Christmas Cookie Fun

This weekend with basketball, a Girlology event with Savannah, and a planned dinner out, there wasn't much extra time for Christmas festivities.  So, after a crazy Saturday I promised the kids we could bake cookies on Sunday afternoon.  Even daddy joined in for the decorating fun!

Our finished products!

 Trust me, even as good as they look, they tasted WAY better!! :)

Basketball Begins!!

For the next few months our Saturdays will be consumed with basketball!  After two weeks of practice today was the first game of the season.  Preston's game was first, at 9am.  He was SO excited and did a great job.

Our fast little guy

Although he didn't score a basket this time, he's getting closer and closer to actually making a goal.  His specialty has to be in rebounds though because he was on FIRE! :)  Much unlike last year, this year's game was very interesting and fast paced.  The kids actually looked like they knew what they were doing and kept us on our toes with the scoring.  His team ended up winning by 2 baskets so he was thrilled.

Cole, John Robert, and Preston

After his post game devotion, we ran some errands and headed home for a few hours.  The weather has been amazing so I was able to squeeze in a long outside run, which was wonderful for this mama's mental health. :)  Then after a quick shower it was back to Calvary for some more basketball!

My two basketball stars

Savannah's game was at 3pm and she too was super excited.  I have to say that I wasn't sure what to expect since this was her first team sport EVER, but she did awesome!!  I was so proud of her confidence and willingness to play her hardest. She also was a rebound master and did great the entire game.

They actually keep score in her age group . . .  and it was a nail biter as we were down one basket with 3 seconds to go.  Her team mate took a shot and it circled the rim, but didn't make it in, so they ended up losing by 2 points. :(  It was still a super fun game to watch and she was one happy girl afterwards so all was well.

I have to say that I was sort of dreading the long Saturdays with basketball, but if this week was any indication of how much fun the season is going to be, we're going to be well entertained and enjoy every second of basketball season!!!  Now if we can just get each of them to make a basket. :)

Christmas Lights Galore

When I asked the kids at dinner one night what one thing they wanted to do most this Christmas season Savannah's response was that she couldn't wait to go see lights. :)  Well, see lights we did a lot of this weekend!!!  Friday night we hit downtown Waxhaw where we even got to see Santa!

Then, on Saturday, we hit Providence Country Club to see our favorite "dancing lights".  As usual, they were awesome!!  We didn't stay for the entire show (Clemson game was coming on at 8) so we may have to go back and see the rest sometime soon.  Sunday we had an early dinner so we could explore a huge neighborhood in Indian Trail.  There were 4 more homes with programmed lights and even one where we got out and explored the elf houses displayed in their back yard.

So our holiday festivities have begun . . and the shopping is almost done!  Hallelujah!!

Savannah's First Basketball Practice!!

I am SO proud of this girl!!  She is finally ready to try a team sport and asked me to sign her up for basketball this winter.  She was super excited to have her first practice tonight . . and did a great job!!  Basketball is going to consume the next few months in our house, but we are thrilled at the idea of both kids staying active and improving their b-ball skills. :)

A Wonderful Thanksgiving

Dave and I started the morning bright and early with our annual Southpark 8k Turkey Trot.  He slowed down enough to run my pace and we actually ran and FINISHED a race together!!  I can't wait to see our finish line picture. :)  We finished in exactly 41 minutes, a record for me.  After the race, we hurried home, showered and loaded up the car for Mebane.

Pawpaw with the Grandkids

Page Family picture

Cherry with her great nieces/nephews

So after travelling for a very long time (traffic was awful and we were stuck in Concord forever just sitting on 85) we finally arrived at Denny's house.  He had a house over-flowing with Sara's family there too, but it was a great day!  The food was great, but the company was even better.

Preston has talked for days and days about the wishbone.  As the turkey sat on the table he kept walking by and asking where it was.  So, after everyone was finished someone pulled it out for the little ones to take a pull at.  They were super excited at first . . .

But quickly became confused at how the process really worked . . 

