Christmas Break Part 2 and MawMaw's Visit

So Tuesday we got home from Hattiesburg around 12. We ordered a pizza and decided to have a low key rest of the day. It was fun having Mawmaw around and I think good for her to rest and be around the kids. That afternoon she and Austin went to the grocery store. I was glad for that time alone. With being such a busy week and all the entertaining we did I was glad just for a little break. I ended up falling asleep on the couch. When I got up they were back. We spent the afternoon unloading groceries and doing some things around the house. It pretty much off and on rained all afternoon so we weren't able to work on the kid's playground like we had originally hoped. 
We did get out late that afternoon though and take a walk which was nice. I think we all enjoyed that. We then came in and had grilled chicken sandwiches and sweet potato fries. Again I think it was good for his mom to be able to have some family meal times with us. 
Wednesday Austin was off and we wanted to take the kids and his mom to do something fun. We ended up deciding on the Zoo. We thought it was going to rain that day but ended up being nice out. It was nice to get the kids outside in fresh air and let them run around. It was also a warm day. Its pretty much been warm since last week sometime. It honestly felt like a day in early October. It felt nice at first...we were all in t-shirts and jeans. The kids mostly looked forward to climbing on the tree and doing monkey hill. We spent a good bit of time in those two areas. I don't feel like we saw many animals though. That's ok though. We did get to tour most of the swamp area. We mostly just enjoyed getting out in the fresh air. We left around lunch time b/c it was starting to get hot and crowded. We ended up coming back to the Westbank and eating Chinese for lunch. His mom has been wanting to eat that for awhile since Austin's dad never would go! That afternoon we mostly just rested and hung out. We had sandwiches for dinner and went for another long walk. I think she enjoyed the family time and walking at night. 
Thursday Austin had to return to work. It was forecasted to be a rainy day so we had told the kids we would bring them to the movies. I figured that would be a fun and simple thing to do with Mawmaw. We had a semi laid back morning around the house. I made blueberry muffins then we got ready for the movies. We went to see Moana. It was really cute! i think the kids had a good time. I think it was also good for Mawmaw. I think this trip will allow her to go home with a fresh perspective on things. We didn't do much other then the movie. By the time we got home we made lunch and then just hung around. She took a long nap and we mostly just rested. Austin got in that night and we had a spaghetti dinner. We did play outside some with the kids and she volunteered to clean up the kitchen. 
Friday Austin left early that morning to meet his sister in Picayune with his mom. We enjoyed her visit but I have to say I was ready to get things back to normal. This Christmas break has been great but I have missed having just time with the kids and I at home. Austin was off the entire time pretty much and then we had company. Since it was our first free day and it was a pretty day we had arranged a playdate at the park with some friends. It was so good to get the kids outside. I always feel like this time of year they get cooped up so much. I mean we did do the Zoo on Wednesday and we went to a park before Christmas but with the shorter days and yucky weather they haven't had a whole lot of outside time. Meeting friends there was also an extra bonus! It was so refreshing to just let the kids run and play with no agenda. I think they enjoyed it too b/c for 3 hours we didn't hear a peep really out of any of them. I enjoyed the mom time. I really haven't been able to schedule any "friend" time since Christmas vacay. I have truly missed it. I love family and being around them but there's something so sweet about people you choose to do life with. It was a refresher we all needed. After I took the kids to lunch at Chickfila. Again something so sweet and fun! We came home and just hung out after. Nothing special...its been nice to just chill and have them home. I think they have enjoyed a slower pace as well. I truly feel like we are being able to rest and slow down. Austin worked later that night. We had movie night with gumbo to eat. We ended up watching "Pete's Dragon" it was so good! 

