"Wrapping" Up December

C and I did a LOT of decorating on the tree upstairs!

An afternoon of conference championship football games!

C's class does cookies with cops every month and has a police officer
come and read to their class!  Very cool!!

While seeing Santa at the mall we checked out the new
Lego store and I had a tough time getting these kids to leave!

Homemade checker board... note, too many squares makes for a SUPER LONG
game!!

A sweet moment;)

This year's ornaments for the kids -S a sewing machine and
C a baseball mitt/ball/glove

Not Christmas unless this one is sick:(

Charlie Brown Christmas has been C's favorite movie this
year - he's watched it several times!!

Making reindeer food

C learning to use the pressure washer

M took C to the gun and knife show - brave!

Reading one of her new Christmas presents - the Mandie
series was a HIT!

C's new race track!

Toasting in the new year... at about 8pm:)

Clemson Basketball Game

We had plans to attend the Clemson basketball game today as a family of FOUR, but M was not feeling well(since I am writing this a week later, we now are pretty sure it was the flu!) so I took the kids by myself!

It was kinda different, because the night before had been the Clemson football playoff game in Texas, which they WON, so the entire band was not at the basketball game nor were a lot of the student section.  It was still a lot of fun, and the Tigers won!

Then, as we were walking back to our car after the game, here come the buses with the football players on them coming home from winning the playoffs and their spot to play in the National Championship game.  Of course we ran into the parking lot where they were arriving and helped to welcome them home!!

Tigers has a winning weekend for sure!

Kesler Christmas

Last year we missed our annual Kesler Christmas that was started 4(?) years ago so we made sure to get it on the calendar this year.  Originally it was scheduled for the weekend it snowed, so we had to reschedule it for today!  It worked out great and Kim was super sweet to host our crazy family again!  The kids got along so well to have such a wide age difference and entertained each other playing Fortnite, riding the hover board and playing int he hammocks.  The adults enjoyed catching up, laughing a lot and eating!  It was already decided that next year I will host again!  Can't wait - but hope to see this side of our family before then!

Christmas Day

Being that it was a later Christmas Eve than usual this year, we thought the kids might sleep in a little bit.  Who were we kidding!?!?!  I always like to get up early and get the tree lights on and coffee going before they come down, so I had barely walked out of our bedroom when here they come!!

They were way excited and couldn't wait any longer!!  I didn't get as many pictures this morning as usual, but there wasn't near as much to open either!  C got an electric scooter, Beyblades, hot wheels, a remote control car and more.  S got a Kavu, sewing machine, books, clothes, crafts and more.  We ate a leisurely breakfast of cinnamon rolls and then got ourselves ready to go to Lara and Elliott's for lunch.  But not before a stop at M's new office site where him and C took a few shots on some geese - but missed! 

Lunch was loud and rambunctious as always!  The boys shot the guns out back for most of the time and S entertained Larson by playing games with her!  

We came home, had leftovers for dinner and could not wait for our heads to hit the pillows because tomorrow M and I both have to work early and the kids are going to the YMCA!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was quite different for us this year than typical!

Because of the Nutcracker schedule, we couldn't do our usual Christmas Adam at the Sudduth's and because they have a new puppy they were concerned about hosting.  So, it ended up that we did Christmas Eve at our house!

Now, we just finished Nutcracker last night so we have had a whirlwind of a weekend!  Gigi was in town for the Nutcracker so she was able to stay for Christmas Eve which was also a special treat(Grandpa had obligations at his church on Christmas Eve so he wasn't able to stay!)!

All of the Bishop side of the family came and we enjoyed an evening of good fun, games(I made them play games which is not the usual..lol!) and time with family!

After everyone left, the kids ran outside and put out reindeer food while M and I cleaned up.  Then it was off to showers and getting cookies and egg nog out for Santa. 

The kids didn't get in bed until almost 10pm and M still had to run back to his shop to get a few things.  Needless to say, it was a late night at our house!  

Gigi brought the kids their Christmas jammies!

We forgot to get a good cousins picture, but remembered just as
Will and Madeline were leaving!  This will have to work for 2018's
cousin Christmas picture:)

Cookies out!:)

Nutcracker Weekend

The past few days have been wonderful, exhausting, magical and amazing as the Nutcracker took the stage at the Peace Center!!

This year S is a soldier(like last year) and a Polichinelle(this was the part that she was really, really wanting to get and was ecstatic when she found out that she'd gotten it!).  M, making his Nutcracker debut, is a party dad!

Wednesday was the first rehearsal.  S had been sick and out of school the past couple of days and this was the first day she was feeling even a bit better, so she stayed home and skipped the rehearsal(which I honestly think she was more sick about missing that than she was about feeling ill!).  M went solo and got his first taste of life behind the curtain at the Peace Center.  Luckily, they let the party parents go early and since he didn't have to wait on S to finish, he was able to be home at a decent time.

Thursday they had a DOUBLE rehearsal from 1:30pm - 10pm!  Whew!!  S was feeling much better and was so so so glad to get to go and join her Nutcracker buddies!  It was a long day for them both for sure but they both loved every minute of it and they felt good about their parts when they got home that night and were ready to perform!

Dinner break

Party Dad

Soldiers - S is 4th from the right

Polichinelles - S is Oli the Poli - because she's in the olive dress, get it, haha!:)

Friday - show #1!!!!  They made it through, no mistakes and smiles all around!  C and I were signed up to sell merchandise, so we were at the Peace Center all evening as well and heard the orchestra from the lobby but still had not seen the show.

Probably one of my favorite pictures of all time!

Party Families

M's "Family"

Polis make such pretty pictures - like Skittles!:)

Nutcracker Cast 2018 - S is just behind the baby mice as a Polichinelle and C is in the back just under Mother Ginger's
left arm!

Saturday - show #2!!! They felt like old pros going to the Peace Center!!

S's friend, Halle, went to see her perform and snuck a quick picture:)
S is in the back on the right!

Sunday - show #3!!!!  And I finally got to see it!  All the grandparents came to support them and enjoy the show as well!  And what a show it was!!!!!!  I can't wait to get the video so that we can watch it over and over again!  Bravo to our two performers!