Feeling Festive!

I just love this time of year! We have had fun getting in the Christmas spirit!

 We spent the weekend after Thanksgiving decorating for Christmas. Adelyn loved finding ornaments with her baby pictures!

It was James's turn to put the angel on the tree. This was his first time. Adelyn swore up and down it was her turn but I proved her wrong by showing her the picture of her doing this task last year. I guarantee we'll be arguing about this again next year! I remember fighting with my brother over whose turn it was too. 

 My mom came in town the first weekend in December and we did our annual cookie baking. We made sugar cookies, Reeses's peanut butter cookies, M&M cookies, and gingerbread cookies from scratch. SO fun! :)

Adelyn sifting flour

James loves to wear his safely goggles when preparing food (they're from a Lowe's Build and Grow). Safety first!

We attended a fun Christmas party in Athens one evening

My mom and I took Adelyn to see Annie Junior. This girl LOVES Annie. We have it on our iPad and she watches the movie at least once a week (not in its entiretyl). She knows all the songs and can't wait to see the new movie!

We took the kids to see Santa (at the outlet mall). They look so big :(

Seth's parents recently went to Germany and Austria. They brought Adelyn back this dress and doll, which she named Sophia. 

I had a bazillion and 3 errands to run and dragged James along with me. He was a trooper! He did get to go to the Lego Store and ride the carousel as a reward. James has been so good lately and fun to be with!

The kids love watching Christmas movies! Our tv has a 3D setting for certain movies so they got to watch Save Santa with their glasses (and Sophia and Christmas cookies!). 

Roseanne is a funny elf!

Heather and I went to see Mockingjay. We've seen all the Hunger Game movies together! We went to a new AMC theater and I was balking at the high prices....until I sat in this leather recliner. I'll happily pay more to be this comfortable!

 The kids performed in their school's Christmas programs. Each age performed seperately and it was adorable. 

Adelyn's Kindergarten class stole the show with their a capella song. They dimmed the lights and the kids sang with their candles. I seriously had tears in my eyes. Video here

 James's class party was Monday. I was the chair for the party and worked with a great group of moms. One activity was eating donuts off a line with no hands- hilarious!

Adelyn in her choir robe 

She made this adorable Merry Christmas plate 

Her class did a gift exchange by playing musical chairs

Just a week until Christmas! We are looking forward to celebrating Jesus's birth. 

Thanksgiving 2014

We headed to my parents' house Wednesday afternoon to enjoy Thanksgiving lunch with them on Thursday. My parents, brother, 2 uncles and their significant others, and one of my mom's friends joined us

 My uncle's girlfriend's daughter (following that?) works at the John Deere headquarters in Iowa. She was kind enough to send James some John Deere mega blocks! He was in heaven, of course! It was like Christmas. (they also brought Adelyn some Barbie accessories). So sweet!

Turkey carving time!

They had their own table

 Ready to dig in!

That night, we went to Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. Last time I was home, we went to see the newly added children's gardens and my parents bought a family membership. I couldn't believe they were open Thanksgiving night! We went and loved seeing it decorated for Christmas!

 They had a craft area and the kids made peanut butter pine cones for the birds

 Fern and orchid tree in the lobby- it was gorgeous!

And so is Ms. Adelyn! :)

We have so much to be thankful for.

Friday morning, my mom and I did our traditional Black Friday shopping at my favorite mall in Charlotte. We were there at 6 am. We headed back to Georgia after that because Seth and I had a concert to attend!

Brian Davis (a friend's husband) is on tour with Brantley Gilbert and we got backstage passes. It was awesome hanging out in the dressing room and watching the concert from the floor!

Brian sang at Heather and Trevor's wedding. He's awesome and I hope his career continues to explode!

We got the Christmas decorations down over the weekend and the kids loved reuniting  with ALL their favorite Christmas books again. 

Hot Air Balloon Ride!

Last year for Seth's Dad's birthday, we attempted to give him the experience of a hot air balloon ride with the grandkids. It never worked out, as it would be rainy or too windy and get cancelled. We tried again this year and were able to do it! The weather was amazing on this Monday afternoon! They barely even needed a jacket on November 10th! 

