Merry Christmas 2020!

After traveling last weekend, we stayed home to enjoy some laid back time with family before Christmas.  As I already mentioned, we went to the science center on Monday.  On Tuesday we went grocery shopping and bike riding before meeting up with the Bakewells and Kennedys to see some of the Christmas lights in High Point and Greensboro... Grammy, Grandpa, Aunt Lindsey, Emerson, Eli, the boys and me were packed in their car to enjoy all the beautiful sights of the holidays.  It was definitely a memorable experience to have us all together (even if Eli was less than enthused and cried through most of our adventure.... haha!)  On Wednesday, we enjoyed exploring the school near our house.... the boys liked playing baseball on the big field!  We took Burke for his yearly checkup and I'm happy to report he seems to be doing well!  There is no evidence that the cancer has metastasized at this point.  He has been throwing up often but it might be due to developing a new food allergy rather than the side effects of the cancer so we will continue to monitor our precious pup!  On Thursday (Christmas Eve), we made cookies for Santa and a birthday cake for Baby Jesus!  The boys loved helping me in the kitchen and it was a great way to pass the day since it was raining outside!  

While the boys waited for the cake to cook.... they built a fort with all the pillows in our living rooms and pretended to shoot the couch! I'm finding my days are spent enjoying calm moments where we might be reading a book or baking in the kitchen and then quickly moving into action-packed activities that make mommy a little nervous and have to take a few extra deep breaths!

After Zack got off work, he put together Maddox's big boy (full size) bed!  We already had the frame due to purchasing it when we got the crib about 8 years ago and thanks to Grandpa's help and his truck, we were able to purchase and bring home the box spring/foundation and mattress so Zack had everything he needed for the project!  I found the cutest bedding at Walmart for our shark lover!

Christmas Eve night was spent at Grammy and Grandpa's house.... we ate yummy food, the adults opened gifts and we cuddled while watching Polar Express!

That night we came home to put out the reindeer food and cookies for Santa!  The boys and I were cuddling in Maddox's new bed when we heard Santa's bells from his sleigh outside.  We knew we had to quickly go to bed!  Maddox loved the bells but got a little scared when it was time to go to bed...new bed and new noises made him uncertain!  Zander offered to sleep with him and made it through half the night until he went to his own room (Z said he would sleep better there)!

Santa was very good to us this year!  He got me a shirt that says "Support Wildlife Raise Boys" (pretty perfect if I do say so myself)!  Emerson got an Elsa Barbie doll from us and Eli got his hooded towel with his name on it.  The boys' favorite gifts from Christmas morning were catcher's gear from Santa (Z), a catcher's mitt (Z from the Kennedys), a tablet from Santa (M), a football (M from the Kennedys) and both boys have been playing nonstop with the new Hot Wheels tracks from Grammy and Grandpa!  We had the best breakfast with my side of the family!  Later that night, we went to my parents' house for a traditional Christmas dinner while Linds and her family went to visit with the Kennedys.  It was such a great week with some of our favorite people!  It is pretty cool that on Jesus' birthday we all get presents and we get to spend time with the people He has blessed us with!  I pray we never forget that His presence is the greatest gift we could ever receive!

Merry Christmas from the Houstons!

Luke 2: 11:  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Isaiah 9:6:  For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Celebrating Christmas!

 We loaded up the car and headed west this past Saturday to celebrate Christmas with Zack's side of the family.  Due to Covid concerns, we made it a day trip and spent most of our time outside or wearing masks to ensure we didn't share any germs around the holidays.  Celebrating Christmas felt a little different this year since we weren't able to have Zack's cousins, aunts and uncles join us but I think the boys enjoyed the extra spoiling they got from their grandparents, Aunt A, Uncle Jay and Uncle Grant!  It was such a blessing to see each of them, even if it was for a shorter time period than we are used to.

We took the time at Grannie's to take pictures after we had a scavenger hunt and opened presents outside near a warm fire pit.  It was pretty cold (in the 30s) so the fire pit was a nice addition to our festivities!

We came inside to eat lunch where me and my boys sat in a different room to ensure we weren't within 6 feet of each other for a prolonged period of time.  I will definitely be glad when this is all over!! When you look back at my blog, you will notice this started in the middle of March and we still don't have an "ending" date!  I did have to snag Henry for an Aunt M and Henry picture! His smile is just the sweetest!

The boys enjoyed opening all of their presents that their grandparents, aunt and uncles gave them!  We got Henry a soccer ball and goal set which he was pretty excited about!;)

Amanda, BC and I got matching jackets from Aunt Maude (who we got to Facetime with)!  We also had to document the teams for the scavenger hunt.... I was with Henry, Aunt A and Zander were paired up, Grannie and Maddox were a team and the dads (Zack and Jay) made up the last pairing!  We all had a lot of fun!

