Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
The Holidays are firmly upon us, and as a result, our world has been crazy busy for a while - hence the large break in blogging...
I'll just dive in and start at the very beginning.
Tennessee
Shortly after Halloween we all took a trip to Tennessee. We headed first to Nashville and visited with Jordan's Mom, brothers, sister-in-law, niece and nephew, and my sister, brother-in-law and their new baby Henry.
Later on in the weekend we left the kids with Jordan's Mom for the night and headed to Knoxville to watch our alma mater (The University of Tennessee) play the South Carolina Gamecocks. It was so fun to be back where we first met, and we had a great time hanging out with friends, and celebrating a hard fought win. The next day we went to visit my Papaw who was not doing well, and was in hospice care. As soon as we walked in the door, he immediately recognized us, and we had a really great visit with him. I'm so grateful for the totally lucid time we had with him. Its a great memory that I'll cherish forever. Later, we met up with my parents and aunt and uncle for a early lunch at one of my favorite East Tennessee spots (Calhouns BBQ). We drove straight back to Nashville from lunch and had a nice dinner with Jordan's brother and his family. It was a totally packed trip, and we are so thankful for all the people we got to see in such a short time. With family being so far away, it's such a treat to be able to see so many people in one visit.
Once we got back home, it was right back into the swing of things with school and extra-curricular activities. I volunteered to head up the Holiday Market at the kids school, so I was busy buying products to sell at school for the kids to give to family members and friends. It was a lot of work, but I was happy to do it. We feel lucky to be at such a great school with such amazing parents, and I just wanted to be able to do my part. Another great activity that the kids school does is the Glow Run.
Glow Run
The Glow Run is a tribute to a librarian at Tom Wilson Elementary who passed away from a sudden brain aneurism. The run aims to remind everyone to live their life to the fullest. The celebration was beautiful, and the kids had a great time running around and celebrating the small things that we sometimes take for granted.
I caught Isla snapping some selfies before we left...
These sweet friends have known each other since they were babies...
There was even an appearance by Wilson, who is basically a celebrity to TWE students. He even had handlers walking him around all night. The kids swarmed him as soon as they saw him!
Pack-a-Thon
The schools main fundraiser for the year is the annual pack-a-thon. The kids get friends and family to sponsor them, and then "workout" for 30 minutes. I was able to sign-up to be the yearbook photographer for Holden's class.
I'm practically positive that those kids enjoyed this more than any other class. I've never seen these kids smile so much. It was so awesome to be a part of. Holden literally didn't stop once in the full 30 minutes.
Isla's 6th Birthday
Next up was Isla's 6th Birthday Party at Main Event Entertainment. I highly recommend anyone looking to plan a childs birthday party, to consider this location. We were totally happy with the service and attention we received. Everything went very smoothly, and Isla and her friends had a great time.
After cake and pizza the kids had fun playing laser tag, and arcade games.
We tried to explain the the grabber game was a bit of a scam...
She didn't want to believe it...
Thanksgiving
With the exception of some dreary weather, our Thanksgiving was perfect. Jordan's parents came into celebrate with us, and we had so much fun spending time, relaxing and celebrating with friends and family. Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite - I love the kickoff to the Holiday season, the food, the family and friends. I just can't get enough of it!
We've spent the last couple of weeks gearing up for Christmas and relaxing when we can. I hope you all have been enjoying your Fall/Winter. Can't wait to hear about all your Christmas celebrations!
Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to you all! More to come with elf shenannigans, Christmas sleepovers, ugly sweater parties, and much more!