Merry Christmas 2015

We celebrated a wonderful Christmas with family (with one more celebration this afternoon!). Although I did not take a ton of pictures, I still think I captured some of the magic of the holiday this year. :)

We started with the Christmas Eve service at our church. This is the tradition I brought into the family, and I love hearing the Christmas story with my family each year. Last year Tuttle was a sheep in the nativity procession, much to his disgust, so I let him off the hook this year to watch it from our seats. He did tell me that he wanted to be a shepherd next year since he is old enough now.

Unfortunately a combination of bad weather and sickness prevented us from going to Aunt Peach and Uncle Drew's house for our other Christmas Eve tradition, but luckily technology allowed everyone to listen to Grandaddy read Twas The Night Before Christmas on Facetime.

We watched a Charlie Brown Christmas afterwards, and since it was Bockle's last night, he let Maggie and Tuttle snuggle with him on the couch. Our evening wrapped up pretty quickly when Santa made a personal call to Maggie and Tuttle and told them to head to be as soon as possible. :)

Santa must have thought that our babies were really good this year because he filled the room with fun surprises!

We all enjoyed diving into the new toys and playing all morning before heading to Athens to celebrate with the Drewry side of Jay's family.

We ate lunch at Granny's house and played our annual White Elephant game. I ended up with our gift, $15 worth of lottery tickets, but I did not hit the jackpot. I won a free ticket and $2. I have a feeling the free ticket is going is make us RICH! :)

We spent the night at Grandmommy and Grandaddy's house in Madison where we were greeted with a room filled with even more presents! They go ALL OUT every year for everyone. I racked up with necessities for Jacob and a few surprises for me, including a Shark steam mop. You know you are officially an adult when a mop is extremely exciting! Haha 

We lazed around yesterday playing with new toys, watching a movie, and napping. Daddy put together Tuttle's new big boy bike from Grandmommy and Grandaddy, so he was able to practice on the driveway while Maggie used her new skates from Santa. The weather was unusually HOT (75 degrees!), so it was enjoyable to be outside.

Because every princess skates in a full length gown....

We are so blessed with our families and love spending time making memories with everyone. Jacob now has permission to come whenever he wants! I just needed to get through Christmas before our life got even more crazy with three babies!

Holiday Prep

While the kids have been out of school this week, we have been getting all the last minute errands run for Christmas. Tuttle and Maggie have been so good, and this nine month pregnant momma is extremely grateful for that! :)

We tackled the post office and the mall yesterday, and today we went on the hunt for a hot ticket item for Grandaddy and picked up some supplies to finally wrap some gifts. 

The best part of our holiday vacation has been watching Tuttle and Maggie's imagination in action together. Today they created their own reindeer costumes and accessorized with a laundry basket sleigh. So sweet.

Another successful activity today was wrapping the gifts. I used our big roll of butcher paper, and Tuttle and Maggie painted the presents. They were very serious about their designs, and I believe their art is significantly better than any wrapping paper you can buy at the store! :)

Only ONE more day until Santa stops by our house! Jay and I cannot wait to see Tuttle and Maggie's faces on Christmas morning!

Packing In The Holiday Fun

We completed our marathon week of Christmas fun. I have to say being 35 weeks pregnant almost did me in, but we had a blast and are now enjoying a pajama day at home.

Thursday was Tuttle's holiday party and Maggie's second visit to The Nutcracker at the Fox Theater. Daddy and I divided and conquered, so each baby had a parent at their event. Tuttle was thrilled to have Daddy in his classroom, and Daddy even remembered to snap a few photos at my request.

Maggie and I met up with friends at the Fox Theater to watch an abbreviated version of The Nutcracker specifically for kids. Luckily Kristen arrived early and saved us seats in the balcony on the front row because it was packed when we arrived. Maggie was mesmerized for the second time and loved watching the ballerinas on stage. This version was more student dancers without all the glitz and glam of the regular show, but the little girls had a great time! I am so glad Aunt Peach organized the original show for us, as well. 

Maggie even lucked out with her own nutcracker compliments of Grandmommy and Grandaddy. :)

Friday Tuttle left for school in his pajamas for a day of hot chocolate, pancakes, and watching the Polar Express with his friends.

