"It's the Holiday Season...."

It's the holiday season and we sure have been trying to enjoy it as much as possible!  In between the kids being sick and Jeremy working like crazy we have been able to do some fun things as a family and hope to continue to be able to over the next few weeks.

One thing that we were able to do was attend the "Lighting of the Trees" at the Landings, which is one of the small strip malls close to where we live.  The kids had a great time getting to stay up late, watching a parade, looking at the lights, sitting on Santa's lap, and even eating ice cream for dinner!
It was a great way to start off our holiday season!

A couple of days before Thanksgiving, Braylei was making crafts and decided she wanted to make a turkey for each of her teachers.  She made them out of pipe cleaners and foam and did a great job!  Then she turned them into cards and wrote on each one.  She was so proud of what she had done and her teachers loved them!

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, all of the kindergarten classes at Braylei's school put on a Pow Wow for the parents.  They each had an assigned part to say and lots of songs to sing.  They practiced for about 3 weeks prior to the program and even got to make their own ceremonial dress and earn feathers to make their headdresses.  All of the kids were so excited about the program and it is all that was talked about during those 3 weeks.  The program lasted almost an hour and was out in the woods on the banks of the Chattahoochee River, which runs through part of the school campus.  It was very official and realistic, complete with "Indian visitors" and traditional activities such as the Buffalo Dance and the passing of the Offering Bowl.  As I watched Braylei during the program she never cracked a smile and was so serious.  I thought that perhaps she was not feeling well.  After the program I asked her if she was ok and she said yes.  Then I asked her why she did not smile and she said, "because it was a very serious thing Mom.  My teachers told me that if we acted out or silly then we would be asked to leave."  I tried to tell her that I thought it would have been okay for her to smile, but she adamantly told me that you do not smile when things are serious.  She is definitely my very literal child!  She did an amazing job and even though Jeremy was unable to be there, he was able to watch the video recording of it and we are both so proud of our "Little Doe"!

Thanksgiving was a little different for us this year.  Not only was it our first time being away from our family, but Jeremy also had to work.  The kids and I were determined to make the best of the day and still have fun, which we were able to do!   We spent the morning watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade, which was a first for my kids.  Braylei and Tayscen both loved all the floats and of course seeing Santa at the very end.  For lunch, we were invited over to our Host Family's house from Braylei's school.  Our Host Family has been guiding us through our transition to Columbus as well as Brookstone, and we have appreciated all of their generosity and help.  The kids had a great time playing with friends, jumping on the trampoline, playing by the lake, and going for a ride on the golf cart.  The food was delicious and the best surprise of all was that Jeremy was able to get off early in the afternoon and spend some time with us!  The kids hadn't seen him in several days, so they were ecstatic!  We all played outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather.  Jeremy was also able to get off early the next day, so we took all of the kids to see "Tangled" and had a great time!

During Thanksgiving weekend, the kids and I also decorated the tree while Jeremy was at work.  I actually "let go" and allowed the kids to decorate the tree however they wanted.  I simply handed them an ornament and they hung it wherever they thought it looked nice.  All in all, they did a great job and had a great time doing it.  We weren't sure how Brix would be with the tree, but she hasn't even tried to bother it once!  She loves to look at the lights and is content with just doing that.

The older kids also made a Candy Cane Village that weekend too.  They had a great time putting the pieces together and then decorating the shops and scenery.  They worked together really well and we are now proudly displaying it front and center as you enter our home!

The kids are all growing up so fast and time just keeps flying by!  Brix is entering all sorts of fun new stages, including taking her pants off while she naps and standing on her head.  I'm fine with it as long as she keeps the diaper on:)  We are counting down the days until Christmas (and the end of Jeremy's "nasty" rotation) and are just loving being together as a family!