Christmas 2017

While the artic cold didn't hit until after Christmas, we were getting in the holiday spirit throughout the month of December.

Kiddos enjoyed making and decorating their Ninjabread men.

And they made their gingerbread houses with Nana Sheila and Papa Guitar.

We spent Christmas in Toledo and had fun with aunts, uncles, cousins and Nana Mary and Papa Beard. They had a nice snow fall of a few inches for a lovely white Christmas. We went with the Molnars to see some of the lights downtown Toledo.  

Always a beautiful tree!

Made it back home after Bill left his phone in the rental car and had to go back to retrieve it and barely make the flight! Kids were freaked out that we might leave Dad at the airport. A bit of a "planes, trains, and automobiles" adventure. 

Back home, and opened more gifts. Syd compared her loot to the Target toy catalog and commented on the items Santa didn't bring her. 

Colin decided it might be a better plan to provide a Christmas list vs. asking people to surprise him. Found out that Sydney has fairly decent patience and skill for building a large Lego set. With some explanations for how the Lego instructions work, she built herself a beach house. Colin and Syd donned their long underwear and winter face masks and weapons for a ninja battle. 

Russ and Mandi's epic wedding

A beautiful setting in Berryville, VA for Russ and Mandi's wedding. It was a lot of fun to have all of Bill's sibs and most of the cousins join the festivities. 

Rosemont Manor

From the manor house looking out on the grounds and where the ceremony took place. 

We had time before the wedding to visit a nearby apple orchard and let the kids loose to pick a 'bushel and a peck'. We came home with 12 lbs of apples. 

Fun with cousins at the rehearsal dinner. 

Getting ready for the wedding!  CP -so handsome!

A great picture with Nana and Papa :) 

A pretty flower girl! Cutie Emma's photo bomb. 

And, finally, the big day! Bill was one of the groomsmen. Looked very fine in his tux and snowboarder cuff links, a gift from his brother. Sydney took her role as flower girl very seriously. She did very well spreading the petals along the walk. 

A beautiful wedding!

Enjoying the leaves

These two will rake up the yard to spend several hours jumping in the leaf piles!

Halloween 2017

Bill introduced the kids to Michael Jackson's Thriller video while carving pumpkins this year. I said he's on nightmare duty. The large pumpkin is one we won at a little fall festival we attended. The rind was easily 2.5 or 3 inches thick. The kids were pretty good scoopers and designed their own jack o'lantern expressions. 

More face painting. Colin went as a zombie with exposed brains. Syd went as Owlette from PJ Masks. She bought the costume last spring with birthday money as a dress up outfit. Then on Halloween she decided she didn't like the actual mask...so face paint to the rescue!

Severs Corn Festival 2017

Papa Beard and Nana Mary came for a visit! Nana and I took the kids to Severs on a lovely fall day.

 Nana and Colin rode a camel!

They buried themselves in the corn pit.

Everyone did several runs on the zip line. 

Both kids were miraculously chosen for the magic show. They had to hold the Pyramid of Death! 

First Day of School 2017

Sydney was so excited she was going to explode! Colin was more nervous about the start of another year. We've heard he's got a nice teacher in Mrs. Swaggert, so he's feeling better about that. Miss O'Brien, Syd's teacher, is in her first full year of teaching. Upon learning that, Syd exclaimed, "What? How is she going to be able to teach me anything if she's new?" Oh dear, should be an interesting year.

The bus stop gang: Caitlin (5th), Ava (6th), Nolan (3rd), CP (4th), Henry (6th), Natalie (1st) and Sydney (first day of Kindergarten!). 

Colin sat by Sydney on her first bus ride. She's been looking forward to this day for months. 

Beach Week 2017

We were invited to join Nana Sheila and Papa Guitar to experience the beautiful beaches of the Gulf Coast along the Florida panhandle at Rosemary Beach. We stayed in a great development within walking distance to the pool and shops and a fun golf cart ride to the beach. AJ Kelly and Lexi & Lucas added to the fun times!

The kids enjoyed bike riding, swimming in the huge pool and quickly took to the ocean waves.  The neighborhood had shops and music close by. 

Poolside selfie

Dinner at Sharky’s had, of course, a couple of sharks to pose with. 

Playarea at Sharky's

Syd is not impressed.

Walked along the Panama City pier and the kids got to pet a baby shark that a fisherman snagged. Also saw two dolphins swimming around the pier, probably their dinner time.

Baby shark!

 

Pizza night!

The beach sand was so white and soft and easy to walk on in the heat. And boy, was it hot!

Making waves!

We had a professional sand castle builder teach us the finer points of building an enviable multi-tiered castle. Sydney was stung by a Blue Button jelly fish, you can tell in the photos where she’s holding her arm.

Great trip!