It was such a fun (and loud) day, but what treasured time with our sweet family!  I'm so, so thankful for being able to spend Thanksgiving with family and friends. We truly are blessed and have a lot to be thankful for!

Love from Aunt Cherry

Savannah and Preston have been waiting for "forever" for Aunt Cherry to come to Charlotte to spend the day with them.  For the past year all of her trips have been working trips for the remodel, but this time it was all about the kids!!!  She came bright and early in the morning and surprised both kids with beautifully wrapped Christmas presents.  They each got amazing Christmas outfits that they will proudly wear on Christmas day. Aunt Cherry even had a special surprise for me, a new entire bedding set for our bed . . complete with about 10 pillows!!  It looks beautiful on our bed and I'm thrilled to finally have a new comforter (after being in the house 11 years)!  After a quick trip to the mall and a stop for me to pick up our race numbers Aunt Cherry treated us to lunch at Chick-fil-A.  The kids were so excited to eat out for lunch!!!

Then it was right back home to start the project with Savannah, making an American girl outfit!  They sewed and sewed and sewed until everything was just right.  And the outcome was ADORABLE!!

Preston enjoyed his special time of building his own butterfly house.  He was very patient as Savannah's project took a bit longer than his, but I think the excitement of having Aunt Cherry here was enough for him.

Once the projects were complete, she whipped up an amazing dinner to put in the oven.  Oh, the smell of it baking during the afternoon was awesome!  And while I continued to work away at the computer catching up she even agreed to join the kids for a game of Life. :)  Once that was over Aunt Cherry even volunteered to hang the garland on our stairs. . . with an extra special ribbon touch this year.  That's my least favorite part about decorating for Christmas and now viola, it's already done!  Hip hip horray!

It was such a full day, one overflowing with love and joy.  I can't decide what the best part was . . . entertainment for the kids, the delicious dinner, having the garland hung, or my amazing new bed furnishings.  All I know is that as she pulled out of the driveway way after dark we were all filled to the brim with happiness.  What a special day!  Thank you Cherry for giving and loving on us today!!!

*UN*Urgent Care for Savannah

Waiting to see the doctor, still smiling even though she was expecting stitches!

As I become older and more "experienced" as a mom I'm learning to expect the unexpected (to borrow a line from Big Brother).  The most perfectly planned out and scheduled days can end up being the hardest, craziest, most challenging ones to survive.  Today was certainly one of those days!  I had two scheduled doctor appointments for me this morning and thought I would have the entire afternoon to get caught up and enter all of my mystery shop reports before the big, yellow bus arrived.  NOT!  After getting home from the grocery store, unpacking the groceries, and sitting down to work on a friend's meal sign up my cell phone rang.  It was the nurse at the kid's school.  Uh oh!  My first panic was that she was calling to tell me Savannah had lice.  Yesterday was the first day we got the letter home saying that some kid in her class had the critters so of course that's what my biggest fear was.  However, after finally getting some reception on my phone, she said that Savannah had a bad cut that needed "immediate attention".  Of course the pediatrician's office was completely booked since only a few doctors in the practice do sutures, so we ended up heading to urgent care. There were only two people waiting in front of us, so I figured we'd be out of there in an hour tops.  HA!

As we waited . . and waited . . . I got the whole story.  Apparently she was trying to grab paper out of a group members hand and when he pulled back, the scissors in his hand chopped the tip of her left thumb.  Ouch!  Of all days to have a substitute teacher too. :)  She said that there was blood everywhere!  Anyway, long story short after it was all cleaned out the doctor determined that she could glue it and put steri strips to close it just fine.  Whew!  But it was 2.5 hours later before we finally left that place!  

Even in the midst of chaos and an afternoon spent at urgent care, it was Savannah that started counting our blessings . . . it's her left hand, not her right one . . . the doctor had an ipad for the kids to play while they waited . . . she didn't have lice, but rather a finger that could easily heal . . . she didn't have to miss a day of school since it was at the end of the day . . and the list goes on.  For me, it's a day to be thankful I was just around the corner and could be there quickly to take her to get all fixed.