Mississippi Christmas

So per tradition we headed up to Hattiesburg the day after Christmas on the 26th. This is usually when we do Christmas with Austin's family. Sometimes it falls on the Saturday before/after but with Christmas this year on a Sunday the 26th worked out perfectly. 
We were aiming to leave our house by about 9. That didn't happen though. Between Austin frying the turkey and me trying to clean up the house from Christmas we didn't get away until almost 10. The kids were great on the drive up. They watched a movie of course! 
We arrived right at lunch time. Everyone else was already there. We ate lunch soon after we arrived. I think we were all quite hungry. After lunch we cleaned up and then went straight to presents. This is always a highlight especially for the kids! We did the usual everyone open up a present one at a time then we played the game. Both were fun but pawpaw was definitely missed. After presents the kids went outside to play. They played Nerf guns and basketball. It was good to see them all outside playing together. The cousin relationship is so sweet and special. I love how well they all play. They are growing up so fast though! They are now 12, 10, 8, and 5. The rest of the afternoon we just hung out and visited while the kids played. It was a nice afternoon. Around 6 we could tell everyone was getting hungry. It was finally decided that we would all go to Zaxby's for dinner. This was a new and fun thing to do! It was nice to extend the visiting a bit longer. We got to visit with Dianne and Todd a lot during this time. After dinner we went back to the apartment to get the kids to bed. It had been a long and busy few days! It was nice to have a few quiet moments that night. 
We slept in a bit on Tuesday morning. We had a light breakfast then went over to his mom's house to pick her up and bring her home with us a few days. Again a new tradition. I will blog about that later! 

Christmas 2016

Christmas Eve fell on Saturday this year. Its always nice to have that day to sleep in. I think we all slept until almost 8. We had a leisurely morning and made sausage balls and grits that morning for breakfast. Austin had to get out late that morning to go pick up the big Santa gift so I had the job of getting the kiddos out the house for a bit. We ended up going by the post office and bakery then went to visit Aunt Lizzie for a bit. We got home in time for lunch and to just hang out. We were busy cooking that afternoon. Austin made his gumbo and I made potato salad. It was fun just being busy as a family and the kids enjoyed just being home I think.
That evening around 5 we left to go see my parent's and Randall and Lizzie for Christmas. This is tradition but this year we also had to include gifts. This is the 2nd year we have done this due to Christmas falling on a Sunday. The last time Colby was 3 and Lindsay was just a newborn. Its always fun just being together as family. My mom made us a nice homemade dinner. The company and visiting was great as always. After dinner we opened up presents and did our usual caroling and telling of Christmas stories. We concluded the night by celebrating my mom's b-day which had been earlier that week with some red velvet cake. We didn't end up leaving until after 8. Its always such a rush to get the kids home and do our traditions and get them off to bed for Santa. We enjoy it all though. The night got a little testy with Lindsay acting out and me losing my patience but all was made well by bedtime. I think we were all just tired and in need of some quiet. We got the kids to bed about 10 then we waited until time for Santa. We didn't have much to do this year since their big gift was the playground and there was no way we could build that in time. 
Christmas day was different this year. Again the last time we had a similar day was when Colby was 3 and Lindsay was a newborn. Ofcourse that was way more tiring and stressful. It was nice actually b/c we didn't have to leave for church until 10. We were actually able to have a pretty "slow" morning. The kids enjoyed time with their presents. We also had waffles for breakfast. We all got dressed and went to church though. It was a sweet time to be at church on christmas day. It was neat seeing our church family and friends. We got to sit together as a family which was wonderful as well. The kids got to go up on stage again with Pastor Michael. They just LOVE that! I love that our church does that! Church was about an hour long. Once we got home we were super busy getting lunch ready. My parents joined us for Christmas lunch. We have done this with them several years. I think my mom enjoys not having to cook and host. Its a nice gift to them! We had a good time visiting with them and of course the kids loved having them over to play. They left mid-afternoon and we cleaned up and took a break. that afternoon we were quite busy preparing for the trip to Hattiesburg. Austin had to prep the turkey. We also began working on the kids swing set. We didn't get much done but I was thankful to just get a start on it. 
That night we tried to get the kids to bed early since the fun wasn't over and we had a trip to Hattiesburg the next day! 

