Oh What Fun!

This week was very special with several Christmas events. First, on Wednesday the 11th, our church's childrens ministry had their annual Christmas program. This year's show was called "It Happened in the Country," and it was the story of two city kids that find themselves stuck "in the sticks" on Christmas. Not so happy about their rural surroundings, they soon learn the true meaning of Christmas from their new country friends. Emmy was part of a quartet that sang a verse during "Story of the Shepherds" and Eli sang "Away in the Manger" with the other preschoolers. Maddox was a part of the production too. Now that Zander is in middle school, he has 'aged-out' of the children's ministry. We missed having the eldest cousin in the performance, but he enjoyed sitting with the adults in the audience. All of the children did so well and sang their hearts out. 

Today, Eli's preschool had two special events, first a Christmas breakfast in the morning and then their Christmas program in the afternoon. After Wednesday night's performance, I had high hopes for Eli as he took to the stage a second time....but it was quite the opposite! Aunt Megan, Maddox, Grammy, and Grandpa came to watch, and unfortunately, Eli was in tears the entire time and cried even harder when any of the family members made eye contact with him. I noticed he would try to compose himself, but one glance into the audience, and he would tuck his head and cry again. When I asked him later why he didn't sing, he said that it was because I had not told him Sissy would be there. I had suspected that he may have been jealous that Emmy was sitting in the audience and not on stage with him like on Wednesday. Just for memory's sake, I'll include a few photos. It was a memorable performance, but not in the way I had hoped. I'm sure it will be funny years from now. 

Last Saturday, after our Yadkin County Christmas adventure, we ended the evening with a party at the Huffs'. Like last year, the Huffs transformed their garage into an amazing winter wonderland for photos with Santa. I received the photos back this week, and they turned out great. Emmy and Eli got a few minutes to talk to Santa and again tell him what they are wishing for. 

Upward basketball is underway, and both kids had their first practices this past Thursday. The practice times coincide, which makes for a convenient schedule for the Kennedys. Boomer is once again coaching Emmy's team, and this year they are the Leopards. Eli's team is the Dragons. We can't wait for games to get started in January. Before the practices, the kids had their annual physicals, and it was confirmed: the Kennedy kids are growing! Eli weighed 40 lbs (43 percentile) and measured 3' 7" (49th percentile). Emmy weighed 60 lbs (64th percentile) and measured 4' 3" (72nd percentile). Eli also had an extra hearing and vision test in preparation for kindergarten enrollment. They were both so brave when it came time for their shots. There may have been a little bit of bribery, in the form of Sour Patch Kids. Once everything was finished, both kiddos were excited to spend their tokens in the prize machines; they got bouncy balls, stretchy animals, and even a mustache. The kids have been enjoying all the festivities during these fun days in December. Santa even made a special visit to my school this week! Parties, dress-up themed days, treats, and movies - it's a magical time of year! 

Yuletide in Yadkin County

... or so Boomer entitled our Hallmark-movie of a Saturday! 

Yesterday, we headed over to Yadkinville for their annual Christmas parade. We have gone to this parade for several years now, ever since Boomer was the principal at Forbush. It is always a festive event that brings the community together and features many of our students. Before the parade, and like last year, we went to the Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast at the Yadkinville Methodist Church. The kids were thrilled to see Santa there, and they went straight to him before eating any breakfast. Eli and Emmy continue to stick to their same wishes: a track for Eli, an Easy Bake Oven for Emmy. After eating our pancakes, we walked a short distance down Main Street to set up our chairs for the parade. As each float passed by, Emmy and Eli got a haul of candy, way more candy than any two children need. They were excited with each piece: "Skittles!" "An Airhead!" "Nerds!" "Lollipops!" It was enough to fill an entire grocery bag! We limited them to just two pieces as we walked back to our car. After the parade, we went to the Shiloh Amish General Store in Hamptonville. We got delicious homemade sandwiches and a few other goodies to eat then and to save for later. Unfortunately the only downside was that the store does not have any indoor seating, and the wind and chilly temperatures made it uncomfortable to sit outside on the wrap-around porch. We gave it our best try...but eventually the director called "Cut!" on this Hallmark movie of a day. We headed home to the warmth and enjoyed the rest of the day indoors. 

This past Tuesday, we were quite surprised to wake up to a dusting of snow! It is the earliest to my memory that we have had snow, especially since it is still technically fall and only a few days into the month of December. There was just enough to cover the grass and create some tricky driving conditions, but not enough to truly play or build a snowman. At first, the school districts called a 2-hour delay, but then the delay turned into a total closure for students and a Teacher Workday for staff. Eli's preschool remained open, so after dropping him off, Emmy tagged along with me to my school. She spent the day making bracelets and other crafts; she also helped me with my Christmas cards. 

