More Christmas Activities

First time our family visited the Farmers Market for the community Christmas tree lighting.  It was really a beautiful tree.  Unfortunately, the boys were terrible.  Bad attitudes are all I can remember about this night as I sit and recall it almost 7 months later.  You see boys, mommy never forgets a single thing!

It was beautiful tree that lit up downtown until the new year.

Hello Beethoven and Jingle! They built these little snow people!! Aren't they cute?

Pictures with Santa at Sullins.  The first time my boys have ever done this.

Merry Christmas to the FAMILY

These are the finished projects. Hip, hip hooray, right?  Well, I usually get the kiddos gingerbread houses to put together as a fun craft project to do over the holidays.  This year I opted out of doing that because it is really messy, I have to help EVERYBODY at the SAME TIME since I have become the master of gingerbread house making over the years.  While shopping at some craft store I saw these lovely little Christmas village type houses and thought they would be easy and fun to put together while I am busy making the thousand of things we eat over the holidays and cleaning.  Did I mention cleaning?  They were made of  foam and pre cut.  In a nutshell it was just as challenging as the gingerbread houses but at least it was a little different and we had a home made Christmas village to put in the playroom when it was all finished!

Eli did the big candy house, Hunter did the cute Santa train in the back, Linden did the pink candy store and Lucas did the Santa on the rooftop house.  Super cute and it was fun.

Oh look, someone needs help.

Working hard.

Eli was a great sport.  I think his house had over 250 pieces!  What in this world was I thinking!

Christmas meal with the F-A-M-I-L-Y!  #blessed

City mice cut tree!

This family LOVES Christmas and we have several trees up all over the house.  They are all artificial with the exception of one we cut down and choose together to go in our family room.  This year the York Simmons were with us for Thanksgiving so the day after we loaded up the crew (minus Kevin and Eli who didn't want to make the trip) and headed out to the tree farm to cut down a tree.  Noelle grew up in Atlanta and had never been to a tree farm and done the choose and cut method so off we went to give her the experience.

Linden and David standing by the "chosen one."

And there you have it folks, the priest is using a hacksaw!  TIMBER

A the little one drags it to the car.

Swinging bridge at the farm.  Only two people at a time can cross.

This picture cracks me up!  This was about 2 weeks before Christmas and all the needles were falling off the tree.  When you brushed by it hundreds of needles woutd fall and make this shhhhhh noise on the ground. I couldn't stand it!  We had pine needles EVERYWHERE! The boys and I undecorated it and then put up a beautiful artificial tree from Target that was marked down 60% due to the late season.  By the time we got this tree outside all the needles had fallen out and a bare naked tree lay on the curb for days!

Chloe's 9th Birthday!

No one even wanted to say hello to Santa until they realized he was passing out candy.  Ho, Ho, Ho!

I just can't believe this little girl is 9 years old!  For her birthday she wanted to go out to eat at the Mexican restaurant in town.  Fun times.

I can't believe I missed the best shot!  The guys in the background sang Happy Birthday and the she got the ole pie in the face which she turned around and wiped all over Hunter!  I don't know how I missed pictures of all this!

On Chloe's birthday trip we all went to watch her practice gymnastics and her upcoming dance routine. She was the best of the bunch!

Random fun and cuteness

50's Day at Sullins and the first time EVER that Hunter wanted to participate!  Lucas thought he looked cool.

Soccer.  Over and done, thank goodness.  Another day….maybe

Walking Ibis home from school.

"Fluffy"  the name given to our new bedroom rug.  They laughed for hours over this piece of shag carpet.

Lucas and Mommy and one beautiful day. LOVE

My last preschooler.  I had a few hours of one on one time with Lucas after preschool and before picking Hunter up from school.  This time was so special and amongst all the millions of things that needed to be done I took that time to only be with Lucas.  We played, we sang, we ran around outside, we had picnics, we would just be.  On this day we raked a huge pile of leaves and he jumped and jumped and jumped!  I took pictures and laughed at his silliness.  Where does the time go?  Sniff, sniff

The last of the snow!  These two little snow people make me giggle.  Until next winter…..

Beauty and Blessings

Some beautiful pictures taken around our home.  This first is a picture of the maple tree outside our bathroom window.  I opened the shutters to clean the window and it was like opening a present.  The blue sky and the fiery red leaves were breathtaking.  I love fall and the beautiful changes it brings.  I could do without the cold winter and just skip right on to summer!

The first snowfall was in October.  Not much fell on the ground but the leaves were still on the tress and the colors were stunning.

LOVE

Halloween 2014 and the last of the Sinking Springs Trunk or Treat!

Thank you Mary Dawson for taking this picture.  It is the only Halloween picture I have of Hunter.  We hosted the block Halloween party this year and it was CRAZY!  Picture 50 kids and 60 adults all in your house because it is pouring rain outside.  It was fun and the kids loved every minute of it but I was a nervous wreck.  It was madness.  Thankfully, the weather broke for a moment and everyone hit the streets.  No worries, despite the rain candy was everywhere.

Blaine also dressed up as Darth Vader.

Sullins Halloween party!

Creepy spiders in the house!

My last Sinking Springs truck or treat.  I have decorated and passed out candy for the preschoolers the last 6 years!  There is always a contest and I never win but at least I dress the car and pass out candy.  This year must have been my year, the camping themed trunk won me third place!

Lucas dressed up as a skeleton.  Cutest little skeleton you have ever seen.

All the girls checking out the loot.

Not to bad?  I even had a fire in the middle.  The tent came in handy too.  It was really cold and some of the kids parked it in the tent to warm up and sort through their candy.

Hello Tinkerbell and good bye Jojo!

 Lined up to take all the candy.

 Found a few more of Hunter so I had to go back and add them!  Thanks daddy!