 I volunteered to put together Maggie's preschool Christmas party, so I was running around like a crazy person trying to complete all my Pinterest projects before the Kangaroos showed up to enjoy the goodies. I finished just in time! I thought the little treats turned out so cute!

Right after the party all the preschool classes put on a holiday concert in the sanctuary. Maggie's class sang "We Are The Church" and used jingle bells to play along with a Christmas German song. I was prepared for Maggie to completely freeze on stage, but she participated in her own reserved way. She is not a fan of crowds!

We fit in one more holiday activity Friday evening: The Atlanta Botanical Gardens Night of Lights. Although we came prepared with hats, gloves, sweaters, and scarves, we did not last long at the event. The cold really snuck up on us since it had been warm all week long! (Tuttle wore shorts to school two days this week!). Ultimately we came, we saw, and we conquered/left early. :) The lights were impressive, but our warm car was even more inviting.

Yesterday we had the best time at a dinner hosted by Diana and Mid, Jay's cousins. I did not snap any pictures due to pure exhaustion, but we had a great evening. Diana made two kinds of chili for about 15 hungry visitors. The guest list included Jay's aunt, uncle, and cousins on the Thorne side. Tuttle and Maggie were off playing with Sallee Hamrick the entire evening and cannot wait to do it again. We feel the same way! 

Only FIVE DAYS until Christmas. This holiday season is flying!

Santa

Yesterday we packed in a lot of Christmas fun! After gymnastics Maggie and I volunteered in Tuttle's kindergarten class with constructing gingerbread houses. The activity was during the German half of Tuttle's day, so it was interesting to watch the kids respond to directions in another language. I was clueless, but it did not seem to phase the 24 students!

Frau Miltner was so sweet to let Maggie make her own gingerbread house, as well. She fit right into the class and made her house completely by herself. I was so impressed!

Tuttle's teachers are always coming up with sweet ideas for the students. I know Tuttle is going to have such fun memories of kindergarten.

Once the classroom was cleaned up, Tuttle and Maggie dressed in their Christmas best to have their official visit with Santa. Tuttle had been working on his list for a few weeks now, but Maggie completely surprised me with the request that she came up with that morning.

Maggie told me that she was going to ask Santa for two light bulbs. Apparently Daddy had told her that she could go in the attic whenever she wanted, and it was too dark up there. She needed some light. The story changed when Daddy arrived home from work. She told him that I told her she could go in the attic. I am worried for her teenage years! :)

This was our first tear-free year sitting in Santa's lap. I have to admit I love crying baby Santa pictures. Maggie did stay true to her request, and Santa admitted that no one had ever asked for two light bulbs before! Santa was so thorough with Tuttle's list. Some of my favorites from his list included: tape, string, paper, and Daddy's game (Risk).

The highlight of the day came after the kids' dentist appointments and dinner at Newk's for OPP Spirit Night. Around 7pm there was a knock at our door. I knew who the special visitor was, so I asked Tuttle to get the door while I pretended to be busy. He opened the door to the man in red! Our neighbor dressed up as Santa to visit the kids in the neighborhood. I videoed the whole thing. The best part was when Tuttle asked him where his reindeer were, and Santa told him that they were down the street. Tuttle poked his head out the door trying to spot them. I love the magic of Christmas to a five year old. So sweet. Neighbor Santa's visit will always be such a special memory. 

Next up this week are class parties for both Tuttle and Maggie. Our busy and fun holiday weeks are flying by already! Less than 10 days until Christmas!

The Nutcracker

Aunt Peach organized such a fun event for the entire family this year with tickets to The Nutcracker at the Fox Theater! We have been looking forward to the ballet all month!

Tuttle and Maggie had never been to the Fox Theater, so that was an experience in itself. Maggie takes classes with the Atlanta Ballet, and I kept reminding her that she could be a ballerina on the stage some day. :)

We had great lower level seats, and everyone absolutely loved the performance. Jay is already eager to return to another ballet performance at the Fox.

I ran into a sweet friend, Ayars, during intermission. I knew she was at the ballet with her daughter, but it was pure luck at we saw each other. 

I snapped a few pictures of the kids after the show across the street at the Georgian Hotel. The kids were in awe of the snow machine that was on the room. It felt so ironic to watch snow while it was 75 degrees in December!

A new favorite!

We completed our family day with dinner at the Buckhead Diner. Everyone shared their favorite parts of The Nutcracker. I hope this event becomes a yearly tradition! It was the perfect Christmas day!

