Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Happy Birthday, Riley!

This is the boy who crawls over the front seat of the van each morning while in car line, just to make sure he can give me one more goodbye hug!
This is also the boy who still reaches for my hand while watching a movie or walking in a parking lot together! 

Yesterday, this boy turned NINE and I know all too well these precious days are numbered. 
We enjoyed celebrating the birthday boy all day long! Christmas birthdays can be difficult, but I think Riley really enjoys having his birthday this time of year. We try our best to make sure he feels celebrated and special, even amidst the Christmas chaos.
When Riley woke up, our elf Sam was ready to greet him with a special birthday balloon. 
And before breakfast, Riley opened up his birthday present from all of us.
He was so excited to receive the flying car he's been hoping for;) 
Cinnamon Rolls were the birthday boys request for breakfast!
Later that morning, we headed over to my parents house for our annual cookie decorating party with our cousin's
AND to celebrate Ri's special day!
And one thing is for sure...
 with so much family around, any time we're all together, it's a PARTY.
Riley brought his sweet friend, Davis along for the day too.  
The kids had so much fun making a mess in Mimi's kitchen...
and decorating a few cookies too:)
Frosting, sprinkles, and cookie crumbs were everywhere.
A sign of a good time, for sure.
That night, we enjoyed one of Riley's favorite dinners (beef and broccoli) and then had chocolate eclair cake for dessert. 
Riley's pick! 
We LOVE this boy with all of our hearts! 
He is such a sweet blessing to our family and I can't wait to see all the Lord has in store for this boy!
Happy 9th Birthday, RiRi!!! 
Next year we will be celebrating double didgets;) 


Saturday, December 20, 2014

Gingerbread Lane


This past Tuesday night, we met my sweet family at the Ballantyne resort to enjoy their beautiful gingerbread display! 
We always look forward to this fun night each year. 
It's definitely one of our favorite Christmas traditions! 
The kids always have a blast with their cousins, and this year my mom, grandma, sisters, and brother joined us too! 
The kids love walking through the display, judging each house as they go! 
They all find their favorites and enjoy seeing how different candies are used as decorations.
"Frozen" seemed to be a popular theme this year!
There was an "Olaf in summertime" gingerbread house, and of course...
Elsa's castle as well! 
After taking in all the beautiful houses,
we loaded up the crew, and headed to Wendy's for a bite to eat! 
Fast food and frosty's were the perfect end to our sweet night! 
And speaking of sweetness...look at these two! 
Baby Emery is pure yumminess, and Sophie was in heaven holding her! Love these girlies! 

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Santa Claus is coming to town!

You better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I'm telling you why

Santa Claus is comin' to town

He's making a list and checking it twice
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice

Santa Claus is comin' to town

He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake

He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake

You better watch out, you better not cry
You better not pout, I'm telling you why

Santa Claus is comin' to town


Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Christmas Town, USA

One of our very favorite places to visit this time of year is McAdenville, aka Christmas town USA! It's such a quaint little town about an hour away and it just oozes with Christmas charm.  We just love it!

But before we hit the road for on annual tour of lights, our sweet friends, the Robinson's had us over for a little reindeer party! 

The kids had so much fun decorating their very own reindeer cookie...

          
         
  And who could forget the reindeer food.

There's no doubt that Santa's helpers will eat well when they land at our house on Christmas Eve.
  The kids had fun making a few reindeer crafts too. 
Before long, it was time to hit the road and head out to see the lights. 
Even though it looks the same year after year, it still manages to take my breath away each time.
And I love hearing all the oooo's and aaaah's coming from the back seat as my kids take it all in too.
  I love sharing this night with good friends

They make the night that much more FUN!                                  

 

One of the highlights each year is posing with these cute little carolers.
   The kids just love them!
 As we walked through the town, the kids had fun finding all sorts of cute little places for pictures.
 Addy-Kate loved these little snowmen and wanted a picture with them. Precious!
   Me and my buddy. Love him so.
          
 We all shared some delicious treats from the town bakery, which only added to the sweetness of the night!

          As we wrapped up a wonderful evening in McAdenville, our hearts felt lighter and our spirits were brighter! Christmas JOY was in the air!