Happy 2021! I hope everyone's year is off to a good start. We jumped back into school today, and it wasn't the smoothest day we've had. I figured getting back into our schedule wouldn't be easy, but I'm hopeful that tomorrow will be better. Fingers crossed!
As you already know, our year ended on a high note with our Florida trip, and I will forever cherish the memories from that time! However, we still had a lot of good stuff going on through the month of December that I want to capture here.
Trying to get the house all decorated for Christmas (and all the autumn stuff packed away) before we went to Florida definitely some added stress to an already hectic time. However, I was SO thankful that everything was decorated and festive when we returned home. Snuggling up in front of the fire with my new Mickey mug full of hot cocoa was a perfect evening in my estimation!
My kiddos have been losing teeth like machines over here. Brooke lost her first tooth while we were in Florida, and just days after we got home Brianna lost a tooth.
Then, I had to take Bren to get a tooth pulled because his permanent tooth was growing in behind a stubborn baby tooth. He's had to have this done before, but I wasn't the one who took him in that time. I couldn't believe how crazy he acted on the laughing gas . . . he asked me what the cars in the parking lot were called (ummm, cars?), he pulled the hose off of his nose multiple times, and he yelled at me to not touch him when I tried to keep him from pulling the hose off his nose again. I texted Chris and told him that I'm not the parent for this job!
The dentist was able to get the tooth out, and thankfully the laughing gas wore off quickly. Brianna has lost yet another tooth since this!
We had a lovely snow earlier in December that actually stayed on the ground for several days. A beautiful sunrise combined with snow covered ground made for a gorgeous sight!
As a school assignment, Brenson had to write about something he likes watching on TV. I laughed (and cringed) when I read what he wrote. I couldn't wait to send this to Chris!
Chloe Jo started band in school this year and is playing the flute. She was supposed to have a concert, but it was cancelled due to COVID. Instead of the concert, Lisa invited us over to watch her perform solo. She did a great job, and Lisa had a whole table of yummy snacks!
Brianna had a fun little outing this month when her friend Avery invited her to lunch at a tea room. They dressed up and had a great time being fancy!
My nephew JT is engaged to be married in May. He and his finance, Mallory, plan to move to Virginia so JT can go to graduate school after they get married. JT wanted to make some furniture for them to have when they get their own place, and he enlisted Grampy's help to do that. JT and Mallory came for a week in December to work on the furniture. Mallory stayed at our house and spent a lot of time hanging out with us while we did school. At the end of the week, I invited the local family over for lunch before JT and Mallory hit the road back to Tennessee.
We were able to see an unusual and unique sight this month when Jupitar and Saturn aligned to form the Great Conjunction. It was visible to the naked eye, and we were able to easily spot it one evening after church services.
Angie, Amy, Kendall, and I were able to get together for an evening while Kendall was in town visiting her parents for Christmas. My parents came over to watch my kiddos for about an hour before Chris got home from work so I could escape and meet up with the girls. We always cherish our time together, but this particular evening was extra special.
We hadn't all been together since everything happened with baby Briar, even though we had tried several times to coordinate something. I think we all just needed to grieve together, laugh together, and hug on each other.
There were more tears than usual, but there were also smiles and joy and love.
I had mentioned in a post waaay back in September that Ross had lost his job due to the recent economic downturn. This has not been an easy road for them, and they are still making decisions regarding how they want to move forward. One day, they asked me to watch their girls while they explored a few opportunities that seem promising. Of course I said yes! Sadie and Caroline are always a joy, and it's perfect that they play so well with my girls.
The most popular game of the day was "wedding"!
Our neighbor even joined in on the wedding fun.
Caroline couldn't wait for her turn to be the bride, but about 3 seconds after I snapped this pic she changed her mind! She emphatically said she did not want to get married or say I do! Lol.
When Ross and Tia came to pick the girls up, it turned into an impromptu dinner with friends. Aren't those times often the best? We had a great time visiting and laughing together.
We typically have a few "free" days between Christmas and New Years, and this year Chris decided he wanted to take Bren on a little trip. He invited my Dad and Russ, rented a cabin in Arkansas, and the four of them had a little get-away. They were only gone one night, but Bren was super excited for some guy time.
They enjoyed lots of hiking and some beautiful sights!
Russ, Bren, and Grampy
Chris and Bren
I think this photo is my favorite of the ones Chris sent me. So pretty!
Grampy and Bren
For NYE, we wanted to have a fire in our firepit - along with hot dogs and smores - but the weather did not cooperate with our plans. Instead, we invited Grampy, G-Jo, Russ, Lisa, and Chloe over for the evening. We ate chili, played a few games, and enjoyed visiting until about 10:00pm when they all left for home. I had no plans to allow the kids to stay up until midnight, but they asked really sweetly and I gave in. Here we are ringing in 2021!!!
Of course, we were in bed approximately 3 minutes after this photo was taken!
And now, here we are off and running in a new year. There's no doubt that 2020 was the year of the unexpected, so we'll see what 2021 has in store :-).
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