenes from the Savior's life. This was a really neat room!

This is one of our favorite nativities, made out of recycled pop cans! It is from Zimbabwe.

Garden d'lights at Bellevue Botanical Garden

On of the things on our Christmas to-do list was to see the Garden d'lights in Bellevue. We have heard so much about it, but haven't gone until this year. I have to admit, it wasn't as cool as I was expecting (I think our expectations were too high), but it is pretty amazing what they did with the lights. Here are some of our favorites.

12 months old.

It is crazy to believe that we have a 1 year old little boy. We love him!

Stats:
Weight: 21 lb 2 oz
Height: 30.5 inches
Head: 46.7 cm

At one year old Doran still has 6 teeth. He is a little parrot and likes to copy noises. His best words are still Dad and cracker. He is getting really good at calling for Devin. DA! He still loves the tick-toc song.

It is crazy how much he grows every month. 

Christmas Activity List

Christmas time is here and we have a full size Christmas tree for the first time! He actually doesn't bother it as much as I thought he would. Maybe that is because I trapped behind our coach and recliner.

There are so many fun activities to do in the area! I don't know if we'll get to them all this year, but this is my

2013 Christmas Bucket List

Get a Christmas Tree
Go to Snowflake Lane
See the Garden d'Lights at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens
Drive around the city and look at Christmas lights on houses.
Visit the Nativity Festival
Go Caroling
Look at the Gingerbread Village in Seattle
Make a gingerbread house
Take Doran to see Santa Clause (just wish it wasn't so expensive to take a picture with him!)
Read the story of the Savior's birth

And if Doran was a little older, these two would be on my list too. Next year!
Reindeer Festival at the Cougar Mountian Zoo.
Ride the Santa Clause train  in North Bend.

Movies to watch:
The Grinch
Polar Express
Santa Clause
Frosty the Snow Man
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.

What fun Christmas activities are you doing this year?

Doran's First Word

Doran has been saying Dada for a long time now. Besides Dada, he said his first word on October 20th at my parents house, during dinner. We have been trying to teach him how to do the actions for touch down, for a long time now. He surprised us all and not only did the action, but said it!

On November 17th he learned how to say cuckoo and tick-tock. (He is a cuckoo clock, it's a song we sing)

Last night, November 19th he said cracker.

He's our little talker!