Christmas Break Part 1

So as a I mentioned previously...Christmas break started for us Wednesday evening. I think the kids and I were too tired to really think of doing much that night. I did let them stay up and watch The Santa Clause though. That was our kick off to all things Break! 
So Thursday we got up and needed to take my van into the shop. Ofcourse the light came on the week of Christmas. It worked out ok though...my dad picked us up so we wouldn't have to wait and brought us to there house. We took this time to make Santa cookies with my mom. I enjoy this tradition. We stayed for lunch as well. Randall also came over. It was fun having a little pre-Christmas time with them and the kids. After lunch we got the call that the van was ready so my dad took us to pick it up. Once we got home we rested and hung out until Austin got home. 
That evening when he got home we decided to go out for dinner and to see Christmas lights. We ended up eating at Outback. It was nice to have a night off the kitchen and just eat out the 4 of us. It was also really yummy. After dinner we spent about an hour looking at local neighborhoods and their decorations. We came in and got the kids to bed then enjoyed some tv ourselves. 
Friday it was nice to sleep in and have a day together as a family. We had a lot to do though. We got up that morning and enjoyed a leisure breakfast before heading out. We ended up taking the kids to the park first thing. I noticed with them being cooped up all day Thursday they definitely needed some outdoor time. And since the weather allowed we decided a park trip was necessary. The kids had a great time and def burned off some much needed Christmas energy. We even ran into a friend which made it fun for Lindsay. Afterwards we split up to divide and conquer. Usually Austin likes to take both kids out on his own at separate times to shop and eat but this year with them getting out late our time just didn't allow for it. Therefore, he took Colby and I took Lindsay. She and I went to Academy to do some shopping and then to Walgreens. She was a great shopping buddy and it was much easier only having 1 to fight the crowded stores with. After we finished we met up with the boys at Chickfila for lunch. It was nice having that moment to stop as a family and be together. Next I took the kids home and Austin hit the grocery store. I wasn't envious at all ;). The kids and I got some stuff done around the house and he grocery shopped. That afternoon we all worked hard and played and rested. It was a nice time to just stay in. That night we ate in and played outside. 

Christmas Parties

Today was finally our last day of school! It felt as if the whole world was already out and we were the last ones. I know that wasn't true but still. Anyway we finally made it. I had planned to stay up there basically all day and help with their parties. After getting both kids to their classes I parked and made my way to Lindsay's class first. They were pretty much having a normal "school" day at that point. She had them working on a couple of nativity activities/crafts. During that time I helped organize some of the party stuff and put treats in the kids' book bags. After they finished up all that they went on to Chapel. I love watching their little chapel services. Mr. Ryan does such a great job with them. After that they did a potty break and went on back to class. During that time her teacher's daughter dressed up as Mary and came to speak to the class about Baby Jesus. She did so good and the kids were captivated! It was adorable! After they did that the class split up into 2 groups. One group played games and the other made a craft. I helped with one of the games. During this time was when a lot of parents showed up to help. They then played a Bingo game. During that time I decided to go visit with Colby's class since it seemed as if Lindsay's class had enough adult help. I was surprised to see Colby's class just sitting in a circle working on an ornament. Its obvious that parties make his teacher nervous lol. I tried to help her pass stuff out during that time. they then cleaned up the room then the pizza was delivered. Since they were just about to eat I went on back down to Lindsay's class. 
At this point her class was getting ready to eat as well. I helped set all the food out for the kiddos. They ate and ate and ate some more. After they finished their lunch the other parents began leaving. I was wishing I could leave but I knew neither of them would want to go..especially Colby. I went outside with Lindsay's class to the playground. I enjoyed watching them play and visiting some with the teachers. They stayed out about an hour. At the same time Colby's class was also outside. I was thankful it was a nice day and they could all run off all the sugar and get out the crazy! When they went inside Lindsay's class was going to watch a movie so I went upstairs to hang out with Colby's class. They ended up watching a movie too. i was quite bored during that time but I enjoyed just soaking up that time with Colby. After they watched the movie they had ice cream sundaes. During that time I got to visit a bit with his teacher. After that Colby agreed to pack up and get ready to go! I was so glad haha! I enjoyed the day but I was beyond excited and knew I had a lot to do at home. We went to Lindsay's class and got her. That night Austin was spending the evening in Hattiesburg. The kids and I had a low key night with leftovers and playing outside. I let them stay up later and watch The Santa Clause as well. We had a nice kick off to their break! 

