December 2017 - SDC Christmas Performance & Parade

Our 3rd year of dance and this is maybe my favorite Christmas tradition. I love that they do the same songs so you can remember the ones Gigi has done before and see the ones she will do in the years to come. Her papa came to watch and she was so happy. She opted go home with him instead of staying to ride on the float in the 20 degree chill! I'm so proud of her overcoming her shyness and really showing off her sass when she performs! 

But I DID brave the cold. :) MSY Float tradition held strong...

December 2017

The last month of this incredible year was busy, joyful, and special! We started the holiday spirit as soon as our Thanksgiving guests left, and didn't stop all month long! We bought toys to donate, processed our pumpkins and made soup to freeze, we decorated everywhere, made a MSY float for the downtown parade and held a chakra workshop, hosted our church to our house for lunch, adopted an angel at church, had breakfast with Carrie, saw John Fullbright at the Blue Door, made our traditional cardboard house in miniature, didn't get in fights with the Wichita State fans in Gallagher (but papa and I ALMOST did!), continued to volunteer, watched g in TWO christmas dance performances at the RWC and at the nursing home, had dinner and advent at St. Crispins, cheered on Brad as he was an honored faculty at Chamber Forum, saw Ben AND Desi's Christmas Programs at school, went to see Santa, celebrated G's 6th birthday, sent Christmas cards, partied with the book club at Jess's house, taught tons of yoga classes, and the Royalls arrived on the 20th! Whoa buddy. And you know, that's in addition to preparing for Christmas!

Here we are headed to get our Christmas tree...we listened to carols and G played that wooden flute the entire way! :)

November 2017 - Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving was extra special this year with lots of family joining us in our celebration. Emily and her girls came for the very first time ever and stayed a week! We had campfires and gator rides and MarioKart tournaments and got donkeys! I drug Em to yoga with me and we had so much fun hanging out together. Then Sus and Chris and Felix and Mimi joined us for a thanksgiving sleepover too! It had been a long time since we had enough people to have a designated kids table! FUN!

Mimi's prayer. :)

Then as soon as everyone left on Saturday we started decorating from top to bottom! Of course we didn't forget to decorate the playhouse too!

November 2017 - Ben is 10

 My baby boy turned 10. A full decade old. A full decade of being a mom. A full decade of heart-opening joy and shoulder-crushing mama stress. It's true. I can't imagine life without him. I can't bear the thought of it. He is my joy, my pride, my life. He made me a mama and I could not love him more. He was planning on a big nerf war with obstacles etc. But, his best friend is still recovering from his brain surgery and Benny was worried that he would fall, or get tackled, or not be allowed to participate. So he changed plans. We had a mariokart tournament instead. He also invited his new friend Tyveon who just moved here in August. This kid just blows me away. He is funny, kind, inclusive, and the biggest helper. We had a great time with this crew of derps as you can imagine...a house full of 10 yo boys is never dull!

Then, our kids favorite birthday tradition...take out dinner and presents with their Papa and Gaga...

Watching the sunset on his first decade of life and the best decade of mine. xo