Christmas 2021

 Our Christmas Eve centered around going back to our church for the children's nativity service. I grabbed a spot for Maggie and Jacob earlier in the month, and the church contacted me to see if Tuttle was interested in being a Wise Man with two other sixth grade students. I was thrilled that all three of my babies could participate this year!

We listened to Daddy read the traditional poetry, set out cookies and milk, and the kids were ready for bed.

Santa got right to work as soon as possible, and everyone made the Nice List, even Jacob.

Ms. Claus searched over an hour for her phone before heading to bed only to discover that it had gone through an entire wash cycle in the washing machine! Amazingly the phone still worked, but the camera was a blurry mess. I was able to take one picture Christmas morning after using the hair dryer to de-fog the camera before it immediately clouded back up. Honestly I felt more present during all the Christmas excitement!

Grandmommy and Grandaddy arrived around noon to celebrate, but sadly the Peace Family had to miss our gathering this year due to positive Covid tests. We are so ready to be done with this global pandemic and all the germs! It was no shock that the grandparents arrived with a car filled to the brim with gifts, and the kids LOVED every surprise! I am truly a full time adult when I could not open my new carpet cleaner and Roomba fast enough!

The Corbitt Christmas finalized our December fest. Larry and Beth hosted the family, and the kids participated in a service project to make hygiene bags to donate to the homeless shelter.

We simplified gift giving a few years ago with a Secret Santa exchange once the family started to grow so quickly. It makes the day more about the people and less about the presents. One of my favorite parts is watching the next generation become friends. Maggie and Gwen's relationship gets sweeter every time they see each other, and Jacob is getting old enough to hang with the big kids.

Maggie and I were twinning in our tops and new fingerprint necklaces, my number one wish for Christmas. Jay hit a home run with my gift. I will love this special piece forever with my babies' fingerprints and their names stamped on the back. (Maggie received a smaller version for helping Jay make it happen!)

This year has been unpredictable but also exciting for our family. We are ready for 2022!

Holiday Cheer

 With all the sickness gone from the boys, everyone could really enjoy the start of the holiday break. While most of us looked forward to sleeping in, Maggie was up bright and early for two four-hour practice days. Meet season starts in two weeks, so it's crunch time to perfect all her skills, and she is READY!

We finished up Christmas shopping at the Avalon where Tuttle found the perfect gift for Olivia.

Several hours and late nights have already been spent playing games around the kitchen table. Tuttle received Cantan from Gram and Grumps, and the kids have completed at least four games. I love that Jacob is finally at the age that he can participate in almost every activity.

As one last final surprise before Christmas Day, Jay and I took to kids on an adventure to Bryson City, North Carolina to ride The Polar Express. I have wanted to try this activity for years, and we decided the kids were at the perfect age to enjoy AND remember it. We drove up early on Thursday to check into the Mckinley Edwards Inn and eat lunch in the sweetest downtown area.

After dark the main event started! Prior to boarding the train, we picked up our golden tickets and explored a huge model train museum. Then the Polar Express experience completely lived up to the hype. Our chef made us belly laugh the entire ride, and I couldn't imagine a more magical way to celebrate Christmas Adam- the kids coined this theme several years ago since Adam did come before Eve. :) The ride included hot chocolate and cookies, reading The Polar Express, singing Christmas Carols, touring the North Pole, and receiving a silver bell from Santa.

The kids are literally counting down the hours until Christmas. It is going to be a very memorable year!

Unwelcome Guest

 Tuttle never complains that he does not feel well, so when he texted Jay while I was substitute teaching on Friday to pick him up early from school, we knew that was not good. (Thank goodness for Jay's availability working from home!)

The sickness quickly passed to Jay by Sunday, and both boys were down for the count. Tuttle complained that he could not taste a banana at one point, so I immediately made both COVID tests for Tuesday. 

Maggie was eager to cheer up Tuttle, so she baked him a cake completely on her own. It did not turn out very edible, but it was the sweet thought that counted!

Jacob was able to enjoy Frosty Day at school on Monday before he was feeling badly on Tuesday morning, so he stayed home. I did love the snack I sent in for his themed day to share with his class. :)

Fortunately Jay and Tuttle tested negative for COVID, but all three boys were feeling worse by the day. Jacob also tested negative on Wednesday. We are assuming it was the flu. Our elves tried to avoid the unwanted bug. 

