December Misc

Here are some of our family happenings from December:

(Almost) Completed Stocking!

I had been working on this applique stocking for Adley off and on since she was born but finally got serious about it this fall. I knew she'd notice this year if she didn't have a fancy stocking hanging by our fireplace like her brothers. So, after many many hours sewing with Netflix on in the background, I FINALLY got to a point where I could proudly hang up the stocking. I still need to complete a couple candies at the top and a basket full of candies that the angel is holding, but I was so happy that it was done enough to display. Yay!! Adley loved it too. :)

Home Depot Ornaments

Jason and I took the kids to this Home Depot kids' workshop at the beginning of the Christmas season. It was Adley's first time actually "building" a project, and she thought it was just great! 

After assembling all the parts to the stocking ornament, all three kids wanted to paint their projects.

At home, after the ornaments had dried, we placed pictures of each child inside their ornament and then hung the stocking ornaments on the tree. What a fun keepsake! The kids were all very proud of their creations.

Jaden and Cody's 1/2 Birthday

To celebrate the boys' half birthday on December 2nd, our whole family joined Jaden and Cody for lunch at school. Adley and I picked up the boys' choice of a McDonald's lunch. Towards the end of lunch, the boys' teachers invited all the 2nd graders to surround Jaden and Cody and sing to them. The boys seemed to love this attention and tried to conduct their friends as they sang.

Then, we handed out homemade frosted brownies-- decorated only halfway, of course, with sprinkles!

What a special way to celebrate our new 7 1/2 year olds!

Jingle Bell Run

Just about every year since we've been in Texas, I've run in this Christmas-themed road race. This year, we decided that our whole family could participate. It was Cody and Jaden's first race-- something they've been asking to do for quite some time. We all signed up for the 1 mile race, which was called the Snowman Shuffle.

Cody and Jaden ran (sprinted!) the entire race (which we actually determined was more like 0.8 mile, unfortunatley). They crossed the finish line way before Mommy, Daddy, and Adley. When we met up with them, the boys asked, "Was that all?" Perhaps we should consider a 5K the next time for these fast boys. They still seemed to enjoy the experience, though, and were pleased with the finishers' medals they received. We were sure proud of our first-time road racers!

Best of all was visiting all the vendors' booths at the end. Our whole family got loads of free samples, granola bars, fruit, and candy. The kids even got to decorate sugar cookies at one table.

Before we headed home, we enjoyed some playtime at this nearby playground. It was a gorgeous December day to be outside!

Neighborhood Playmates

We are blessed to live in a neighborhood with lots of other young kiddos. Cody and Jaden have really enjoyed playing any sport under the sun-- most often football or soccer-- with this group of boys (and one girl!). Hardly a day goes by without one of these guys knocking on our front door and asking if Jaden and Cody can play. On the weekends, they sometimes play for several hours at a time! We've loved seeing our boys get so much outdoor time and developing these fun friendships.

Serving with Others

One Sunday afternoon in December, our church connect group worked together on a special service project. We visited two homes of families in need from our church and did some necessary yard work for them. Our connect group has TONS of kids (some of them aren't even pictured here)! This crew of kids worked a bit and played a bit at a neighborhood playground. As you can tell by our attire, this was a particularly warm December day! Working together, we got a significant amount of work done.

Church Softball

Jason organized a one-day men's softball tournament for our church in mid-December. He loves events like this and does a great job planning them. There were enough guys for three teams, so all the men got some good playing time and some time to rest their muscles too. ;) It was a gorgeous weather day to be a fan. The kids and I came out after Adley's naptime to watch part of the tournament. It was a funny role-reversal for the kids to cheer Daddy on! Uncle Andrew played in the tournament too, and his team actually ended up winning.

Model Trains

Our playgroup met this month at a large local church for one of their children's ministry events. This church had a storytime and a cookie decorating event, but the big draw was viewing their amazing model train displays. There were 4 large areas set aside for these trains and villages. The kids were so captivated by these trains!

Children's Museum Visit

Adley and I spent a morning at our nearby children's museum early this month on my way to pick up our family's race packets. She ran around doing a little bit of everything!

The museum often has special performers. On this particular day, we were entertained by a kids' music education group. They sang some engaging songs-- including a few that even Adley could sing along with! Adley loved trying out the various instruments too.

Fun with Adley

Adley is always up for helping with anything (laundry, cleaning, etc.), but her favorite is assisting in the kitchen...

...because Mommy lets her lick the spoon!!

Funny selfies with Mommy....

Some fun Christmas outfits-- Thanks to Grandpa and Grandma for the festive Christmas pants and to some great friends for hand-me-downs, this girl has some pretty adorable clothes!

Cody's Acting Debut

On the Sunday before Christmas, our church had an Ugly Christmas Sweater family service. The service had a more relaxed feel to it and included a lot of children helping to lead worship. Jason was preaching for the service, and he involved Cody in a brief skit to end his message. Cody played the part of a little boy who shared his Twinkie and soda with an older man at a park. Most of his role was acting out the words as Jason spoke, but Cody also had one speaking line at the end. He seemed a little nervous to get on stage in front of the whole church, but he said his line very clearly and played his part well.

We enjoyed our busy December!