Christmas Parades and Performances

We’ve had another busy week as we countdown to Christmas Break! One more week to go! I love that Beau keeps me company sometimes when I work out (just like his four-legged brother used to do). I looked over and he was watching me on the elliptical this week!

Zander was able to walk with his teammates and coach in our local Christmas parade. Grandpa, Maddox and I got to watch the parade while our soccer player walked by!

We have been working on our children’s Christmas program since September! It is something I love being involved in and Maddox (along with his cousins) did a great job showing the audience the true meaning of Christmas. This year’s theme was “It All Happened in the Country” and the kids looked great in their country attire!

Beau watching me do a DVD workout on another morning.:)

We had Zack’s Christmas party last weekend! It was fun to have a night out thanks to Grammy!

Zack bought a human size dog bed…. I think the human children might like it more than our four-legged addition but we are having fun with it regardless!

We got to see Santa last weekend with Grammy and Grandpa as well! I hope these boys have been good enough to convince Santa to visit our home again this year. ;)

Happy Thanksgiving from the Houstons

 I’m realizing I haven’t posted since before Thanksgiving! So I will attempt to catch up in this post. For me, the biggest thing that has happened since my last post was that I found out last night that I am a National Board Certified Teacher! I had to take an exam and complete three additional writing components (on assessment, my teaching abilities and writing instruction). I spent countless hours writing, editing and studying and cannot believe I did it! Thank you Lord for this incredible blessing!

We had our work Christmas party last night…. I love the people I get to work with every day!

This last week, Zander had an orchestra concert the same night that Maddox had a music performance at school. I got to catch the first portion of Z’s concert and made my way across town to cheer on Maddox (who also played an instrument as part of the Elf Band). Grammy, Grandpa and Aunt Lindsey stayed with Z while daddy and I watched M! It takes a village but I’m so thankful for the one I have that loves and supports our boys!

Beau had his first snow and we had a snow day for the first time in years! It wasn’t much and mommy had a teacher workday but we enjoyed a different schedule on Tuesday!

Jingles, Maddox’s elf, came back to visit us in my office this Christmas season. Maddox loves seeing all the different places that Jingles moves around our room! It’s magic!;)

We got to celebrate Thanksgiving with both sides of our family… Zack’s crew on Thursday and my crew on Saturday, last weekend. We love time with our family!

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, Zack took the boys shooting on a friend’s land while I went running with one of my BFFs, Carmen! It was a great day for everyone!

Beau got hurt running down the stairs with a stuffed animal much bigger than himself. He snagged his do claw and needed a temporary bandage to stop the bleeding and protect it from getting infected. He seems to be doing better now.

We had Balloons over Sedge Garden before Thanksgiving where the kids participated in Macy’s Day Parade themed activities!

This tree keeps getting bigger each year. Zack does a great job decorating it with Christmas lights!

Zander finished out his fall season with a win!

Speedway Christmas

We have started into the holiday festivities and always love this time of year! We are counting down to Thanksgiving Break! Only two days of school and then a five day break for me and the boys! Zack will have to work at the end of the week but we will fit in Thanksgiving celebrations with both sides of our family over the next seven days! It was time for hair cuts in anticipation of family pictures at the upcoming holiday gatherings. I love this picture of Z with the sunset in the background on Friday evening after his hair cut! He is getting so big! 

We finished out a long week of work, school, sports and church commitments and were ready for a lazy Friday night while daddy still had to work late (he came home around midnight). Beau’s lazy Friday evening plans matched the energy level we felt for our movie night!

We added a new picture in the stocking for Beau and I love the gas logs in the fireplace this time of year. 

On Saturday night, we officially started our holiday festivities with a trip to Concord to check out the Speedway Christmas lights on the racetrack! My family has decided to do an event each year instead of exchanging gifts. In previous years, we have enjoyed Disney on Ice, the Polar Express at the Transportation Museum, and Winter Wonderlights at the Greensboro Science Center! This year the kids (and adults) got to see all the light displays on the track, have a chat with Santa, taste sweet treats at the Christmas Village and pose for some photo ops! It was such a wonderful evening, and Lindsey and I already starting to plan next year’s event! Stay tuned….

Celebrating the Kennedy Kids!

We love celebrating Eli and Emerson in the month of November! With their birthdays being 8 days apart, it seems like we get to take advantage of all the individual and combined birthday fun! This past weekend, we ate dinner at a fancy Japanese restaurant to celebrate three of the four in the “cousin crew” that have birthdays within a few weeks of each other. Eli wasn’t keen on the singing but M and Em enjoyed all the antics! 

Matching my two carpooling buddies on World Kindness Day

One of our favorite events of the year…. An annual zoo trip to celebrate Emmy (turning 8) and Eli (turning 5)! They are so easy to celebrate and I’m so thankful I get to watch them grow up! Each zoo trip gets easier as the kids are able to move to see all their favorite animals on the path and fill out their Zoo Trekker books to earn a new pin. The weather was perfect, the animals were active and the company made for such a wonderful day!

Life Lately

Just a quick catch up post since the Houstons have been busy lately!

Zander had his first youth retreat with our church! He enjoyed devotions, sleeping in cabins, ziplining, archery, shooting, a silent disco and lots of fun with friends! While he was away for the weekend, Maddox and I had an “M & M” weekend- Maddox and Mommy)! Zack had inventory so it truly was a weekend for the two of us! He cashed in on some of his birthday gift cards and got a couple new games for the Nintendo switch. We enjoyed eating out (Chickfila) and a trip to the Science Center. We watched some college football on Saturday evening and finished out our weekend with church and a soccer game.

Maddox continues to get a hat trick (at least three goals scored per game) and multiple assists in each soccer game! He plays multiple positions and excels at each one!

We had a teacher workday this past week due to the presidential election (Donald Trump was elected as our 47th president and will serve his second term after Inauguration Day in January). We took the afternoon to visit Mommy’s college campus, eating a late lunch at Yum Yums and getting Krispy Kreme donuts for our two boys who both had straight A’s for the first quarter of school! I’m so proud of both of them and how hard they work at school!

We finished a puzzle that Maddox got as a birthday present!

Maddox finished his soccer season yesterday with a 7-1 record and a big scoring game to finish the season!

Grammy and Grandpa try to make it to all the boys’ games…. Home and away! 

Maddox loved playing with Gunner and John this season!

Beau is getting ready for his first Christmas as a Houston (if I can talk him into not trying to eat the tree… haha!) I decorated for Christmas yesterday in between soccer games! It’s a busy November and I love having the decorations up as long as possible before Christmas!