Last Minute Christmas and sick Days

So this is the final week of school before Christmas break. I feel like most of the world is out but I was sort of thankful for 3 more days of my children to be occupied. Monday of course was really cold and rainy though which made waking up early and getting out very hard. I was wishing for vacation! We made it though and I went off to run a bunch of errands. First up was the grocery store. I got that finished and relieved to not have to go back hopefully until after Christmas. I came up and unloaded everything and set back out to go to Target. This trip was more fun since I was Christmas shopping for the kids. I finished that up in a little under an hour then set out for SAM's. I was in and out really quick b/c I went in just for a couple items. As I was on my way home excited to eat lunch and rest for a bit before heading out again to go decorate cookies with my mom: I got the dreaded phone call. The school called and said Lindsay had thrown up! UGH this is the worst! I have received this call probably 4-5 times since having kids. Your heart just sinks. You feel awful for your kid, you worry about what the rest of the week holds, and it completely changes your day. Well after I thought for a second on my way there I called back and just said to have Colby ready as well. I knew this week was basically a "fun" week for them since grades have been turned in. I knew he wasn't going to miss much. Plus with the cold weather and how busy our weekend was it would be nice to all be home and relax. We were home by about noon. I had lunch then we all rested. Colby played on his phone, Lindsay fell right to sleep and I took a short nap. I couldn't believe she slept about 4 hours that afternoon! She basically laid on the floor the rest of the day. She finally felt like eating some goldfish about 4 or 5 but then ended up losing most of them. She then wanted to eat "dinner". She only ended up eating about half a string cheese. It wasn't long though she was asking for a graham cracker. By bedtime she was seeming back to herself and boy was I thankful. I was still worried that someone else would come down with it or that she would get sick in the middle of the night. 
She woke up absolutely fine. I was thankful for that! I knew though with there 24 hour rule she still couldn't go to school. I did look forward to a day spent with her even though it meant I could no longer finish up christmas shopping and a morning at the mall alone. She and I dropped off Colby then went by my parent's house to wish my mom a happy birthday in person. I try to see them when possible on their b-day. It doesn't always happen but I think she appreciated seeing us! After that she wanted to go to chickfila. I enjoyed that time with her since we used to go there for breakfast almost weekly the last few years. We then ran a couple more errands and ended the morning up with a library trip. I really enjoyed her company. I enjoy my alone time but I do enjoy these girl days once in awhile. The rest of the day we spent around the house. I enjoyed finally having a bit of time around the house. She did some "school" on the computer. It was a fun time and now I look forward to having them both home! 

Weekending In December

So far this weekend has been absolutely lovely. Its still a busy one but its been remarkably slower then the previous two. Friday my day began with attending Aurora's preschool Christmas parties. It wasn't a requirement that I go but I loved being there and seeing all the precious kids before a long break. I had a great time just visiting in the various classes and helping out when I could. I was able though to leave and be home by 11 which was lovely. Its been one of those weeks where I haven't been at home much. I few quiet hours was glorious! 
That afternoon I got the kids and we came home with no agenda. It was the first laid back Friday night we had all month! No place to go! I made spaghetti for us and we watched the Polar Express! I even made a hot chocolate bar for the kids. It was a sweet time of making memories with them! 
Saturday we had the chance to sleep in just a tad. And by sleep in I really mean we slept until 7. We got up and got ready so we could meet up with my family for our Annual Celebrate everyone breakfast at Parrot Pete's. It was fun having our get together. It was nice to visit and just relax for a bit and forget about all the crazy that is to come this upcoming week. We ran a couple errands afterwards then came home to relax and hang out. It was nice having several hours around the house as a family. That evening we went to the New Orleans Bowl. USM was playing in it. We have been to several but this year we brought Colby with us. It was nice having him. He loved it too! It was quite a long night though. The game didn't start until 8. We left at 6 though to pick up our friends Scott and Taylor who went with us. We didn't get back home until 1 am! Lindsay stayed home with my mom.
Sunday was sure hard to wake up especially since it was cold and rainy. We made it though to first service. We both had things to do. Austin had to "count" and I had to teach. I had about 10 kids this week and I felt very much off my "game". I am not sure why...the kids weren't bad or anything. I had a few newbies and late arrivals and I dunno things just didn't feel like they "flowed". Its ok though. I just pray they heard the message about Baby Jesus...that's really all that matters. I was glad this week that Lindsay had a few more friends who were her age show up. After church the kids and I came home to eat lunch and relax. I hated Austin had to stay so much longer at church but it was good to come home and chill out. He got home sometime after 1 and ate his lunch and re-couped a few min before we decided to go ahead and deliver the Christmas gifts to our adopted family. It was pouring and cold...b/c of course! It was still a Christmas memory I will cherish though. We want to teach our children that giving is so much better then receiving. We've been blessed to be able to do this as a family the last 3 years. This was the first year we all went together as a family. Even though we got soaked and were freezing it was such a sweet experience. Once we got in we lit a fire in the fireplace and chilled out. We had a lovely Louisiana night though. We had boudin, jambalaya, and king cake! It was perfect! It was a great way to round out the weekend! 

