Monday, December 30, 2019

A December to Remember

Taylor had her first band concert and she did amazing! She is our little clarinet player and we couldn't be more proud of her. Blake came along to support her band career and it made her a little nervous that "the pro" would be judging her. He assured her that she has to start somewhere and he kinda coached her...love that. Evie got to join us and she did amazing at her percussion parts too! They played........It was a great concert followed by a treat at McDonald's with Max and Mandy.




December days filled with puppies playing, fighting, cuddling on the couch, watching Christmas movies and overall, just being cute.




ONE time of getting to go with Billy & Milo...she
is ready and waiting with her collar! lol!

Finally, peel the fridge day! lol!

Blake also had his holiday band concert and it was wonderful too! The jazz band played a rendition of Sesame Street, while much of the other songs were fold/holiday songs from around the globe. They were long, very intricate pieces...we have a very talented group of band kids here!






Blake will do just about anything if it has to do with band...even bake and shop for the annual band Christmas party potluck and secret Santa gift exchange! We took some time that afternoon, to bake our famous crispy sugar cookies and wrap the gift he found for Wren. She loves the color yellow, cocoa, peppermint and blankets. We found a way to envelope them all into one cool gift...a no-sew yellow floral blanket kit, a chalkboard mug with Starbucks cocoa and a peppermint spoon to boot! Score! And when he came home from the party, he said she really loved her gift, I am so happy! He got a Starbucks gift card and a Spiderman plush...he was really happy too. It's really awesome that Mr. A plans all these cool events to do with the kids. He really loves his job and it shines through. Love this second family Blake has become a part of.


Me and my girls got to do our Christmas thing too...I sure love these ladies. These are the friends that love you for who you are. There are few and far between and I am blessed to have them as my friends and neighbors! LaShana is pointing to the table let because, before I got there, the table was wobbly and she KNEW it would bother me so she asked for extra napkins so I could put it under the leg to stabilize it! lol!


My work Christmas party was at Top Notch Axe Throwing! Shane made sure to feed us well with bbq and special cake. It was a fun time! He is very generous, we all got Christmas bonuses and gifts from the sales people...everyone is so great to work with. Go J&S Tool!!


Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Christmas Day 2019

Although this Christmas morning was one of the latest to begin, the kids must have been good because Santa did come! I woke up, made sure the "Santa" stuff looked just so, made coffee, and then woke Billy. I didn't video the whole thing, I asked the kids their opinion and they both said they didn't like knowing they were being recorded because it changes their reactions etc...that's honest and I can respect that. Snapped a few pics and kept it low key. It was so fun watching them open stuff!

When the kids finally woke and came in, they made sure to give the puppies their stockings first. They got chews, a fortune cookie & bok choy leek toys, along with some liver snaps...happy puppies!


Blake opened a smart plug and Tay opened a new mouse for her pc. They both got a big surprise with their Alexis Shows and their Pokemon Switch games! Blake got a Kalid vinyl record and the Adidas hoodie he was wanting. Tay got brush markers and a heavy dragon plush. Both of them ended up with gift cards for Starbucks and some of their favorite places, along with some candy in their stocking. They were super happy kiddos!









Everyone kinda went their own way for a bit, I made breakfast, relaxed and then got ready for our family dinner and gift exchange. We were excited for Aunt Sissy and Uncle Danny to get here, they always make it fun and bring Christmas to light! Aunt Sissy is famous for giving the kids $100 in cash, they love it so much! This year, she hid the money in a puzzle cube that they had to solve in order to unlock it. Blake buzzed right through, Tay didn't quite have the patience so he helped her..lol. Tay got cash, a lettering kid, gel pens, & a Turkish snack box! Blake loved the cash, his trumpet tee, and amazon gift card! They always spoil us so much!






 After our gift exchange, Aunt Susie joined us and we had a traditional Christmas dinner. It was complete with ham, mashed potatoes & gravy, cheesy potato casserole, mac n cheese, candies sweet potatoes, and fresh baked rolls. It was all yummy and hit the spot. We chatted for awhile, had a bit of dessert and then I packed everyone up with to-go bags because we all needed nap time..lol. We didn't even play any games this year. Glad I got some pics of all of us though.




We are very thankful for such a blessed Christmas. We will never forget the one true gift, Jesus. Happy Birthday Jesus and Merry Christmas to all!!!