Holi-daze

It is so true that the days between Christmas and New Years are a bit of a blur. What day is it? What time is it? Where do I put all this stuff?? On the day after Christmas, we made the trip to Morganton to watch the Forbush men's and women's basketball teams play in the Freedom Christmas Invitational Tournament. If the games had been played anywhere else, I'm not sure we would have gone, but I jumped at the opportunity to return to my alma mater. The girls played first at 11:30AM and won in a close game against Erwin HS. The boys played right afterwards against Asheville Christian and sadly lost. I loved showing Emmy around my old high school and being back in the gym. Grammy and Grandpa came along, and they were a big help with both kids. A bonus was getting to see Aunt CoCo and getting lunch at Mountain Burrito!

 

Boomer has been at work some, but he was off on NYE and New Year's Day, and we loved the extra family time. One evening, we went to see the Tanglewood Lights, a Kennedy family tradition post-Christmas. Emmy was mesmerized by all of the displays, and it was the perfect, magical end to the holiday season. 

The past six days have included a little bit of this and a little bit of that. We have gone bowling...

...we went to the Science Center...

...I went to the movies to see Little Women with my mom and sis (and Eli, too!)...

...bowling again and [pretend] arcade games...

 

...Science Center again...

 ...my first post-Eli workout...

...sister-brother bonding...

...working on a smile...

...a picnic lunch outside at the library...

...and closing out 2019 with a gathering with friends and our annual New Year's Day tradition of grocery-store sushi.

It has been a wonderful end to this year and to this decade. I've seen a lot of posts online from friends as they reflect on the last ten years. For me, I started out 2010 as a fresh-faced first-year teacher, engaged, planning a wedding, and getting ready to purchase our first home. Closing out the decade, Boomer and I have shared so many adventures together, from trips to promotions, degrees and graduations, and now our greatest adventure: parenthood. I am looking forward to more memories in 2020! Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas 2019

I am surprised with just how much we have done and how much I have blogged during the month of December! With a newborn and a toddler, time is scarce, but I have tried my best to document these sweet days with family and friends both with pictures in the moment and then with my blog posts afterwards. Our Christmas Eve began with a slow day at home followed by dinner and presents at my parents' house. Our traditions have changed over the years, first when Megan got married, and then when my parents and grandparents moved to Kernersville, but one tradition has always been the casual gathering on Christmas Eve with yummy finger foods and a Christmas movie. This year we watched Polar Express, and the kids were very attentive to the story line. The adults opened our presents, and Boomer and I got several things that we had hoped for: new dress shoes for Boomer, a new purse for me, and gift cards to purchase our annual membership to the Science Center. Emmy opened her presents from Aunt Megan and Uncle Zack, and she got a Minnie purse and watch. She has been wearing both since the moment that she opened them! Somehow I talked Boomer into wearing matching pajamas and even posing for a picture. On our way to my parents' house that evening, he said "I sure hope we don't get into an accident!" Despite his reluctance, he was a good sport, and his biggest complaint was that the pants didn't have pockets.   

Christmas morning for Eli and me started shortly after 5AM; the rest of our crew woke up around 7:30AM. Emmy was excited for her new Fancy Nancy books from Mommy and Daddy, and Santa brought new crayons and M&Ms in her stocking. After a short time at home, we went over to the Houstons' for breakfast and more presents. Grammy and Grandpa outdid themselves with gifts for the grandkids. Emmy got a life-like baby doll with all the accessories (bottle, bib, pacifier, and outfits). She also got two new "Big Sister" shirts, a Little Red Riding Hood puzzle book, and a Minnie Mouse hairbrush set. Emmy doesn't always like to sit still to have her hair brushed, so I am hoping having a cute new hairbrush will help with this nightly task. Eli got a moon figurine for his room, a few toiletry items, and lots of cuddles from Aunt Megan and Great Grandma Nancy. We stayed for a couple of hours while the cousins played with Zander and Maddox's new Hot Wheels track. Emmy may love her baby dolls and hair bows, but she sure like cars, too! Around 11AM, we hit the road to Star for one more Christmas celebration. 

