hayride

Sam's adventure for the last day of school was the traditional pre-school/kindergarten hayride!

It was a cold, clear day - full of lots of smiles and a little bit of singing...

We caravanned around town on three flatbed trailers for almost an hour, singing carols and laughing mostly! Not sure who had more fun in fact - the kids or the adults!

The chill wore us out after a bit - just in time for a hot lunch and a playdate... and the beginning of a very restful, much anticipated 2-week vacation!

Rock 'n' Roll Snowman

The pre-school Christmas program was so fun...

We couldn't wait to see Sam on stage performing his songs and poems - especially since we had gotten some fun previews over the past month!

Perhaps my favorite moment of preparation for the big show was when Sam asked me if I knew what "jazz hands" were... apparently the Rock 'n' Roll Snowman is pretty flashy!

*** warning: screaming 4/5 year olds ahead - you might want to turn down your speakers!!!!! ***

Sam spots his family in the crowd!

check out these dapper looking dudes!

Christmas at the OK Corral

The 1st & 2nd graders put on a wonderful Christmas program last night... an old fashioned story of good vs. evil in the Ol' West... at Christmastime.

Santa Claus had a bit part, mainly dispatching the hero (Candy Cane Kid) to save the little village from a dastardly villain (Bubble Gum Bart). But we thought Hamp played the part to a tee!

ever wonder what Santa wears under his red suit?!

Good vs. Evil

 Some of the younger theater goers got to pose with a real cowboy from the show!

 And after the show was over, there was just enough time to catch Santa with one of his best prairie friends on set!

Sunlight

HOORAY!!! It's finally that time of year to pull out all the ski gear and get up early on the weekend and pack a lunch and ski with friends until the sun starts to set... and Saturday was our first day at Sunlight Mountain, our favorite family hill.

Sam has jumped right back into the groove - a nice, easy slow groove! - and thinks that he is a super skier! (then, I suppose he is pretty super for a four-year-old!)

Meanwhile, Hamp has really started to look like a real skier and will probably do very well this season - especially if he's got a buddy to go with!!!

Looking forward to many slope-side adventures this winter!

icicles

I can't help it... one of my favorite additions to Christmas Tree decorations are those stringy, shiny, messy, lovely tinsel garland strings called "icicles". 

So I figured I should get a couple packs so the boys could appreciate the fun of trimming the tree by literally tossing tinsel all over it!

It was fun, short-lived, messy (as expected!) and intriguing enough... and the boys didn't exactly work on "spacing out" the garland so that it lightly covered the whole tree in shiny little icicle-like tinsel:

But I do think it is definitely the perfect touch to a lovely tree... and last night I remembered easily why icicles are my favorite part:

so shiny!

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season so far...

Santa Claus is coming to town...

Ol' Saint Nick stopped by town this morning to say hello to all the boys and girls ~ and the boys were first in line to visit with the jolly elf and discuss their wish lists for this year!

Santa listens intently

reading Hamp's list

This year, Sam is asking Santa Claus to bring him a plush bunny rabbit (?) and this.

Hamp's list included a wii game (Madden NFL), a board game (Sorry!) and a tee for his football!

Here's to hoping these guys will make the "nice" list!!!

But just in case, Zack is watching...

gratitude

Our Thanksgiving week adventures were plentiful - and we were fortunate enough to share them with family!

I took so many moments throughout the week to feel grateful for all I had 

- health, family, food, work - 

but there were many specific reasons to be thankful this year....

I am thankful for my new nephew...

for being such a sweet, happy baby who sleeps well and travels well and eats well and lets his crazy cousins fawn all over him and get right in his face!

I am thankful for my sister-in-law...
for being such a good mother and aunt; for sitting all day at Steamboat patiently waiting for the rest of us to get our fill of the slopes; for helping Sammy play Apples To Apples(!); for helping me trim the tree and make my Christmas card; and for just being fun to be with!

I am thankful for my brother...
for driving his family 12 hours and 2 days (one-way!) out to see us; for bringing dessert; for getting our lift tickets; and most of all for playing with the boys and making them laugh!

I am thankful for my Dad...
for coming out to visit and bringing great new Georgia Tech gear for the boys to wear on game day (and for being a good sport on game day!); for indulging Hamp in a football game every time he asks; for staying up every night to play games (except the first night when he had to skip out on a rousing game of Headbandz!); and for taking us out to dinner!

I am thankful for my Mom...
for sending the turkey and the ham; for caring and holding and loving and entertaining all three grandsons; for helping me around the house with cleaning and decorating, and for being so easy and fun to be around!

I am thankful for my husband...

for hosting Thanksgiving this year; for skiing with his sons; for being our great tree hunter; and most of all for being so good to me and my family!

I am thankful for my sons...

for being funny, happy, sweet, adventurous, thoughtful and respectful little boys who love to play and laugh and who love their puppy and their family! ♥

I have so much to be thankful for... and I hope that I can remember year round to be full of gratitude for all of our adventures!