5 Years Old

So Lindsay turned 5 years old a little over a week ago. I have been waiting until her doc visit to write an update on my little girl! Wow 5 ...a whole hand! That's just crazy to me! Where did time go? So at 5 my little girl is now in prek-4. She is still loving school. She is smart as a whip! She is a teachers dream I believe. Her teacher constantly says she wishes she had a classroom of Lindsay's. She says she does her work and finishes right away and its done correctly. She's quiet and very obedient at school. She has lots of friends and I think is well liked by all her peers. I think she is going to be our child that has LOTS of friends while Colby is content to have 2-3 BEST friends. She is going to be the city girl and socialite. Speaking of the city...she loves the city and downtown and all things NOLA! I can't tell you how happy that makes my heart. Colby is an old soul and a country boy at heart so I love my little NOLA babe! 
So far school seems to come easy for her. Her teacher says she is very math oriented. She also does well with her letters and such as well. She is starting to read blends which is really cool to see. 
She is still petite. She is 39 lbs and 43 in. She's def tall and skinny. She is becoming less picky which is nice to finally see. Her fav foods are still fish and chicken and mac n cheese though. She also loves apples. 
She has been doing dance classes once a month this fall. She loves her dance class during the summer. I haven't started her in any full time extracurriculars b/c she is still so young. Maybe by 1st grade that will be considered. We love our girl! She's the perfect blend of sugar and spice! 
I was thankful for my day with her! I miss her so now that she's in full time school! We had a great time together. After the doc we went to Barnes and Noble. She had a gift card to use. We had a good time browsing. Ofcourse she picked out 2 toys instead of a book but I told her as long as she stayed in her 15 dollar limit she could get whatever she wanted. We ran a couple more errands before coming home. We mostly relaxed and she watched tv and played the rest of the day. It was nice having her around! 

Holly Jolly Christmas

So this week the Christmas fun continues! Tuesday my mom hosted a Christmas brunch for the Senior Adult ladies at our church. She hosted it to honor Mrs. Doris and Mrs. Eva who both due to old age and health problems have had to relocate to the north shore. Its tradition for Lindsay and I to attend this. She has been coming with me since she was 1. The other years it wasn't a big deal keeping her home from school. This year I figured she was still in prek so why not? Its fun having that tradition with her. So we dropped off Colby from school then went to my parent's house. Lindsay got busy playing with my dad while I helped my mom get ready. After about 30 min Mrs. Stefanie also arrived to help set up. Once she got there it got really busy as others started arriving. I had a nice time visiting. I mostly stayed in the front room though where it was quiet. That is where Lindsay stayed and our pastor's daughter Emma. I enjoyed visiting with the pastors and Melissa and a few others. It was a nice time! From what I could tell it seemed as if everyone had a great time. We were over there for quite awhile and did not get home until about 1! I couldn't believe that was my whole day pretty much. I was so tired that afternoon but also had so much to do! I was glad we didn't have anywhere to be that night. 
So ofcourse Friday night I mentioned my Christmas party! It was a blast! I really am enjoying all these little holiday gatherings! 
Tuesday of this I had a Christmas party. This was for our ladies Bible study. It was at a friends house in English Turn. It was a lovely time. At first I was sort of dreading going. I was wishing to stay home. I ended up having a great time though. I have a few good friends in the group who have children about the same age and it was just fun to sit back and visit with them. We also played some "Christmas games" and that was fun too! 
Wednesday night at church the kids had a Christmas party. I knew the kids were excited and looking forward to this. The preschoolers went upstairs this night since there aren't many of them. I think we had 6 total. It was fun to be with both the kids. Lindsay had a blast and was completely in her element which surprised me a little. I always figured she would be hesitant when we promotes up there but she was not at all. Honestly she is ready now but I hate to "break the rules" by sending her up there. I was glad both kids had fun. they had pizza and watched a movie first. Then Mr. Stephen had a short little devotional for them before they split up into boys/girls for crafts and games. It was a fun night and I love that my children beg to stay longer at church! 