The boys equally enjoyed themselves with Granny V, PawPaw, Uncle Grant and Sib.  They got new nerf guns they had requested and were able to go outside and shoot things with them!  I don't know who had more fun.. the kids or the adults!  Uncle Grant's job has always been to put the boys' toys together each Christmas... I'm happy to report that this tradition continued! ;)

I just had to snag a picture of my big boys in front of the mountain where Zack and I got engaged.... Its hard to believe that was 13 years ago!  I love seeing it any time we visit the mountains/ country house!

On Sunday, we were able to join the Bakewells and Kennedys for the annual Candlelight service at our church.  It is such a special time to sing praises to our Lord that sent his son to be born so many Christmases ago!

A few other things.... I am officially on Christmas break which means that Zander and I have no intentions of getting out our computers for work for the next two weeks!  I am hopeful we can enjoy a lot of outside time and take day trips to a few places!  Yesterday, we went to the science center!

Prior to Christmas break, Grammy and I took the boys to our church's worship night.  Unfortunately, they didn't play any of the songs the boys would recognize from K-Love or the traditional Christmas songs they know and love.... so the evening was spent reminding them of their good behavior! Fortunately, the Candlelight service was much more successful for all of us! ;)

Santa and Mrs. Claus visited our school!! We loved seeing them!

Grammy had the three boys yesterday afternoon while I went with Grandpa to purchase a big boy bed for Maddox! Stay tuned for pictures when it all comes together!  We have to go back to pick up the box springs/foundation so this will definitely be a Christmas break project that might take longer than I anticipated to have come together!  Grammy does such a great job entertaining all the kiddos!  We are lucky to have Grammy and Grandpa so close by!

Countdown to Christmas!

 We are enjoying all things Christmas this time of year!  Lately, one of my favorite things has been watching Christmas movies that were popular when I was younger.  We've watched all the Home Alone movies and all of the Santa Clause movies!  I think we are planning to watch Elf in the near future!  We have enjoyed some other holiday options while staying around town.  Last night we walked around our downtown, just taking in all the lights, decorations and holiday music that was playing!

We fit in our annual cookie making and tasting at Grammy's!  This will always be one of my favorite Christmas traditions!

We had a socially distanced birthday party for one of Zander's friends at school.  These are all of the 2nd graders of staff members that are still in remote learning at our school... we are definitely counting down until they can be back in class but occasionally we give them the option to socialize (from a distance) so they are seeing other children and not just computer screens every day!  They had pizza and decorated cookies!

Every week, Zander gets to see one of his friends that lives in my parents' neighborhood.  Since neither of them are getting out much, this gives them a chance to just be kids and play!  They love taking selfies!

We've enjoyed dress up days at school.... here is Maddox as a "shaggy" donkey for his school's nativity character day!  Zander is dressed in a Santa hat for "Holiday Headgear Day".

We remembered Great Grandpa Bobby on December 6th, which marked a year since he had passed.  I had a cheeseburger just for him that day!

I occasionally get to pick up Emerson from school!  These two middle cousins really love each other and have some fun together! haha

A couple weeks ago I got to eat dinner with our original office staff from last year.  Two of these ladies have retired, my former principal is now at a middle school and Angie, Carmen and myself are holding down the fort at our same school!   Dinners with these friends are so good for my heart!

We started a countdown to Christmas... the boys love watching the days go by as we get closer to Christmas Eve.  I've never done the "Elf on the Shelf" thing that is pretty popular right now so this has been a good way to countdown until the big man comes down the chimney... thanks Grammy for the idea!  We also have an advent calendar that we read from every day.  I love counting down to Jesus' birthday.... a day that brings joy to all people! 

Luke 2:10:  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people."

Here are my officemates!  I have Zander four days a week at school and then I have Burke on Wednesdays when I work from home and have meetings online all day!  Thank you Grammy for entertaining Z so mommy can get some work done uninterrupted!  ;)

Zander is supposed to start back to school in person after Christmas Break.  I am still not all the way convinced this will happen..... so whether he returns to his classroom in January or not, I am trying to savor these extra moments I have with my oldest.  Days to eat lunch together and help him with his work.  Days for him to see all that mommy tries to fit in within a day while he is typically in class.  This has been a very interesting year and I pray we look back at 2020 and are thankful that we got to do "school" together from March through December!

Thankful in 2020!

This has been the craziest year but as I sit and reflect on all that has happened this year, I know we are truly blessed... blessed to have our jobs, our homes, our health, our finances, our opportunities, our families, our friends, our education, additional time with the kids ...... the list goes on!  So here are some pictures from our last week where I can't help but be thankful for the time I've been given with my boys and our other family members that live nearby.  I pray I don't take this crazy time for granted!

I got to see my grandma in her apartment (for only the second time since March) on Thanksgiving.  I wore my mask the whole time and was at least 6 feet away from her throughout our visit but I enjoyed catching up with her.  It is such a blessing that she lives right down the street!

On Thanksgiving Day, we enjoyed a relaxing day at the house.  It was somewhat drizzling all day so we managed to have a wet hike/exploration at a nearby park to get our wiggles out!  I made pizza for dinner so it was definitely not the traditional Thanksgiving feast but we enjoyed our day with our little family of five (including Burke)!  Thankful for our home as a safe place to rest and the food that was provided even if it wasn't elaborate! ;)

Zander has shown a new love for drawing and writing.  He is making a book about sharks, after reading about them in one of his favorite books!  I loved watching him spend hours writing and drawing about these sea creatures!  I love that he loves learning and pray that continues!

