Christmas 2016

Well. Easter is next week. What better time than now to go ahead and blog about Christmas 2016? None, I say! So without further ado...here are a bunch of pictures from last December that I will be making up captions for since clearly don't remember what happened last week let alone 5 months ago.

I hosted my fourth annual favorite things party, and this is the only picture I took. It's worth mentioning that I had the cutest gingham mug where the Santa mug is. Two hours before the party started I decided I just HAD to rearrange this little area {lest the party be RUINED by misplaced dinnerware}, and I broke said adorable gingham mug. So what did I do? I packed up all four of my kids and went in search of a new one, spent a few minutes crying in the aisles of Walmart when I determined that the mug was SO cute that every single one had been purchased by other women who would then have a favorite things party decorated SO MUCH CUTER than mine, and finally decided this little Santa would have to do. What I'm saying is that I'm a real catch.

Anyhow...the party was a success, and not one person told me it would have been much better if only I had had a gingham mug.

Mike and I try to go to as many life group Christmas parties as possible, and this particular class had a Very 80s Christmas. We (I) are all over some costume parties, so we had fun dressing as Daniel and Ali from the Karate Kid.

There were crafts to be made...



and pajamas to be worn.





There were reindeer games...



and fun days at school.




There were matching shirts (shocking I know)...



and a trip to see Santa.



There were more life group parties,



and good times with friends.

And one of my new FAVORITES this (well, last) year...



Breakfast with Santa at Cedar Hill Farm!








Getting Santa's autograph...








The excitement was all to much for Emmie to bear.





Max and Addie...the happiest thieves there ever were.

And just like that...it was 2017.
{Or you know...April 2017, but whatever}

Trick or Treat!

A few years ago, barely anyone lived in our neighborhood and trick or treating was just a little...sad. These days, things around here are much different and trick or treating is so much fun. Our two little Rapunzels and Bumblebee and Chase the Rescue Bots had a great time running around to everyone's houses. It was a great night and we're still in the candy zone a month later. 

 Ready to go...and watching all the other kids play.

(Addie left, Emmie right)

 My attempt at a picture with them didn't go well.

 Off we go!

One of our neighbors always has a little party for the kids after we go around the neighborhood. There were all crowded into the garage watching  a movie on the projector. 

Costume change...I call this one "double double toil and trouble."

Cedar Hill Farm 2015

Last week we made our annual trip to the pumpkin patch at Cedar Hill Farm. It was supposed to rain all weekend, so my mom and I took them while Mike was at work on a Thursday. I think this was our first year to go without a stroller, and I'm not gonna lie...in some ways it was nice. Sometimes I worry that they are growing up so fast, but I really enjoying getting to do more with them as they get older!

Cheese! 

(Addie is in the blue...Emmie in pink)

More smiles with Mimi

Silly faces...

A shot with Mom...

More silly faces

Brotherly Love!

I love these sweet girls and their prom pose!

Addie and Max were our brave ones when it came to feeding the animals, but A still wasn't 100% about the whole thing.

Max and Ben rode the ponies...the girls not so much.

Addie and me on the train

And everyone else

Addie and Ben waiting on the pig races

Picking out our pumpkins!

Fantabulous Fall Fun

We are in full swing Fall mode around here!

Max celebrated community helper day at school, and he chose to be a police officer.

After six years here, Mike and I finally made it to a football game! It was homecoming, so I had to give him a hard time about being homecoming king at his school back in the day...