Emmy's newest interest has been Legos. She received a Moana Lego kit for her birthday from her friend Heidi, and she loved putting it together. She did the entire thing independently over the course of three days, and it was really neat to see her focus and determination. She was very proud of the final product.

Since I have included several pictures of Emmy, here is one of my sweet Eli, asleep in Mommy and Daddy's bed. He loves falling asleep in our bed, and he must know I have a weakness for telling him 'no.' This particular picture was on Saturday evening, after our big day in Yadkinville. I just know he is dreaming of candy, Santa, and presents. 

A few other holiday happenings, Emmy's elementary school has had spirit days every day in December. Emmy especially looked cute for "Oh Deer!" Day, where she wore a dress with Rudolph on it. This past week Zander had his first concert as part of his middle school's orchestra. Zander is learning to play the violin, and it was quite impressive to see the skills he has developed in just a few short months. Boomer took point on the kiddos so that I could attend the concert, and I enjoyed being just aunt for the evening.

Deacon has continued with his shenanigans. I may have missed a day or two, but I have tried to snap a picture each morning when we discover his latest overnight escapades. There is holiday magic at the Kennedy household, that's for sure! 

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving break sure was good to us. We saw so much of our family over the four days, not to mention ate lots of good food, too. Before all the holiday festivities began, the kids and I went to the Science Center on Wednesday while Boomer was at work. We explored all the indoor exhibits until it warmed up just a bit, then we headed outside for the barnyard, petting zoo, and all of the other outdoor animals. It was a special treat to see the tiger active and walking around his habitat. On Thursday, we spent our morning at home watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, and then around 10:30AM, we headed to Asheboro for our first of three Thanksgivings over the next three days. Goosie and Darby hosted this year, and with the Kennedys plus Darby's family, there were around 30 people. Emmy and Eli loved running around with their cousins, and there was no shortage of fun activities, with the trampoline and basketball court. The last few years, our Kennedy Thanksgiving celebration has taken place in different locations, but it is always wonderful to be together wherever we are.  

On Friday, we left Kernersville around 8AM to make the trip to Virginia. Luckily Emmy and Eli have come to love road trips, and they were so excited for the car ride and a night in a hotel. After driving straight through with no stops (!!) we arrived in Woodstock around 12PM. We had lunch at the Woodstock Brewhouse and stretched our legs and got some energy out at the park. The temperatures were quite chilly, although the kids seemed unaffected by the winterlike weather. After a trip to Walmart and checking in at our hotel, we met up with the rest of the Kennedy family at the barn. It had been several years since we have been back to the barn for Thanksgiving. With the passing of Boomer's grandparents, we weren't sure how some of the traditions would continue. Now that Boomer's Aunt KK and Uncle Doug are living in the house, they opened up the barn for the family gathering just as it has been for many years. I wish I had more pictures of our time together. I think Granny Kennedy and Tall Man would have loved seeing all the grandchildren and great grandchildren gathered there. It was a quick 24 hours in Virginia but well worth it for all the family we were able to see. 

We had our last Thanksgiving on Saturday. We got back to North Carolina around 1PM, and after unloading our things at home, we headed to Megan and Zack's for our Bakewell Thanksgiving. Zack once again outdid himself with the deep fried turkey, chicken wings, and sausage. After our meal, the kids played in the backyard while we cleaned up and watched some football. It was the smallest of our gatherings and a relaxing ending to the Thanksgiving holiday. 

On Sunday after church, we had a belated birthday celebration for Emmy. Like last year, she requested a movie with all of her girlfriends. At the time of her birthday earlier in the month, there weren't any movies that particularly struck our interest, so we waited until the release of Moana 2 over the Thanksgiving break. We met up with the girls and their moms around 1PM for the Sunday matinee. The girls were all so excited to see the movie in a big theater with reclining seats and snacks. Emmy was also spoiled with gifts from her friends: a jewelry kit, a Moana 2 Lego set, make-up, and cash. The girls and the moms agreed it is a fun outing that has started to feel like a tradition!

Ellie, Avery, Heidi, Emmy, Peyton, Natalie, Emma

On Sunday, we saw the return of our special Deacon friend, ...well, actually his brother. Emmy and Eli speculated that the Deacon would return on December 1st, and sure enough, we had a surprise guest that morning. He is a different Deacon than last year, but just like his brother, he has brought two days of mischief so far. The kids excitedly rushed downstairs this morning to see what new antics he got up to while we were sleeping. To add to the Christmas spirit, our neighbor has started his synchronized light show. We enjoy driving by it at night and stopping to watch a song or two.

There is no doubt that we have much to be thankful for. I am grateful for these days over the break to be with family and friends. I pray that we continue to have hearts of gratitude as we enter into the Christmas season.