Winter Break

Oh how we have loved our winter break. Aaron has had the whole two weeks off, we've been sleeping in, staying up late, riding bikes, doing fun activities, eating out and just having fun being together all the time. 

The kids have been playing a ton with their toys from Christmas. 

Aaron was able to fit in a round of golf and played some tennis. 

Me and Carson went to the Planetarium. This was really cool. We first went to a live show all about the solar system. 

Then we hit up the activities. Sound monitors:

Carson probably played these drums four or five times. 

We hit up the movies again for a movie about the Moon, I personally thought that was awesome. 

Then we explored the rest of the museum. It is pretty small so we are able to go through the whole place. 

Meanwhile Aaron took the girls to a very crowded Children's museum. They told me they had a lot of fun but Aaron tells a different story. :)

Then we met up for pizza and a swap. Aaron took Carson to the children's museum and I took the girls home for a nap and some quiet time. 

We have been very busy! 

Merry Christmas!

What a lovely Christmas we enjoyed this year. We had a pretty busy Christmas Eve. I had to teach my class, we had to make trips to Costco and HEB (madness!!), and Aaron decided we should make massive amounts of sugar cookies for our neighbors. So after we finished all that business we turned Polar Express on in the car and were off to deliver some secret Santa gifts. We let Carson go and knock and run this year for the first time. He thought it was very exciting and no one saw us, we made smooth getaways. 

After we got home we made our fancy meal. Aaron made steak and roasted potatoes and asparagus. It was all super delicious. Carson was in charge of the special drink and we got to use the fancy plates. After dinner we did ginger bread houses.

Minion ginger bread houses. :) 

Cutest family ever. 

Then it was nativity time and off to bed so Santa's elves could get all ready. 

Then all too soon it was Christmas morning and the kids were ready to go downstairs.

The kids were happy to each get bikes from Santa and our best gift of all was in our stockings.... a trip to Costa Rica!! We are beyond excited. We leave the end of January and are counting down the days. The opening of presents went by quickly as there were only a few things to open but our kids were happy and we just played around the house. 

Then we went to spend the morning at the Peterson's house to ride bikes in their culdesac and hang out. 

Then that night we got a hotel for our family. Our children's favorite thing to do is stay in a hotel and eat a big breakfast so they were stoked. We swam in the pool briefly (it was cold) and hung out but then it was dinner time. 

All dressed up:

Eating out on Christmas night turned out to be kinda depressing. Nothing was open and we finally stumbled on a Joe's Crab Shack. We were beyond starving by this point and the kids were thrilled with it. 

Then we read the Princess in Black and separated into a girl's bed and a boy's bed per Carson's request. 

The next day we got up and had our big breakfast and then we took the kids to the downtown gym so Aaron and I could run on the trail together. It was a fun way to end our Christmas. 

We had a great time but we were oh so happy to go home, finally finish unpacking from both our trips, and be home in our beds. Christmas is fabulous but also exhausting. :) 

Early Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's house

We were able to go to Arlington to celebrate an early Christmas with my family. After starting the trip off with a bang (literally) on our way to church on Sunday (we got into a little fender bender) we had a fabulous trip. On Sunday most of my family went to church together. It was very nice and then we had dinner that night. 

The cousins after church. Our kids sure love playing with their cousins at Grandma's house. 

On Monday we had fun spending the morning with cousins and playing with Grandma's head bands. 

Then Aaron went to lunch with John Merris while I took the kids to Costa Vida. Yum, one of our favorite stops in Dallas. 

Then that night we got together with my while family and did the big Christmas dinner and opened presents. Oh so much fun. The kids all loved their gifts and we loved watching everyone open them. 

A few highlights. The Cinderella dresses!!

This handmade skirt Kim got Millie and the tights. Oh man we've seen this outfit many times since that night. 

Carson loved his presents. He really scored this year with Mario stuff and a planetarium for his room. 

Then on Tuesday my parents got a bounce house for the backyard. The kids loved it and had a blast. We took the kids up to spend some time with Aaron's sister Lindsey and her family. We had a great time spending the afternoon playing with them. 

Then I came back with the kids and my parents rented a 15 passenger van and we attempted a few popular Christmas light places. 

The lines were long and the patience was short but we loved just riding all around together. Afterwards we made hot chocolate and got the kids to bed super late. 

Meanwhile Aaron was watching Star Wars with his nieces and nephews, brother and brother in law. He said it was awesome. 

And then just like that it was time to go home. We were exhausted but had a really fun trip. I kept feeling like Christmas was already over even though it was only the 23rd! 

