December was a very busy and fun month! We arrived back home from our November trip late on the last day of November, and felt like it was basically Christmas already! We knew there were lots of fun activities we wanted to take part in this holiday season so we quickly regrouped from our trip and were ready to usher in the holidays!
We always (when we lived here before and since we have moved back) attend the Huntsville Botanical Gardens Galaxy of Lights. We always drive through, but this year we decided to attend the on of the special evenings where you can walk the galaxy...this is now a must! We all enjoyed it (so much more even than usual). We felt like we could really enjoy each part of the lights at our own leisure. They had this photo op set up at the beginning...
This year is Alabama's 200th birthday, so everything all year has shown this so of course it had to be in the Christmas lights too.
A picture of our Christmas card this year...pictures of pictures never turn out too clear, but still I was pleased with our picture that was taken at one of our new fav spots on rails to trails.
We also attended the Tinsel Trail again this year in Downtown Huntsville. We nearly froze...after being in the sun at the beach for a week and then heading to the tinsel trail the day after we returned...we were all way more bundled that everyone else there and still freezing!
It was so pretty though and we all enjoyed it!
We were so cold that we walked to a nearby coffee shop where we got the kids fancy hot chocolates!
We finished decorating for Christmas.
This was our big downstairs tree.
We also had a tall but skinny tree in the bonus room you could see out the front windows. It was fun to decorate our new home for Christmas and all of the kids were REALLY into decorating this year and enjoying the decorations.
The kids loved their daily advent gifts. Here Clayton is during our homeschool time doing his "lesson" with his giant pencil that was his advent gift this particular day.
We wanted to have several of our neighbors over for a little Christmas party so we called it a Mingle and Jingle party. The kids and I made 101 sugar cookies for their friends to help decorate at the party (and then eat!) Sadly, I think this is the only picture I took at the party, but we all had a great time!
Basketball season is in full force.
Here Carter is shooting during a game.
We thought it was funny that both boys ended up on green teams this year.
Carter is playing for the Bucks and Dawson for the Celtics!
Dawson shoots!
At the very beginning of December John had to travel to Minneapolis for work. We kept talking about how cold and snowy it would be there, but surprise while he was gone we got a little snow in Alabama! Carter was thrilled that he had enough to make a snowball!
We made and decorated some more Christmas cookies!
I loved the glow of the tree in our living room this year.
The kids are still really enjoying our hybrid school this year. Dawson recently had a lesson on landslides in science and Clayton got really into this for some reason. Any time Dawson got to watch a video about it, Clayton grabbed his blankie and was ready to watch it!
We had SO much rain this month. One day I had to take the kids to school and it was a complete washout. I was trying to decide how to get everyone in the building without getting them all soaked and when I pulled up their assistant principal was outside in his suit ready to escort them in under his giant umbrella! I have been so happy with their school and teachers this year!
The weekend before Christmas we went to Maryville to celebrate Christmas.
Clayton couldn't wait to open his presents at Lolly's!
Neither could NK
Or Carter!
Or Dawson!
Nora Kate got exactly what she wanted... the Kendall Wellie Wisher Doll!
Carter and Dawson got the two biggest, highest powered nerf guns I have ever seen!
To say they are excited is an understatement!
Christmas at Lolly's
Words cannot describe Clayton's excitement to open his gift containing a batman costume!
Christmas at Lolly's
SO HAPPY
A quick pic on Lolly's front porch
The kids are always happy when we go to Nana and Grandad's house and they get to see cousins Zoe and Zachary.
The kids with Nana and Grandad.
Guess who wore their batman mask almost the entire way back to Alabama?!
On Christmas Eve Eve the kids and I made more Christmas cookies. John decorated our Ranger with Christmas Lights. We donned Christmas attire, played Christmas music, and delivered Christmas cookies to our neighbors. So fun! The kids have asked if we can do this every year!
Here they are making more Christmas cookies
And a few more Christmas cookies
Our Christmas day was spent at home. We woke to four very excited kids who couldn't wait to open presents. They were also very sweet in being excited for what they had bought or made to give to each other also. We opened gifts, had breakfast, played outside because it was a beautiful and warm Christmas day. Then John grilled us burgers and we ate lunch outside. More playing with new toys then wrapped the day up with an inaugural fire in the fire pit we got John for Christmas.
The pictures are somewhat out of order....
The aftermath of Christmas morning.
Looking at the aftermath always makes me try to remember the quote from Christmas Story which I believe says something like "One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day."
Santa came!
The boys were SO excited to open their foosball/air hockey table!
Nora Kate was SO excited about her pink hoverboard and mastered it on Christmas day!
The flying owl (Owleez) that everyone is slightly afraid of but loves to play with! It really flies and they all get a little nervous!
I always pick coordinating wrapping paper to match our tree and decorations. I try to wrap early so that the presents are like little decorations under the tree. Then I see presents wrapped like this (this was wrapped by Dawson), and I decided this is the most beautifully wrapped present under the tree. What a sweet message.
Cookies for Santa
Carrots for the reindeer
And a note for Charlie the Elf to thank him for all the advent gifts the kids opened daily during December.
Fire pit (in shorts) on Christmas night
They got a basketball goal for the Christmas!
Carter has been shooting nonstop!
Dawson is definitely enjoying it too!
She is SO good at this.
And it is so difficult!
Batman on a bike and NK on the hoverboard.
John was very fortunate to get a LOT of time off around Christmas which perfectly coordinated with the majority of the kids' Christmas break! YAY! We took full advantage and played with each and every new Christmas toy and went on several outings. We went to the Space and Rocket Center the day after Christmas. We had never done the planetarium show and since our membership there was about to expire, we figured we should go see it. It was great! Here we are waiting on the show to begin.
Can you tell Clayton loves his batman suit...here he wore it to Chickfila!?
Aunt Emily gave NK a knitting kit, so NK and I are both learning to knit a toboggan on it!
We visited the Cook Museum on Christmas break.
Nora Kate was really happy because we ran into a friend from school there.
More firepit fun
We have Nora Kate a weaving loom (just like I had when I was younger), and she completed her first potholder/coaster!
Oops, out of order! But space and rocket center fun!
We all (John was taking the pic) went to the theater to see Frozen II
Nora Kate playing with another Christmas gift. She loves this weird hatchamal owl thing.
Rock climbing
Dawson got his biggest lego set yet for Christmas.
And he completed it before Christmas break was over!
Weaving loom!
We had a great December and a great 2019.
Here's to 2020!
