The Big 4-0

 We celebrated Jay's 40th birthday last night with good friends. It was a toned down event with all the pandemic cautiousness, but the group was full of people who know and love our birthday boy.

We tried out a new restaurant at the Avalon, Oak Steakhouse. It did not disappoint, and we will definitely be returning for another meal. 

Allison put together the most thoughtful video full of Jay's family and friends with birthday messages. It brought everyone to tears as each person talked about what an impact Jay has in their lives.

I cannot rave enough about my husband, and I am so lucky to spend another year celebrating him and all he does for our family. I am extremely relieved that I missed my bus at the GA/FL game 15 years ago and ended up sitting behind such a handsome stud when his driver took pity on two sorority girls left behind at the game!

Merry Christmas 2020

 Christmas clearly looked a little different this year, but it ended up being one of my favorite holidays ever. The kids were eagerly counting down the days until Christmas Day, and with the extra week of quarantine at home, everyone was ready for some excitement!

The kids and I made a cake to celebrate Jesus's birthday. Everyone had a part in it. We probably will not be winning any culinary awards, but it sure tasted good!

We offered to host Christmas this year with the Thornes, so we were able to attend church with Gram and Grumps on Christmas Eve. It was the first time my mom and I had been together at that special service since I married Jay twelve years ago. We had started attending our church in previous years, but with almost every service only being virtual this year, it was so nice to be with Gram and Grumps at their church in person.

With all the COVID rules at the church, I did not snap one picture at church, but that is typical around my family. We came straight home after the service for Jay to read a little from the traditional poem book, and then the kids were eager to hop into bed, so Santa could visit.

Santa had finished most of his assembly work already, so he came quickly and set up all the surprises for the Thorne kids. While we were worried that they would not make the Nice List, especially Jacob, they seemed to convince him otherwise.

We told Maggie that she could not get up earlier than 7am, and right on time she woke up her brothers to inspect their haul.

The biggest surprise was the hamster for Maggie. It took a few hours to become comfortable with her new pet, but now Sugar Cookie is a happy member of our family.

Grandmommy and Granddaddy arrived a little while later to enjoy Santa with the kids. Once the Peace Family arrived, we started all the gift opening again!

The most magical part of the day was when Grandmommy and Granddaddy surprised all the grandchildren with the BIGGEST gifts. Tuttle received a foosball table, Holland and Piper found big girl bikes, and Jacob and Maggie discovered a huge trampoline in the backyard!

We spent the rest of the afternoon and into the night eating, drinking, and being merry! We loved hosting family at our new home. 2020 was such a strange year, but everything felt right on Christmas.

Brunch and Santa

 To celebrate the beginning of Christmas vacation, we invited our favorite family over for a holiday brunch. I loved creating fun waffles for the kids (and dads!)

The kids were eager to exchange presents, and giving Eden her own bow and arrow set proved to be one of my most exciting surprises of the year! She was always obsessed with playing with Maggie's set.

I am so happy that the Williams Family moved closer to us, so we can get together a lot more frequently!

The Thorne kids had a final opportunity to make any last minute changes to their lists with our annual Santa visit at Phipps Plaza. 

It was definitely a Covid style experience, but we were relieved this tradition was not cancelled. The majority of the requests stayed the same, but Maggie did add a fake plant. Jacob really has no clue what he wants, so Maggie guided his list. :)

Everyone is looking forward to a lazy week at home before Christmas in FOUR DAYS!

Covid Christmas

 We received the dreaded phone call last Thursday morning that Tuttle and Maggie had been exposed to Covid on the bus and needed to quarantine until a negative test this week. I knew it would eventually come, but it was such a bummer to happen the week before Christmas break that is always filled with all the fun activities and parties. Everyone was pretty bummed until we received a follow up call that the entire school was moving to digital learning for the final week due to an increase in positive cases all over the school.

Jacob was still able to enjoy his last week in preschool with all the holiday fun! Although I could not attend the party, I helped the teacher plan some festive games for the class. The reindeer ring toss was a hit with all three kids at home!

The biggest disappointment with the Covid exposure was missing my family's annual Christmas day together on Sunday. We just could not risk spreading any germs to such a large group. We had also planned to host Donna and Jim at our new house for drinks and appetizers, but we rescheduled for after the Christmas gathering. Luckily Gram, Grumps, Donna, and Jim felt comfortable coming over this past Monday to celebrate as a small group. I only snapped a few photos, but it was the perfect evening to start the official Christmas celebrations!

After a negative Covid test for Tuttle and Maggie, we braved the cold for our annual Atlanta Botanical Gardens visit to see the lights yesterday. It rained all day, but cleared up for the evening. Our first stop was Mellow Mushroom, and we did not leave even a crumb on our plates. One of the highlights of the evening was playing a Christmas memory cards game at the table. Everyone was able to participate, and it got pretty competive. I do not want to brag or anyting, but I did win one round. :)

The Garden Lights were set up a little differently this year to allow for social distancing. It was a smooth process, and the masks kept our face warm! Jacob requested me to take his picture several times since he was so amazed with the decor. Tuttle treated Maggie and Jacob to hot chocolate with his own money. It was such a sweet and memorable night, and everyone fell into bed as soon as we arrived home!

We are on our final day of digital learning before a fun movie day tomorrow with their classes. I cannot believe Christmas is one week away!

Generosity

 Maggie and Tuttle both asked to contribute to their school's Angel Tree for Christmas, and Jay and I could not think of a better way for the kids to use the money from their "Give Jars." We started weekly allowances this past summer, and each week all three Thorne kids have to put a certain amount into glass jars labled with spend, save and give. Jacob also participated with this money, and the whole family went to the store tonight to shop. We talked about generosity and charity on the way and all agreed that the shopping trip would only focus on those we could help, not also browsing for themselves. It was such a sweet experience, and the kids were so excited to count out their own money to buy these Christmas gifts.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of shopping for family and friends during Christmas, but opportunities like tonight bring us closer together and refocused on the importance of good character and love.

Christmas Cheer

 What a sweet weekend we just had with family! We started our Saturday bright and early with breakfast with Santa at a local farm. Aunt Peach suggested the event, and everything was beautiful!

I found the perfect accessory for Jay in the gift shop. Deck the halls!

I literally had to be pulled away from the farm because I could not stop taking pictures around all the festive decorations. It really put everyone in the Christmas spirit.

We left from Scottsdale Farm and headed straight to Madison to redo Thanksgiving with Grandmommy and Granddaddy. It was not the same as our traditional turkey and dressing meal, complete with asperagus casserole, but the company was just as special. Jay grilled steaks, and Aunt Peach made the sides. I organzied a gingerbread house activity after dinner, so the kids mostly filled up on candy. :)

We spent the night, and the kids spent most of the time outside flying around the house in the go-cart.

The kids only have two weeks of school left before Christmas vacation, and we are crossing our fingers that there are no COVID quarantines in our sight. If we make it half the school year without any pandemic complications at school, it will be a Christmas miracle!