time for some christmas music

The season wouldn't be complete without attending a few concerts and recitals.

Our elementary school doesn't usually have any kind of holiday concert.

I wonder if that's unusual or a sign of the times.

I remember that as a staple of Christmas from my growing up.

Snapping my fingers as hard as I could when it was time for "Up on the housetop, click, click, click

Down through the chimney with old Saint Nick.

Anyway, we had a good time listening to the fun songs that Carlie's middle school choir performed.

It was perfect...short and sweet.  And really fun songs.

It has been fun having them play some Christmas music during their piano practices.

This week they played them at their Christmas recital.

Good job, you two.

Fa, la, la, la, la....

sometimes life gets messy

Forget all that sugar, I'll take more of those smiles. 

Love those two. 

They were having so much fun together...love, love, love it.

 

Someone was very pleased with her work.

And they did have their work cut out for them since the frosting packets we had were almost as hard as a rock.

And definitely tasted like glue.

Maybe it was??

We had to be a bit creative.

One for my mouth, one for the house.

Two for my mouth, one for the house.

Three for my mouth, one for...

Someone was feeling very sassy.

And doing lots and lots of trash talking.

And someone's big sister finally decided she'd had enough.

Bring it.

That is awesome.

Looking pretty sweet.

heehee.

the hawks

Austin was so excited to play on a basketball team.
I thought he was especially excited because he was the only one playing a winter sport, so the whole family would be coming just to cheer him on each Saturday.
Austin loves the social aspect of being on a team and having such great teammates.
And this little team had some serious athletes.
There was no keeping score at this level, but these kids definitely won every game.
Austin, though, was just happy to learn the game and have fun.
We loved watching him because he really does have a good time.
And he's positive that he wants to play basketball again.


I only brought my camera once and, of course, it was the game where they only had five of the ten boys that day.
And the head coach was also gone, so Chris was helping out.

the lights all aglow

For years I have wanted to visit the Botanical Gardens all lit up for the holidays.
So this year I included it in our advent activities and we finally made it happen.
I thought we were going to be freezing, but it turned out to be tolerable that evening.
We still loved warming up next to the warm fires burning all around.
And with yummy hot cocoa and cider.
As we cuddled together next to the fire, listening to the carolers sing about the Christ child against the backdrop of the twinkling lights, we were definitely feeling the spirit of Christmas.
Love it.
And love this crazy bunch.
♡



He was kind of a scrawny little reindeer.
We decided he must be Blitzen.


Too much broccoli for dinner tonight. :)

The lighting is impossible to figure out!
I'm sure someone could take some really amazing pictures here.
Just not me.



Austin was adorable talking with Santa.
(That's just between you and me...because adorable is not a word he would be ok with.)

grandma's quilt

I have had a hard time blogging because I can't add any pictures at the moment.
I've filled my hard drive right up.
I don't how...I mean, I hardly ever take any pictures.
(That was sarcasm.)

But here is a picture from the beginning of the month as my kids were snuggled up watching some great messages about Christmas.


Not a fantastic picture, but I love it because it shows the quilt we were all four keeping cozy with.
This quilt has recently become a treasured thing in our home.
I love it.
We brought it home from our Thanksgiving travels and it hasn't really been put away since, because someone always wants to use it.


It is amazingly warm and cozy in all it's polyester wonder.

In my last post I mentioned a visit we made to my grandma's house.
While we were there, she asked me to pick out which furniture or other things around her house that I would want after she died.
She wanted us to take little pieces of scotch tape, write our names on them, and attach them to the back or bottom of things we wanted to lay claim to.
I just couldn't bring myself to do it.
I know she is getting old.
It happens.
And I know she loves me.
But, of course, I don't care about getting anything.

I'm sure most people would feel the same way.
So I kept changing the subject, and she kept persisting to ask me if I decided what I wanted.

The only thing that would matter to me would be something that would remind me of her.
But I didn't know what that would be.
Except the bust of the fine lady with the huge head covered with fake fruit.
She has always had that in her entryway since before I was born.
But what could I do with a head of fruit?

Later, as we were leaving to take grandma out to lunch, Chris went to lock up the garage and put away the tools he had been using.
As I went in the garage I spotted a glimpse of color in a pile of junk.

I didn't even hesitate as I told grandma that I knew exactly what I would want someday...her polyester quilt!
She was dumbfounded.
She couldn't imagine why I wanted that and told me I better just take it now because it was out there with all the junk.

So I did.

Chris put it in the car for me and I didn't say much about it.
I came home and washed it and have watched as each member of my family has decided that it is their favorite blanket on earth.


I'm not sure what it is about this quilt.

Definitely the warmth.

And, for me, the memories.

When I was growing up, we rarely traveled.
But when we went to grandma's house a few hours away, it was very, very exciting.
And it seems like in my mind, that we always got there at bedtime.
And I was always anticipating my favorite place to sleep.
Often, I got the bed in the den.
I loved it.
Hard to believe now...since it was a hide-a-bed.
Wow.
But the hard couch cushions always fit just perfectly into the right spots and I would feel cradled against the armrest of the couch as I slept so peacefully.
Always under that colorful quilt.
Grandma always kept it in the exact same spot on the top shelf of her linen closet at the end of the hall.
And I'm not sure why, but sometimes I just liked to peek in there at it.
When we arrived I would wait to make sure I saw her get it down and I would be so content once I was snuggled under it.

Even that one night in 2nd or 3rd (?) grade when we rushed to grandma's house in the middle of the night.
We were so confused why we were being carried to the car in the middle of the night.
Mom and dad told us to go back to sleep.
I had never seen grandma look like that before.
She was distraught.
But she still got the blanket out of the closet for me.
That was the night my grandpa died.

Why is the blanket the thing I remember?