New Year's Eve

We spent a few nights over New Years at the lake. 

 We were trying to decide last minute what was something we could do fun as a family before Ben started his new job right after the new year. 

 We finally just decided it would be fun to just get away at the lake for a few nights. 

 We spent one day and night just the five of us. 

 We grocery shopped, rested, watched movies and just relaxed by the fire. 

It was so fun. 

 Ty even fell asleep on me and I didn't want to move a muscle. 

 

Then over the next two days a few friends decided to join also. I brought a few decorations from our house to liven up the lakehouse a little but, thankfully Stacee and Lindsey they brought the fun this NYE. 

 Stacee had blown up balloons that had the time written on them in 30 minute increments for each of the kids to pop. 

 Inside each one was a fun activity for them to do to pass the time before "midnight." 

 I say it like that because our 9:00 balloon we started at 6:00 so midnight was really 9:00pm for the kids. 

 But, that was plenty late. 

 The activities were things like, play glow stick simon says, write your name with sparklers, take a selfie with all your best NYE accessories, have a silly string fight and things like that.  

Silly string fight wasn't Dylan's favorite.

 

A pudding treat while watching daddies do fireworks!

 

Some group pics with all our NYE flare  

Dylan's mustache selfie is just too much.    

Kinley's name was drawn to pop the 12:00 balloon and they all yelled "Happy New Year" and drank sparkling cider. 

 Then it was off to bed. 

 

The adults played a little catchphrase and took a midnight selfie with our favorite 2016 glasses.

   

The next day brought more friends and more indoor and outside fun. 

 We played in leaves, cooked good food, played games and roasted marshmallows.

   

I didn't quite realize Ross's dedication to catchphrase until this weekend despite any and all distractions.

 

Little babes.

 

Never too young to learn to prep a fried turkey 

 

There were dance parties, log climbing and ipad watching. 

 

And some mom selfies.

 

Oh my word..this kid in his Aggie jumpsuit!

   

It was low-key but lots of fun. 

 I love having getaways at the lakehouse. 

 It gets hard to do because it is small and there isn't a ton of space or unlimited beds. If we could, we would have every friend we know come every time. 

 We wish we could. 

We are just most of all thankful for the blessing of time we do get there away from the normal fast pace of life and technology. 

 So thankful the Harrison's decided to put roots down for our family in a small town on a lake outside of town. Where we can just be. 

 Thankful God has blessed us with friends who love quality time and don't need lots of space or fancy things. It's not even ours, just a place we have the opportunity to be sometimes, and it is hard to manage and balance, but we never lose sight of the fact that we are thankful. 

We are appreciative. 

 It is a blessing and one we want to bless others with too. 

 A great way to celebrate the end of one year and the start of the next.

More December fun

A little more December holiday and celebration fun!

Buddy Snowflake told us to go get hot chocolate and see the Texas Night Before Christmas lights. We probably drove thru this neighborhood no less than 5 times during the course of December.

 One time we ended up throwing the idea out there to a couple friends and tons of people met us and decided to go with us! 

 We met up at Starbucks, grabbed our hot chocolate, and caravaned to the neighborhood. Then all the kids piled into the back of Ben's truck to ride and look at lights together. Maddi is pointing out one of our favorites, the Santa T-Rex. 

Who has seen one of those?  

John Wyatt made his debut and Kinley got to see him for the first time. 

 Sweet big sisters. 

 

Sweet pic of AR and Giuliana walking around with Dylan and Camdyn and Tatum holding hands

   

Dylan, king of selfies

   

AR pretended to be Mrs. Claus 

My TyTy

   

All three...never all looking 

 

Group kid pic at the house with crazy lights 

 

 Buddy Snowflake hid out in the pantry one day and told us to bake Christmas cookies. Luckily Gram had all the stuff ready to go and wanted to bake cookies too! 

 So everyone came over for a baking session. 

 

Always need help from a T Rex 

 

We discovered PieFace and like everyone else, we loved it. 

 My kids don't really play by the rules, they just click it until they get hit in the face. 

 

We went to the Gaylord one on a whim with the Nordells. 

 We ate dinner and just walked around to look at all the Christmas decorations.

   

 Dylan will just hate one day seeing how many pretty girls held his hand everywhere he went.

   

Family pics in the sleigh. 

 

We sat outside by the fire for a while and just let the kids run around and play. 

 It was so relaxing.

 

Third year in a row for playgroup couples Christmas dinner. 

 This time we got smart and catered at the Lindsey's instead of all being around a long table at a restaurant. 

 We played catchphrase and ate and it was a blast.

   

Who knows why we put Ross in charge of pictures??? 

I couldn't stop laughing. 

 

He did take one decent one of the girls. 

 Missing Leslie who stayed home with JW who was just out of the hospital. 

 

December days were so beautiful and unseasonably warm! 

 We enjoyed many days outside. 

 We love having Jaymes around the corner to come over and play as much as possible. I love this because it was one of the rare occasions Kinley actually played in her dress up clothes. She hardly ever does that now. 

 

We went to see Madeline Christmas at Arties and Leslie and I got random seats and were split from the big kids. 

 We had JW and Dylan with us across the stage from them. 

 But it was a cute picture to snap of them all sitting front row so sweetly and interested on their own. It actually lasted most of the show! 

 

We played a couple nights of Pinochle with Mendy and Alex over Christmas break and busted out the selfie stick. 

 

We celebrated David's 60th with a big bash. 

 We had a fantastic date night at the hangar with friends, family and special guest performer, Lyle Lovett! 

 The night was fabulous and oh so much fun. 

 

Shea Shea turned 2 on the 23rd with the cutest Elf-themed party ever. 

 

And even though it was never cold enough, I made Ben put on the fire just so we could curl up and watch it burn in a quiet house. 

December, you were good to us.