 The kids are obviously VERY excited about their ride. We met in a large parking lot and watched as the balloon got prepared. 

 First, a large fan blew air into the ballooon. Check out Seth's dad in his aviator glasses and Top Gun hat. 

 Kids inside the balloon

 Gassing it up!

 Ready for take-off! (Love how James is enthralled with this process)

 Up, up, and away! (I'm not gonna lie....I was a nervous nelly watching the kids wave from the edge, even though I know they were in excellent hands)

 Seth and I chased the balloon and tried to figure out how to follow it via roads. It was an adventure!

The balloon flew right over my kids' school and James's teacher saw the balloon!

They landed in the back of a neighborhood in this bush!

When they landed, a school bus had just dropped off some middle schoolers. These boys came running over and helped get the air out of the balloon. 

This was an AWESOME experience for all. We've been to the Hot Air Balloon Festival in Albuquerque twice, so it was extra special for them to fly over our town. Happy birthday, Bobby!

Balloons Over Georgia was great- highly recommend them if you ever want to take a hot air balloon ride!! Daryl, the owner, was super with working with our schedules, answering all of our hot air balloon questions, and making this a memorable experience. 

Halloween Season 2014

Playing a little catch up on our fun fall and Halloween activities...

1. Kinsey Pumpkin Farm

We've been every year since we had Adelyn. This year, we met Heather, Trevor, and sweet baby Madison (for her first trip!). 

 Upon arrival, we bumped into Cara (Adelyn's classmate) and her mom. The girls were thrilled to see each other!

 This was the best picture of I could get of these two

 Family shot

 James was too cute pulling the wagon in his John Deere boots

 WHY can't they both smile??

 Madison snoozed during the tractor ride 

2. The Cumming Fair

We went twice and the kids LOVED it!

 Adelyn on the sky buckets

 Hands up on the roller coaster

James loved the motorcycles

3. A trip home

Seth went to Long Island, NY for a Maclaren event so I went to my parents' house for the weekend. We went to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. They recently opened up a children's area and we had fun exploring and seeing The Three Little Pigs puppet show. 

We also went to a fall festival. 

James technically wasn't tall enough to ride the swings, but they let him anyway. He was SO very excited to ride!

My mom came back to GA with us since Grandparents day was at the kids' school at the end of the week. It was awesome having my mom in town all week! She did neat things with the kids, like peel, core, and bake apples!

We hiked Sawnee Mountain one morning when the kids were at school. It was beautiful at the top!

4. Halloween Parties!

We celebrated Bryce's 3rd birthday at his party. The kids created cupcake masterpieces, and James was quite skilled in putting on as many candies as possible AND eating the cupcake neatly. Impressive. 

Adelyn's friend Cara had a Halloween party. The girls decorated pumpkins and cupcakes in costume

Cara, Adelyn, and James with Cara's human skeleton

 CFUMC Halloween Parade! You may not recognize James as Darth Vader! 

 Adelyn as a mermaid

 Adelyn's class played Bingo, ball toss, and pin the face on the pumpkin

 James's class played pin the spider on the spider web and ring toss on a ghost lollipop

 Adelyn with her awesome Kindergarten teachers

5. HALLOWEEN!

 So, we were slackers and carved our pumpkin at 4:00 pm on Halloween. In our defense, we carved one at church with the kiddos in our Sunbeamers class, and Adelyn and Seth carved one in her class for a special Daddy morning. 

 James did not want to stick his hand in the pumpkin. 

 We went to the McDonough's for our 3rd annual dinner and trick or treating

 Cullen, Adelyn, Declan, Bryce, and James. We love trick or treating with them

 Their neighborhood goes all out for Halloween. One family had pumpkins on display all through the front yard. Another family had a miniature haunted house for the kids to run through. So fun!

 The kids sorted through their loot and ate plenty of chocolate

 Afterwards (even though it was almost 10:00), we stopped by Seth's parents' house. Grandma dressed up like a witch, but James was able to fight her off with his light saber.