Fun and Busy Times

This weekend has been extremely busy but its been very fun! i have been determined this season to keep my stress down. I have done well the last few years just not making Christmas a stressful season. Even though we are in a VERY busy season of life I have learned to just take it day by day. I have also tried to look at everything on our calendar as a blessing and enjoy it for what it is. 
Friday I had an open day so I met a friend for coffee at Barnes and Noble. I also had some shopping to do there. It was nice to have some friend time. I didn't have much time though to get much done during the day though. 
That evening I had a Christmas party with the teachers at Aurora. It feels so weird to say I have "work" things. We don't usually go out much on Friday nights. I knew I would have fun but part of me just wanted to stay in on a Friday night in my pjs. Austin stayed here with the kids...well actually brought them to dinner then they came here and watched a movie. Needless to say I had a great time at the party. I was there from 6-9. The teachers there are so fun to be around. I love the friendships I have developed through my kids going to school there and now working there. We did a lot of visiting and just nibbling on appetizers. We also had an ornament exchange. When I got home it was after 9:30 and the kids were heading to bed. I got to see them both and kiss them before bed. I was pretty tired myself so it wasn't long before Austin and I hit the hay as well! 
Saturday we woke up and got ready because we had a Santa Breakfast to attend. Its become tradition to attend this at Aurora each year. My parents met us as well since Austin was working. The kids had a good time. Its always neat to see old friends and teachers. We were there about an hour. We stopped to vote on our way home then came home to work around the house and to rest. Lindsay had a b-day party that afternoon but I was glad we had a few hours mid day to just relax. We left our house about 3 to go to the party at BooKoo Bounce. Again we rarely get out late afternoons so this was a treat for the kids. They were quite excited! Colby really didn't have anyone to play with but I think he still had fun. Lindsay had a blast running around with all the little girls in her class. I enjoyed getting to visit with some of the moms. I don't really know any mothers in her class really well so it was nice to get to know them. The party was over at 5:30 so we headed back to the Westbank and met Austin at Chickfila for dinner. It was a perfect way to round out the day! 
Sunday was another perfect but busy day! We had church first of all. Austin and I taught 1st service together. We had 8 or 9 kids. We had a few littles this particular Sunday. I don't want to sound ugly but those are the Sundays I feel like a crazy lady. I mean I love the kids but 2 year olds just really aren't my fav. Its hard to teach a lesson to such a wide spread of kids. The curriculum is also really written for 3-5 year olds. I also feel bad b/c Lindsay is the only 5 year old in the class. She had Makylee but even she is 3 and I feel she is much less mature then Lindsay. Oh well so far Lindsay doesn't complain. She enjoys being in my class and I love having her but I just wish she had more friends her age. She also has Miles who is 4 so that's good. So after church we had decided to have a fun family day. It was our Anniversary. Many thoughts had circled on what we could do this day. I kinda thought a few weeks ago about letting my parents keep the kids and Austin and I would go out to eat but then that would mean leaving them there for both services. Colby would be fine but it would be a lot for Lindsay. Then I thought about just keeping the day the same since Lindsay technically had dance class. Then it hit me we should just celebrate with the kids this year. I thought it would be fun to take them downtown to eat and see the hotel lobbies. We ended up going to lunch at the Gumbo Shop. It was yummy and I think it made the kids feel grown up. After a yummy lunch we went next door to Fleurty Girl. We ended up finding several little goodies there. Lindsay LOVED the store! She is for sure my little NOLA girl! We walked back to the hotel and toured the Ritz! It was my fav! I just love the scenery there. After we did the Roosevelt which was nice too. By the time we got back to the Ritz we were all tired and ready to go home. We got home just in time to relax and watch the SAINTS game. We had a pretty low key afternoon which was nice. 

Christmas Celebrations

Christmas season is in full swing around here. We decorated over thanksgiving and once we did it felt like the season was truly here. Last week as the kids went back to school after the Thanksgiving holiday life got back to being busy and in full swing! I taught music 3 days! Wednesday I just had to review a couple songs with them so I wasn't there long, Thursday was my normal music day, and then Friday was rehearsal and our Christmas lunch out for the teachers. 
Wednesday night at church we also started our "Christmas celebrations" I did the story of Mary and the Angel with them. The kids seemed to enjoy that. We colored a angel color sheet and glued the wings on. We had a sweet group of just 3 littles so it was a pretty easy going night. 
I enjoyed being at Aurora the extra time even though it meant being super busy! I enjoyed being there with all the Christmas decorations going up and such. 
So as a I said Friday we had a Christmas lunch. After school got out we went over to Ralph's on the Park. It was a delicious lunch and fun visiting with the teachers. It was quite lengthy though. It turned out I wasn't finished in time and poor Austin had to go get the cake. I felt so bad. I had no idea I would be there from 12:30 until after 3. It was a fun time though! It also really made it feel like Christmas time. That afternoon/evening we had Nijel over for a couple hours. The boys mostly played Legos and outside. They were really good. After he left Austin went to pick up Popeyes for us and we ate then let the kids watch "The Santa Clause" while we continued getting ready for Lindsay's party. 
Sunday was more Christmas fun! i had to lead my preschool kids in singing at Aurora. I left with Lindsay around 8:45. Austin's family was still here but I had to go. I got there early though and was able to just chill and visit with Melissa and her mom. Soon the kids started arriving. We had to hang out and wait with them a little while before our turn to go sing. We were about mid-service. They did wonderful on their songs! They are such a great group of kids. I truly love working with them each week. After they sang we all went back to Children's Church. There Colby and Lindsay joined me. They love Mrs. Shelly's Children's Church. They made an ornament craft then had a Happy Birthday Jesus party. It was adorable. After church we went to eat at Chili's then go shopping for Lindsay's bike. She picked a pink Shopkins bike of all things. She loves it though! We had a restful afternoon. It was nice after all the busy to come in and rest! 