Christmas Craziness

I absolutely love December because it keeps me busy in a good way. I enjoy the shopping, events, decorating, and most of all the excitement that radiates from Tuttle and Maggie. This week has been the calm before the storm, so I have used it to send our cards, wrap up our shopping, put the finishing touches on the house, and rest up a little bit before next week. Next week has so much packed into it that I barely know where to start: class parties, Santa visit, holiday work dinner, The Nutcracker X 2....just to get us started. It will definitely be a time for holiday cheer.

I cannot believe we can officially say that we will be a family of five NEXT MONTH. Eek! Luckily I barely have time to feel overwhelmed with the holidays. I know the next five weeks will fly by! 

One of my guilty pleasures during Christmas is dressing Maggie in holiday clothing. (Let's be honest. This is my guilty pleasure all the time, but Christmas makes it feel more acceptable.) Here are some of my favorites this week! :)

Merry Christmas!

Friendsgiving 2015

We celebrated another year of Friendsgiving on Saturday with Jay's college friends and their families. The events where everyone is present are less frequent now that we are older, so we always look forward to seeing everybody in one place. David and Elaine hosted this year at their new house in Grant Park. It was the perfect entertaining space to house about thirty people!

I brought two very easy dishes: green bean casserole and frosted cauliflower, and luckily they seemed to be a hit! In my opinion the feast was the best one to date. I definitely went back for second helpings!

We spent a lot of time in the backyard space. The kids ran around in circles, and the weather was warm enough to catch up with everyone in the sunshine.

We cannot wait for the next opportunity to get everyone together! I love being a part of this special group, and it only continues to grow with new engagements and babies. Friendsgiving 2015 was a complete success!

Tuttle and Maggie assembled their gingerbread house that Bockle brought them when we got home. I was a little nervous with how the decorating would go since they had to share the house, but they were both so sweet to each other and were very proud of the finished product!

We spent all day Sunday decorating the house for Christmas. I think the highlight of the day was Daddy putting the lights on the outside of the house with the help of his two little elves. Maggie and Tuttle would have stayed on the roof all day if we would have let them! It is no surprise that I was a little nervous that we would be headed to the hospital for a broken bone!

We wrapped up our weekend with a traditional Indian meal prepared by the sweetest friends. Jay had coached their son on Tuttle's soccer team this year, and as a thank you, they invited us over for dinner. Jay is completely OBSESSED with Indian food and may have mentioned it once or twice (or ten times) to Kanan and Milan during the season. Everything was so delicious! Thank you for hosting us, Patel Family!

We still have some finishing touches to add to our decor, but our complete exhaustion was worth this scene at the end of the day.

Special School Events

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas here despite not having our tree or decorations up yet. We are committed to finishing our decor this weekend, but we have already started wearing our holiday clothes and having a few Christmas events at school. Our elf, Bockle, made his appearance a few days ago, as well. While Tuttle is usually difficult to pull out of bed for school, he has been leaping up to discover Bockle's new hiding place each morning. :)

Maggie was thrilled to tell me that she created a glitter snowflake and a sparkly Christmas tree at preschool.

On Thursday Tuttle's elementary school showcased the kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students at their winter holiday performance. Since so many families attend the concert, it was held at the local high school. It was my first time visiting the high school, and I was a little overwhelmed at the size (It is three stories tall!), but I was also equally impressed with the facility. 

I snapped a picture of Tuttle before entering the school. I honestly do not know how he is already this big! :(

The sweet kindergarten students sang three songs, including one selection completely in German. I think Tuttle's favorite was "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer." Tuttle was on the back row, but I could clearly see his happy face belting out the songs with his friends. Sadly it was too dark to capture a picture during the performance.

Daddy made it just as the lights dimmed for the show. He has been working SO HARD recently, so I was very happy that he was able to see Tuttle in action.

Today I surprised Maggie at preschool as the Mystery Reader for the Kangaroo Class. I brought two Christmas books to share. Maggie loved sitting next to me as I read to her friends. She has been lucky enough to have her mommy and Gram as Mystery Readers so far this year. :)

I am looking forward to a holiday dinner tonight with my neighborhood girlfriends. We actually picked a date that everyone could attend! Bring on the yummy food and hours of kid-free conversation! :)