Frosty the snowman and Rudolph the red nosed reindeer

Camilla had her winter performance in dance class. Frosty the snowman with a whole lot of cuteness and sass. I have loved watching Millie in dance class this year. She sure loves it too. I hope it is something she sticks with. 

After the show they got to run around with their ribbons and free dance. 

And I love watching her bow and get her stickers. :) 

At Camilla's Christmas party at school they made reindeer food. Camilla could not wait to sprinkle it around our yard. She put it all around our front yard and our back yard. She is for sure that it will help guide the reindeer to our house and they will love the food. 

I asked her if she wanted to save some for Grandma's house and she said, "no that is way too far away for Santa to have to go." 

Bethlehem

We decided to drive out to Burnet to see their Bethlehem display. Oh my gosh it did not disappoint. The lines were super long but this place is amazing. It is set up just like Bethlehem was. They had goats and camels and actors and real food and it was just amazing. 

They had people of all trades set up teaching about how they made things then, like beds, tools, food, etc. 

Everyone's favorite part was seeing baby Jesus. 

My kids have made several comments about how much they liked it. This is a tradition for sure. 

Afterwards (as if our kids weren't tired enough already) we decided to hit up a greasy burger joint in town. It was delicious. 

Bottled beverages. 

Fried pickles for the win!

This was a fun family night. Loving all the fun Christmas activities this year. 

Getting all ready for Christmas

It sure seemed weird to be putting up Christmas lights in 70 degree weather but here we are setting up snowmen and let it snow signs in shorts and flip flops. 

The kids helped Aaron put up all the lights. 

And then they helped him clean out the backyard. 

Such helpful kiddos. The house looks beautiful, I just love Christmas lights. 

Santa Pictures

Well maybe next year. But it does show my kids' personalities so well. Carson giving us a goofy smile, Millie looking like she's not going to do what we ask her to, and Brooke was like no thank you, where's my mom? 

Just Dad

Aaron and I both like to spend one on one time with the kids. We feel like we have a child that commands a lot of our attention and sometimes our oldest, who doesn't demand much, doesn't get much of our time. Carson and I were waiting in a line at a restaurant and Aaron took the girls to the bathroom. Carson reached out and grabbed my hand and said, "Mom this is so nice, we hardly ever get to do stuff just us." :) My sweet, sweet boy. So Aaron took Carson out for some one on one time. Camilla wanted to go but after I told her that we get to do stuff "just the girls" all the time and now Daddy and Carson needed to do stuff with "just the boys" she seemed to understand. 

Carson made a plan, wrote it up and put the date they would go at the bottom. First they went swimming and then went to Snow Monster to get a treat. 

And a snow waffle.

Afterward they went to the grocery store and Carson got fruits and vegetables to make a solar system. He saw this project in his new solar system book from Grandma and Grandpa and made a grocery list and then set it up on my kitchen counter. Then he put a sign up that says "please do not eat, thank you". Millie has been very tempted since one of the planets is a marshmallow. 

We are grateful to have this boy in our family. 

Exciting Weekend

We had such a fun, jam-packed weekend. December is such a fun time of year and I am loving all the fun activities. So on Thursday my parents drove down for Grandparents' Day with Carson. They took him Chick Fila for lunch, shopped at his book fair and everyone loved it. 

You know Carson is excited about his new books when this is as far as he makes it inside the house before he's pulling out his new books and reading. No time to take off both shoes. :) 

Then that night was a vocabulary parade at Carson's school. He was natural resource. We may or may not have been late and missed the parade. Carson said, "I just wish we had gotten here earlier." I felt bad about it. But he still looked adorable. 

On Friday we got to spend the day with Grandma and Grandpa and Millie got to wear her new Christmas dress pretty much all day. Even to help Daddy change the battery in his car. I love this girl. 

On Friday night we had Carson's piano recital. I am beyond proud of this boy.

 He works so hard and he played so well. About 2 minutes before it was his turn he came back to us and handed us his piano books and said, "I don't need these." Aaron and I looked at each other and decided to just let him go for it. He nailed it. I think he played even better without the books. We are very proud of this boy. 

Then Saturday morning we had Millie's pancake breakfast with Santa at her school. Following this was her Christmas program. It was adorable. Her class dressed up like angels and shepards. They sang Christmas songs and told the story of Christ's birth. Camilla did great. We sure love her little school. 

After this my Mom and I head to our Relief Society Christmas brunch and then just like that my parents were gone. It was such a fun weekend and I am so glad they could come to so much fun stuff for my kids. They left me with a clean house and a stocked freezer (my parents are the best!).