December Family Update

December was packed full of events for us this year!  We had field trips, a wedding, family Christmases, friend visits, and much more!!

I was able to chaperone Grace's pre-school class as we walked down the street to the Moravian church for a candle tea tour.  The kids got to learn about the Moravian history in Winston-Salem including their stars, cookies, and candles.

Taste testing some cookies!

Gregory, Maddie, and Grace at Hannah's (Maddie's little sister" 3rd birthday party!

Wesley won't ever pass up some sweets...

Happy birthday sweet girl!

We were driving on our way home from the gym one evening around 6:45 and Jimmy wasn't coming home as he was on a 24 hour shift.  Cue Grace: Mommy, what do you think about getting some ice cream before we go home?  :)

Goofy little ones

Our workout buddies!  Jimmy started working out again recently and is being very dedicated!  I workout most mornings or I'll take the kids with me to a gym class; it just depends.  Grace and Wesley loves to work out with us!

Happy 61st birthday Pepere!

Congratulations to Megan and her new hubby, Pete.  This is myself, Megan, and Beth pictured.  We went to college together.  I roomed with Megan sophomore year.  So happy for her!

Beth, Courtney, and I

Me and my hot date :)

Wake Forest basketball is back!  Jimmy and I were able to go to the Wake/Xavier game the week of Christmas, I think.  It was SO much fun and we really almost won!

Uncle Jordan flew to SC from California and we were able to come down for an early Christmas with family.

Y'all remember these???  Grace got a caboodle!

Wesley got a musical instrument set.  He's learning to play the harmonica here.

How many devices total does it take for our family to take pictures of the kids opening gifts??  :)

Columbia Christmas!

Wesley was so excited about Christmas that he started turning red! He was actually having a reaction to his ear infection medicine.  The boy has had several ear infections recently...hoping he gets so more!

Christmas Eve

Jimmy was on home call for Christmas Eve but had to go into work in the morning.  The kids and I went to the Children's Museum (thanks Memere and Pepere for the gift!) right when it opened because I KNEW other parents would be stir crazy and come there with all the rain we had been getting.  After an hour and a half we were on our way out and the whole town of Winston-Salem was arriving!  Jimmy got home in the afternoon and we were able to have a nice meal together as a family before heading to Redeemer Presbyterian's Christmas Eve service.  That's the mother church of the church we attend.

"Ice skaing"

"Snow ball throwing"

The beanstalk

Grace decided she was old enough now to climb to the top by herself.

Row, row, row your boat!

Christmas Day: The past few Christmases have been spent in our home with just the four of us due to Jimmy's work schedule.  We were thankful he was off of work and that we were all able to spend it together.  Working at a hospital is humbling, especially around the holidays.

Santa does stockings in our house so basically mommy and daddy get credit for the "big stuff" haha.  Everything was set up!

Christmas morning!

One of my favorite gifts to make each year!  I create a picture book of the artwork Grace makes and was able to include Wesley's artwork this year.  That way we don't keep every single piece of art work they make, but we are able to keep the memory of it!

Our first baby!

The Cloers came over for a yummy brunch on Christmas morning and we had the kids exchange gifts.

Wesley's new train table!

Grace tried on most of her new outfits. TIP for moms: post-Halloween sales are great way to stock up on dress-up clothes!  That's how I got all of Grace's new dress-up clothes.

Anna dress! (from the movie Frozen in case you've been living under a rock)

We went to see The Good Dinosaur on Christmas Day as a family.  It was Wesley's first trip to the theaters!  They did great and that place was packed!

A few days after Christmas I took the kids to Huntersville for the day to visit with Liz, another girlfriend from college who is still one of my best friends!  Wesley, Grace, and Henry are watching Daniel Tiger in this picture...so focused!  Baby Violet was napping.