December Miscellaneous

So hard to believe 2014 has come and gone! It was a joy to keep up with our blog this year...so many fun things to record. I look forward to printing our blog book each year and 2014 is no exception. While it seems like a lot of work (and it is), I am so thankful to have ALL of these fantastic memories recorded! 

And here's the rest of what happened this December...

Got to wear Christmas clothes to school this whole month!

Loving her houndstooth today!

Let's take a "selfie" mommy :)

Visiting Sweet Frog

Our night visitor...Mr. BIG black bear!

At the Symphony at Bok Tower

With this fabulously fun friend!

Horse shirts!

PJ night and Christmas parties at Olympians and Gopher Buddies

Snacks and movie at the Brinlings

Just a beautiful sunset over the pond!

Santa visited Cracker Trail!

Hugs for Nene

Conversations with Pepa

Getting "all wrapped up" in 252 Crew this month.

Giving Mrs. Alison her Christmas present.

Coloring a nativity scene that she requested I print then using our little people nativity set for inspiration!

So silly at the supermarket!

Haircut...before and after!

Silly Jack packed the kids lunches but wrapped everything inside!

Tea Party

Presenting lots of presents and gift cards to a sweet local family in need...a 252 Crew service project in December. 

They do bring us a lot of "JOY!"

Seeing Santa...a.k.a. Mr. Johnson. He is always so sweet to decorate his yard and dress up for the kids.

Snuggles with Brantley in North Carolina

Chocolate Chip Pancakes for breakfast in Blowing Rock on our way back to Florida

Mmmm...Hot chocolate too!

Catching some zzzz's on our long ride home.

Sleepy children!

Her plan for New Year's Eve...Mary Kate, Margaret, and Marlee would be dancing for everyone...they are all in their tutus. Turns out they did get to have a dance party!

New Year's Eve

We joined David, Heidi and their kids as well as Bear, Laci and their kids for a New Year's Eve celebration! David and Heidi were so kind to host our crazy clan for a fun evening together. Laci made balloons that the kids got to pop throughout the night and inside the balloon was a fun activity for the kids to do. I must say their favorite was "Have a Dance Party" as you can see in these pictures! I brought some sparklers for the kids to do as well. Afterwards they roasted 'smores in the fireplace. We had a New Year's toast at 11:30 p.m. and headed home...couldn't even keep our eyes open to watch the ball drop! Happy New Year!!!

North Carolina Day 3

For our last day in North Carolina we had planned to do several things...here's how well our "plans" worked out! For starters we woke, got dressed in our snow clothes again and headed to Hawk's Nest to go snow-tubing. Upon arrival (after 9 miles driving up a very winding mountain) we learned it was closed due to yucky weather. No good! We left there and took the kids gem mining at Grandfather Gem Mine...a success...They were happy! Afterwards we grabbed lunch at The Banner Elk Cafe...so delicious. We hit the road towards the Linville Caverns. After an almost 30 minute drive we drove right to the entrance only to find the gate shut and a sign that said CLOSED. No good! We hopped on the Blue Ridge Parkway to head towards Grandfather Mountain to go on the mile high swinging bridge. When we got to the entrance we were told the visibility was 0. No good! Since none of our plans were working out we ended up at Grandfather Trout Farm and the kids all went fishing. They each caught very large rainbow trout. They really loved this so it was worth the $132 it cost to catch those dang fish! Haha! At least they cleaned them for us and Papa put them on ice to bring back home for a fish fry. We were so exhausted by this evening we had dinner at the cabin and packed up for our drive home tomorrow. Despite the lack of snow, we had a fun getaway and enjoyed being all together!