Maggie quarantined away from all the germs, so she was able to continue with all the Christmas celebrations. I loved leaving our home hospital for some festive time with my favorite girl. Her gymnastics team participated in a Secret Santa Swap, I planned a craft for Maggie's 4th grade class, and we finished the week with her class holiday party complete with Santa pancakes and the Saran Wrap ball game!

The real MVP this week was Tuttle who had to study and complete FOUR finals at home in spite of feeling AWFUL. Jay and Jacob were couch bound while Tuttle sat at the breakfast room table with notes and study guides. Not only did he have a great attitude, but our boy ended up with ALL A's this semester, and several grades were dependent on doing well on the finals. To say that we are proud is an understatement.

All the Thorne kids were well enough for a quick visit to Santa on Friday evening. We did not linger long with the big man, but lists are officially submitted.

The most important event to be well enough for was our family gathering at Gram and Grump's house today. The boys were still run down, but everyone had a great time eating and opening the first gifts of Christmas.

Sadly Jay and I had to miss Anne's 40th birthday murder mystery party tonight because some symptoms are still lingering, and Jay does not want to be THAT GUY coughing at a big gathering during a pandemic. We have spent all night talking about how much we wish we were there....

Rocking Around The Christmas Tree

 The fun times keep on rolling through December. I celebrated with another moms' night out on Thursday with dinner and a gift exchange with the 6th grade moms at Peach and the Porkchop. Navigating middle school is challenging, and I am relieved to be surrounded by such sweet friends.

Maggie and Jacob enjoyed participating in The Giving Tree at their school to collect toys for needy families in the community on Friday. Luckily I was substitute teaching in 3rd grade, so I was able to attend the assembly.

After a quick nap to recover from subbing, we headed into Atlanta for our Annual Atlanta Botanical Garden Lights trip. Rain was predicted, but the weather was actually quite warm with no rain in sight. The gardens looks especially beautiful this year with new additions to the lights. Because Tuttle was not feeling 100%, we did not linger too long. It was one of our best years at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens!

Maggie did not have gym on Saturday, so we were able to sleep in a little bit before Piper's 5th birthday party at Catch Air. I did not snap any pictures, but it was a wild and crazy time celebrating our wild and crazy niece!

While Jay was wining and dining with friends, I left the kids at home with Christmas movies to attend my girlfriend's birthday party and gender reveal. She is still sharing with some family members, so I have to wait to announce, but it was another memorable night with my favorite neighbor freinds!

This morning Jay stayed home with Tuttle who is still feeling under the weather while I took Maggie and Jacob to church to practice for the nativity processional. All three kids received parts this year with Tuttle as a Wise Man, Maggie as an angel, and Jacob as a shepherd. I cannot wait to see them all dressed up on Christmas Eve!

Our afternoon has been spent recovering from all the action, watching Christmas movies, and prepping for Jacob's Frosty Day tomorrow at school. One more week of school before winter break!

Christmas Crazy

 We are diving into Christmas celebrations right away this month. I know I always over schedule the family in December, but I love so many holiday traditions! 

Jay and I volunteered at Christmas Kindness on Saturday at PRUMC. The event did not take place last year due to the pandemic, so we were eager to help make this year a success. Jay was pulled right away as a helper to load cars with all the gifts. I was paired with one sweet mom that also helped shop for her sister's families. Christmas Kindness really puts the holiday into perspective.

Tuttle, Maggie, and Jacob practiced so hard for their piano recital on Sunday. All three performed a selection of Christmas pieces at Northpoint Mall in Von Maur. Their confidence shined through, and we were very proud to watch them impress all the shoppers on the keys.

I hosted a neighborhood ladies Christmas party on Monday evening. Originally I planned to entertain at my house, but the guest list reached over 30, so I moved it to the clubhouse for more space. Everyone brought an appetizer and a White Elephant holiday decor gift. The night was full of yummy food, great conversation, and many empty wine bottles. I absolutely love Foxhall.

While this was not Christmas related, we could not miss bragging on our sweet boy for the email his teacher sent on Tuesday. To celebrate his strong character, we went to dinner at his favorite spot.

Maggie's first gym holiday party was a cookie swap and Christmas hayride as well as dinner and hot chocolate. The best part was celebrating with old teammates. Maggie's sweet treat proved to be a favorite and was completely gone during the first round of the cookie swap. The girls are now looking forward to their Secret Santa gift swap on Tuesday after practice with dinner at Luckys. 

Let's just say that it is not calm at the Thorne house, it is definitely bright!