Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!  We started the celebration off with church, then back home to leave reindeer food, cookies for Santa and to say goodbye to the elves.  Santa had dent a note giving special permission for the girls to give the elves a hug before they headed back to the North Pole with Santa!  Then off to Gram and Pops for dinner and presents!  We got home, got tucked in and woke up in the morning to find Santa had came!  We spent the day in our jammies, playing and Brian smoked a brisket on his new smoker!

Basket Ball!

Clara wanted to try basketball this year and had a blast!  Her team did super!  They only lost once and then went on to win the championship game!  Uncle Joe was in town so he got to see the big game!  Way to go Clara!!  

The Elves are Back!

Choddle and Charity made an appearance again this year, and were joined by a third elf, Chellie.  They had plenty of opportunity for fun!!  Just like kids, we are done at three elves!  

Holiday Happenings!

Our holidays are always so full of fun things!  Here are a few highlights from December!  

Lila and Nora's dance class have a progress performance where parents are invited into class for the kids to demonstrate what they have learned!  They both did great! 

Lila's preschool held their Christmas Program.  I cried because this is my last one after seeing this too cute performance for 8 years!!  I will miss the songs the sweet kiddos sing!!  Lila did a great job!!

Every year I take a picture for a photo ornaments. Amazing how little pictures I have to take now!  Two pictures and I had a perfect one.  I remember there was a time when I would have to take 100 pictures and get all sweaty hot during the process.  Easy peasy now that these girls are getting so grown!  

Let the school fun begin!!  Nora had PJ day and then a class party. Clara had her PJ day with a class party.  I am so fortunate because I got to volunteer in both!!   

Lila got to partake in the fun!  

Our friends, Amy and Violet had a fun cookie decorating party just before Christmas Eve!  Yeah!  

Thankful!

 

44.  That was our final count for Thanksgiving at our house!  It. was. awesome!!!  Thank goodness for a finished basement and a nice day. People were able to eat on the patio and we had tables set up in the basement.  We had more than enough food and it was all so great!!   The two big questions I get are "Did you cook for all those people?" and "How many turkeys?"  No, I do not cook all the food!  Everyone brings a ton.  I am in charge of the turkey and deviled eggs.  I made a 23 lb bird, Char made a 13 lb bird, Joyce brought two turkey breasts and Lori brought ham.  So many sides (including a Mac and Cheese completion!) were brought! 

 Bring on Christmas!! 

November!

 

We started November off by ending another great season of soccer!  Lots of parties! 

Nora's team party!

Clara's party and medal!

Lila finally has her first trophy!! 

Brian turned 38!  We celebrated at Old C's!  

 

We went to a fun party at Lollipop Park....

We had lots of fun at the book fair!! 

Played in the snow!  

Clara started Basketball!!  Go Clara!!  

 

 

The girls had a sleepover at The P's.  Brian and I were downtown when we got the call that Lila fell and needed to go the ER.  She hit the bridge of her nose on a chair.  Luckily, no concussion and no breaks, just some really bad black eyes over the next couple of weeks!  This is the picture after we took her back to Pop and Grams after the ER.  She insisted on staying with her sisters and cousins!

 

My fun birthday dinner the night before my birthday since this year, I turned 38 on Thanksgiving!