Christmas, New Years, and everything else.

Two Saturdays before Christmas, we drove to the Roanoke area to visit our friends, Cate and Shawn. They were having a Christmas party/Open House night to welcome everyone to their new house and to find out together if the new baby, due in April, is expected to be a boy or girl. We all found out when they cut into the cake and there was a ribbon inside--pink!



On December 22nd, we drove to Cleveland, OH, to visit my folks. We stayed until January 1st, which is why there have been no posts until now! We opened Christmas presents in the morning on Christmas day, and H3 spent the rest of the day with a bow on her head!



H3 watches Grandpa remove Christmas lights through the living room window.



Showing Grandma a new toy.










Snow throne!



H1's birthday cake. Yes, it's a little childish, but I had fun! It was a strawberry cake with buttercream frosting. The theme is ducky, yes, but each ducky set also has something to do with an activity H1 enjoys. He used to be a golf coach and loves to play. He's currently a basketball coach. The swimming set is for the camp that we spend each summer at. He has been a waterfront director there for 6 or 7 years now. Not this year though! More to come on that....



Me and H1 at Rocky's, a pizza restaurant my parents took us to for his birthday. H3 made such a mess that we ended up finding a broom and cleaned up before our waitress could. She was so sweet and patient with us, and my parents have seen her there for the past 4 years that they've lived in Cleveland. I was just too embarrassed by the mess of crushed Cheerios and pizza chunks that there was no way I could leave without cleaning up some!




We arrive home at 4:15 Saturday morning. H1 and I took turns driving, so we weren't completely dead when we arrived, but pretty close! Since then, we've pretty much been unpacking and trying to get the house back in order. Sunday morning H1 was playing on the worship team and I was teaching Sunday school for 4-7 year olds. I don't have a lot of experience with that age, so it was a bit of a challenge. That, and the fact that it was the first time the class has ever met! There are 4 teachers and we will be on a monthly rotation. My Sunday is the first of each month. It was fun, but I'll be glad when we get more supplies!

H1 started back to school today. I haven't talked to him yet to see how it was. He's at basketball practice now, trying to get the kids ready for the game tomorrow night. There will be a game each Tuesday and Thursday night this month, and then for the first week in February and the season may end there, depending on whether we go to play-offs, which could extend it a couple more weeks.

It's time to wake up Shannan from her nap and get ready to make tacos for dinner tonight!

~H2