Lindsay's 5th Birthday

Well the time has come my baby girl is a whole hand! she is ---almost 5! As of tomorrow morning she will be 5! Anyway this was her big party weekend. Her real b-day is on Monday. So we had her big party here this year. We invited near 40 people and nearly 40 people showed up. 
Saturday morning around 9 while we were setting up and getting ready Austin's family arrived. This year his mom, sister, her husband, and 2 girls came. They were a big help though with setting up and cooking. It was a nice quiet time for us to visit with them as well. Soon Lizzie got here and she helped decorate which was nice. My parents were the next to arrive. It was great having all the extra hands to help. Right at 11 the company started arriving:
We had Lindsay's friends Claire and Layla from her old school
Her friends Holly and older sister Erin and Eden from her class this year
her friends Ebbie and Genevieve from church
her sibling friends Makylee, Makyrin, Nijel, and Mia. 
I loved that she had a variety of kids here! They all got along so well though! The party went by so fast for me. They always do when you are busy trying to visit with everyone. The kids played on the bounce house and on our inflatable slide. We ate by about 11:30 then the kids just played between the yards and ran around. Around 12:30 we did cake and by 1 did the piñata. I had a blast! I think Lindsay did too! Once the party was over we worked hard for about an hour cleaning up. Austin's family stayed with us so they were around here. The kids mostly enjoyed bouncing and playing the Wii. We all hung out and rested some. That night we had leftovers and pizza for dinner. I was anxious to get our kids in the bed since it had been such a busy day for us! It took them both awhile to settle down. We were def a little cramped with company. Lindsay stayed in her room with maw maw and Colby shared his room with Shelbi and Maggie. Lindsay was asleep by about 9 and Colby was still awake at 10 when we went to bed. I slept hard the first part of the night then was restless. Just knowing you have company in your house and wondering when everyone will wake up and if everyone is comfortable I find myself never sleeping as well. 
This morning was pretty busy with everyone trying to get ready and eat breakfast. I had to leave early to get to Aurora. More on that later! 
Monday was Lindsay's actual b-day. She went to school. This is only the 2nd time that she has gone to school on her b-day. I might have let her stay home but she is skipping tomorrow. Anyway I get to go celebrate with her later on so that will be fun! 

Thanksgiving 2016

So this year Thanksgiving felt a little different then previous years. I guess with the fact that Austin's dad had just passed away it didn't seem quite as "joyous". Plus we didn't have much planned. We were able to sleep in that morning and enjoy a slow morning around the house. The kids got into watching the Macy's Day parade so that was fun. We went to my parent's house about 11. It was only going to be us and them this year for lunch. It was nice after everything to have a quiet lunch like that. I think God knew that is what we all needed at the time. Quiet and peace an no stress! It was lovely in that sense. We did miss our families so much though. Randall and Lizzie were having their lunch across the lake and Austin's family was at his sister's house in Sumrall. We ate lunch about 12 then took the kids to the park to play. It was fun just letting them run around and ride their bikes! They loved riding bikes down the hill. Once we got back to the house we got ready to pack up and head home. Lindsay was spending the night with them so we left her there. It was quiet and strange coming home with just 1 kid. We had a very low, key quiet afternoon/evening. Again it was sort of a weird and very quiet Thanksgiving but also beautiful in the sense that I feel its just what we needed in this season.