Yuletide in Yadkinville

The first Saturday in December is proving to be one of our favorite traditions of the holiday season. Last year I named the post "Yuletide in Yadkin County," since Boomer and I joked it would be a good title for a picture-perfect Hallmark movie, and it turns out that the town of Yadkinville actually uses that name - "Yuletide in Yadkinville!" Like last year, we began the morning around 8:30AM at the United Methodist Church for the Rotary Pancake Breakfast. The kids met Santa, along with the Grinch, Cindy Lou Who, and Max. When Santa asked what the kids wanted for Christmas, Emmy was still undecided, but the top item right now is a microphone for karaoke. Eli asked for a drone, to which Santa asked if a remote-controlled helicopter would suffice, and Eli was very enthusiastic about that idea. After the breakfast, we walked to our spot along the parade route, which just so happens to be outside of Milk & Honey, where Mommy got a latte to sip on during the parade. The kids got a haul of candy from all of the floats, tractors, and fire trucks. It was enough to fill an entire grocery bag! The parade ended around 11AM, and then we went to the Shiloh General Store for lunch and some baked goods. We left Yadkin County around 1PM to return to Winston, where the fun continued with another Santa visit. We have been going to this Santa for many years, and he has experienced all the range of emotions from the Kennedy kids and their cousins. This year was the most successful year yet; there were great smiles from all four of them. Emmy and Eli gave the same answers as they did earlier in the day, so perhaps it is safe to go shopping now that the gifts are locked in. We stopped in at home briefly, and the kids surveyed their candy. Then we were off again for our final event of the day: the Huffs' annual Christmas party. There was a third Santa there, and I hope to have photos to share soon. What a day to kickoff the Christmas season! 

The days before and after our Hallmark Saturday were packed full of fun, too. On Thursday afternoon, the kids and I went over to the Bremers' house to make cookies. The kids made silly, colorful creations...and snuck a lot of toppings too. Then on Friday, we had a "un-snow" day. The meteorologists were pretty convincing in their prediction for snow, and so many of the districts cancelled school. Emmy made a list with her high hopes for the day. Unfortunately, when we woke up Friday morning, there was no white stuff in sight. Boomer still had a conference to attend (and present at!) in Greensboro, so the kids and I set off to spend a couple of hours at the Science Center. We enjoyed the indoor exhibits, where we were dry and warm. To finish off the weekend, after church today, we met Emmy's friend Natalie at the movies to see Zootopia 2. Eli tagged along and loved the reclining seats and popcorn. While we were at the movies, Boomer surprised the kids by putting lights on the front porch. They have been begging for lights, since practically all the other homes in our cul-de-sac have them, and so now it feels like we are really ready for the Christmas season. As I am writing this, they are calling for another snow system to hit our area in the morning - I suppose we will see if they are right this time!