 

We arrived in Star around noon, and there was a little bit of downtime when Emmy and Mommy took naps while the other adults played a card game of Spades. Goosie, Darby, and the kids arrived around 3:30PM, and the living room exploded in the joyful chaos of wrapping paper, noise, stockings, and laughter. I only managed to take one photo of this gift extravaganza. Emmy got a cash register, a Peppa Pig coloring book, a bejeweled cell phone, the Candy Land board game (which was confusing, because it isn't actually candy!) and then some actual candy in her stocking. Eli got a pair of swimming trunks for when we go to the lake next summer, some bandanna bibs, and diapers. Boomer and I got a few practical things too like new pillows and a carry-on suitcase. We also got an awesome poster momento for our Kennedy Ballpark Tour. After every last gift was opened, Boomer's dad fired up the grill. We had ribeye steaks with mac and cheese, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, and green beans. Usually we would spend the night in Star, but we made the decision to come back to Kernersville after dinner this year. We pulled into our driveway a little after 9PM with both kids knocked out. It was a full day; full of activity and a lot of love!

It was a special holiday celebrating our first Christmas with Eli. We are so thankful for God's gift of His son and for the two precious children He has entrusted into our care. A very merry Christmas indeed!

A Winston-Salem Anniversary

As we get closer to December 25th, we are enjoying all of the pre-Christmas festivities, including celebrating our anniversary. Although it initially took some coaxing to have a Christmas wedding, I love that our anniversary falls during this time of year with all of the lights and beautiful decorations. In years past, it has been so fun to travel to different cities at Christmastime: Asheville for our 1st, Charlotte (2nd), Wilmington (3rd), Williamsburg (4th), Blowing Rock (5th), Pinehurst (7th), and New Orleans (8th). With our 6th anniversary and with a newborn again for our 9th, a night away wasn't feasible, so both times we have celebrated here in Winston-Salem. Our evening started out with a quick photo shoot at home followed by a nice dinner at one of our all-time favorite restaurants, 4th Street Filling Station. Our 5:15PM reservation allowed for a stroll through Wake's campus and a final Winston-Salem staple, Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Tonight was our first date since having Eli, and we certainly enjoyed the time just the two of us. We hope to get on Grammy's calendar for another date night soon!

In these other days leading up to Christmas, we have been staying quite busy. This past Thursday, we had our most successful Santa visit to date at the holiday party at Arbor Ridge where Great Grandma lives. While most of the party-goers were grown adults and senior citizens, there was a Santa for the younger guests in the group, and surprisingly, Emmy went right up to him and sat on his lap. After a little prompting from Mommy, she told Santa that she wanted Fancy Nancy books. Luckily there were no tears, and it seems she has turned over a new leaf with the big guy in red. Since that visit, she has continued to point out Santa images wherever we see them, and she loves saying "Ho, ho, ho!" 

On Saturday, we went to Star for Carlin's birthday. She turned 25 on December 11th, and rather than sharing her day with Christmas, we were sure to have a separate celebration with presents and cake. Eli had not yet met Aunt Carlin; he also met Uncle Goosie, Aunt Darby, and the rest of his cousins. After sleeping during the drive there, he was awake and alert for the rest of the afternoon. Although he is still sleeping several hours of the day, I am noticing that he is awake more and more. He has beautiful blue eyes like his sister, and he will follow around noise and movement. Unfortunately Uncle Kyle was not able to make it for the birthday party, but Eli will meet him soon when we are all together again on Christmas Day. 

We were back in Kernersville on Sunday, and that evening, we went to our church's Candlelight Service. All the kids (Zander, Maddox, Emmy, and Eli) stayed in the service and were able to get a taste of "big church." We sang several Christmas hymns and took communion, and the service ended with carols and the lighting of candles. Aunt Megan brought along coloring books and crayons, which helped keep the kids busy. However, there was still a good amount of "shhh"-ing during the service! Admittedly I was a little distracted with Emmy and Eli since it was our first time in church as a family of four, but I do love this service every year, both at Triad Baptist and at Burkemont when I was growing up. It is a good reminder that amidst cookies and Santa, presents and parties, Jesus is the reason for the season. I pray that Emmy and Eli will soon know the real meaning of Christmas and its significance in the life of a Christian. 

"Again Jesus spoke to them saying, 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of the world.' "

- John 8:12