My boys discovered that they can play FOR HOURS outside in our backyard without injuring themselves or each other!  I wondered if this day would ever come and I was blessed to watch them from the inside of the house while they explored and played together in our fenced in backyard.... thankful for brothers.... the great outdoors, their imagination, and a little bit of quiet inside! ;)

We zoomed with Zack's family on Thanksgiving night since we couldn't see them in person!  It was great catching up with our loved ones that we typically see on Thanksgiving!  We are hopeful that next year we can be in person, handing out hugs and sharing a meal around the same table!

Our boys discovered the game Battleship over Thanksgiving Break..... the four of us loved playing this together!  I think mommy and daddy had a competitive side that the kids didn't possess yet when it comes to this game! ;)

While daddy worked on Friday, I took the boys bowling.  Maddox has asked about this since last Christmas when we went as a family..... not sure if any of these establishments will be closing in the upcoming weeks due to rising Covid numbers, I wanted to make sure he was able to have his bowling dreams come true!  We had the place to ourselves and loved every minute of it!  Grammy and Grandpa even stopped by to check on our bowlers!  Next time, we need to take daddy with us!  I'm so thankful for outings with these boys!

Here are some of the things the boys had on our "thankful" list this year!  I always love hearing what they have to add to the list!

We had Thanksgiving dinner at our house on Saturday like we typically do with my side of the family.  Since we have a small family and we continue to be together each week, we felt that it was safe to continue with our Thanksgiving traditions.  Since Thanksgiving was the last holiday I was able to spend with my grandpa last year, I am glad Grandma made the trip over to the house to see the kids!  We kept our distance (other than having the kids pose for a quick picture to document the occasion).  Zack deep fried a turkey again which was delicious and the Bakewell girls put all the sides together to make the meal complete.... I would say that Thanksgiving 2020 was a success!  Now the boys are counting down to Jesus' birthday and when Santa comes to town! ;)

Happy Thanksgiving 2020!

The Houstons  (especially the littlest Houstons) had requested that the tree be put up as soon as possible.... I think we are all ready for some Christmas cheer after a crazy year!  So almost two weeks ago, we put up our Christmas tree and it has felt so festive around our house! The boys love when we turn on the gas logs and cuddling with them on the couch is definitely my happy place!  So bring on all the cheer, Christmas is here! ;)

We welcomed kindergarten and 1st graders back to our schools in the last couple weeks.  Zander is supposed to start back in person in January (although with numbers rising of Covid cases, I'm not sure this is actually going to happen).  He might be in remote learning all of his 2nd grade year.  I will go in to do lessons periodically throughout the year when students are in the building, so I had Zander help me one day since he is my permanent office mate!  He did a great job reading to kindergarteners (walking around to show them the pictures, rocking a mask and staying socially distant from the students)!

On Sunday night, we got an email saying that someone in Maddox's class had tested positive for the virus.  Since we traced back the last possible time of contact, we went Monday morning (6-7 days after exposure) to get him tested.  He was showing no signs of the virus and we are happy to report his results came back negative!  His best friend, Mollie, showed up to get tested around the same time so we had to document another "fun outing" for these buddies!  He has to stay home with me the full 14 days before he can return to his classroom which meant Monday and Tuesday of this week I was attempting to work from home with both kids!  Zander was still able to get on his Zoom links and complete his classwork.  Maddox did a great job entertaining himself or working with his brother so mommy could be productive.  We even joined Grammy, Grandpa and Eli on Tuesday so mommy had some extra hands and a change of scenery!  I am very thankful it is a short week of work and we only have 2 more days of school the following week before Maddox can return to this class!  

This is what happens when you are trying to work and Zander has been using your phone for his tasks. ;)

Snuggles with Eli on Tuesday morning!

While I'm on a meeting, these boys are bonding over Z's tablet! haha

Got the boys fresh haircuts for the holidays!  Zander wanted his picture from the side! haha

We went to the science center with the Kennedys and Grammy for our first day off during Thanksgiving break! We had a blast!! The animals were so active which entertained the kids and adults!

Maddox bought a new toy while at the science center (using some birthday money).  He got it stuck on the roof right after we got home! Mommy climbed out the window the boys are peering out of in this picture and used a rake to "save the day" and retrieve the toy from this very high elevation!  Just a boy mom doing "boy mom" things! haha  The boys' faces in this picture make me laugh out loud!

We got some additional pictures back from my friend who took our family photos in October!  I just love seeing the pictures of my extended family and my little family of four!  While this Thanksgiving Day we are not able to travel to see our extended family, I continue to be thankful for all God has blessed us with this year.... our family, our friends, our health, our jobs, our home and so many other things... this is truly the time of year to sit back and reflect on all the blessings God has given us and our hearts are so full!  

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness" - Lamentations 3:22-23