Monday, February 28, 2022

Three Christmas Concerts!

 Last year we had zero concerts and programs.  This year the kids had three school programs and one church program (with two performances)!  The first concert of the season was T's school program.  She played an elf and a toy doll.  She did a great job.  She sang beautifully and stole the show (in my totally biased opinion). 

The cutest elf around.

Dancing and singing.
Full of expression!

The whole group of 3-4th graders.  She is in the front row in a lavender dress.
Hair pic after the show.  She is so beautiful!

The second concert was M's band concert.  His first ever band concert.  There are so many percussion players.  He played the bells in one song and the sleigh bells in another. 

Can you spot him in the back?  He is playing the bells.

The whole 6th grade band!
A close up shot!

The final school concert was M's choir concert.  The choirs are very gifted and it was a fun night.  It was a PACKED auditorium, but thankfully we managed to find seats.
The whole 6th grade choir.

Zoomed in!
T sat with friends at both middle school concerts.  After the choir concert she and L sang a lively Rudolf for family.  They were very into it.  We were chatting with L's parents and M and little L were picking up programs.  It was a lovely night among friends.
T: Can we please perform this at the church Christmas Program?

A long awaited reunion visit!

 In early December our Jamie girl came to visit.  Jamie has been a part of our lives for over a decade.  She now lives far away, so her time with us is precious.  She was especially close to M when he was a little guy. She ate dinner with us so much that she had a spot at the table.  M cherishes every minute with Jamie and looks for all the cuddles possible.  T knows that Jamie is special and she really enjoys her time with Jamie too.  I would selfishly love to have all the Jamie time for myself, but I am generally a good sport and share her with my family :)

These two!!
What a difference a decade makes!!!
T: Jamie wanted to make a creation with me!

T showing off her ship.

Another chair, another cuddle.

T: Under the tree is the best!

The Family!!  Jamie is an honorary part of our crew!

An intense game of Spot It!

I wanted a pic of the two of us and suddenly there were five!

Every moment we get to be together is a true gift!

Sunday, February 27, 2022

December Life

December 2021 felt like it was about 15 minutes long.  January always feels SO LONG in comparison. We packed in so much life the month of December.  We celebrated, we attended many concerts and programs, we traveled, we experienced some intense stressors, and we did all the daily life in the middle of it.  The next few posts will be all about the monumental events.  This post is a glimpse at the daily gems and stories of December 2021. 

 

Isn't she beautiful!
Practicing for his first concert!

Working on the big beam!

Swinging on things at free time is still a favorite.
A cozy sleeping child resting on you is apparently contagious!

T brings fashion to everything she does.
Queen of the multi-task!
 
She likes to mix winter and summer gear!


When 7 dress shirts get tangled in the washing machine...


They are both living their best life!


She loves to read and listen!

Buttercup:  It is the most wonderful time of the year!

Nothing like 10 minutes before bed to decide it is time to Spirograph!

This was my view when I left the bathroom on a Sunday morning.  Apparently it was the perfect time to overhaul her bedroom.

Some would use it for a bookcase.  She uses it for a cozy nest!

T: Wait... you don't drink like this?

Buddies!

She looks like a little adult.

The task was gathering sticks.  She not only gathered, but broke them down for fun.  The path to church was a perfect place to put them. :)


Buttercup:  Sometimes I sit like the humans.


Sunshine:  I love resting on Brandon.

Sunshine: I was so tired my head fell right through.


A little angel in our bed.

The look so cozy!

They look cozy too!  (M's mentor has a dog)

T decided to teach herself some piano. (She is now taking lessons)





Saturday, February 26, 2022

Thanksgiving Weekend!

 My parents decided to come here for Thanksgiving this year.  Pre-covid we went to their house for Thanksgiving, last year we stayed home, and this year they came to us.  We were thankful they were able to make the drive and it was fun to host them.  They arrived on Wednesday afternoon and left early on Saturday. 

I have pretty good looking parents!

 

As usual, T loves to style hair.  My dad is so patient. 

T: I have a great idea!


T: It looks perfect!
T: I decided to style Dad's hair too.
I love watching my dad love on the cats.

Many many games were played as we cooked the big feast.
Yahtzee!

Precious moments

Dressed and crafting!

More Yahtzee.

Brandon enjoying a good book.

Preparing the feast!
Great Decorations, T!

Time to dig in!!!
Grandma Kathy plays an impressive Yahtzee game!

A zoomed in shot of M's face haha!

Walking off the turkey and pie!

The football watchers.

Time for Boggle!

Twinning!

Time for a nap!
Drawing for Grandpa.

Another day, another nap! 
We enjoyed a family game of Blank Slate

...and some more Yahtzee!

Buddies!

Teaching Grandpa origami.

LEGO's before leaving.
 
We had such a great time with my parents.  After they left we had a couple of days at home to decorate and eat leftovers! Brandon and I both took the weekend off of commitments at church so we were in full relaxation mode!
Sunshine:  Yay!  An empty box!

Taking a decorating break.

All the bins... the chaos before the cozy!

His favorite spot!

Christmas baking experiment.

T loves reading under the tree!