To kick off the holiday season Presley's preschool put on a Christmas performance. Presley practiced day and night and was so excited when it was finally her chance to sing on stage!
Nixon, Dad, Mom, Pa, Macie and I all watched from the pews and cheered her on.
Unfortunately Nixon grew increasingly bored and before we knew it her was lying on the floor looking utterly thrilled.
Mom had no sympathy for his boredom and ignored him while the rest of us watched her smile and sing on stage; she was SO proud of herself!
After the performance, while the rest of us were enjoying cookies and treats, Nixon pouted like a champ.
When we got home that afternoon it was playtime. After changing into play clothes we played in the yard and took full advantage of Mom and Dad being preoccupied cleaning. We love having a large dirt yard and come up with all sorts of fun and imaginative games to play.
Mom is looking forward to the day when the whole back yard consists of concrete and fake grass. On the bright side, I'm guessing its a good thing the yard is being renovated before the interior of the house because we sure get messy...
The following week we played hooky from school and drove to Las Vegas to visit some friends. We surprised everyone at school when we showed up unannounced in the lunch room and were greeted with shrieks of excitement.
Mom made sure we got to spend as much time with our good friends as possible. It was like we never left.
Macie spent most of her free time with her best friend Mikayla.
To celebrate Gigi's birthday I had a sleepover at her house and went horse back riding with her family. It was an unforgettable experience. Not only was my horse Sugar amazing but the two of us were a perfect match (we were color coordinated- it was fate)!
I am grateful to have such fantastic friends, and Mom and Dad are beyond grateful that they all have such AMAZING families!
While Macie and I were spending time with our besties, Presley and Nixon did lots of scooting around town and playing at our favorite parks.
Their favorite part of their time in Vegas was hanging out with Gunnar and Gage. According to Dad it was non stop action!
It is such a fun event; snow, candy, floats, characters and Santa. We enjoy it every year.
After the parade Dad took us all to Dave and Busters to meet up with Gigi's family. It was a night full of laughs thanks to loads of candy and 100's of dollars in power cards (yay for Dad nights!).
Leaving Las Vegas Sunday afternoon wasn't any easier than it was the last time, but we were more than thankful that we had the opportunity to see and spend time with fantastic friends.
Back in San Diego the holiday season was in full swing. We put some finishing touches on our Christmas decorations at home, and Presley got to put the star on the top. She was beyond ecstatic.
At Aunt Connie's that week we decorated cards and Christmas cookies with family.
Nixon loved decorating (and eating)!
On our first day of Christmas break Mom took us to Sea World. To our surprise we got to see Santa! Even though we were dressed in play clothes Mom was THRILLED that she didn't have to drag us all to the mall this year!
Not only was Santa at Sea World, but all sorts of other holiday characters were there as well.
Before we knew it Christmas Eve was here. On our way to church Mom coerced us into taking some pictures.
After church our family drove to the Umbarger's house for an evening full of food, family, and fun!
Not only did Aunt Connie and Grandma Jean prepare a fantastic spread for us to eat, Aunt Connie also put together goodies bags and a scavenger hunt for all of us.
The best part of the night came at the end of the scavenger hunt when we found a mystery guest in Grandma Jean's bedroom...Can you believe that it was SANTA CLAUS!?!?!?
He spent time talking with each of us and had even brought us our own special gift.
Exhausted from a night of excitement we passed out when we got home, eager to see what surprises awaited us in the morning.
We all woke up bright and early to find that Mom had slept on a sofa across the hallway in an attempt to block any nigh time lurkers from getting to the presents (she was pleased with her cleverness until the repercussions of sleeping on a sofa took the form of neck and back pain).
When Mom and Dad gave us the go ahead we shrieked with excitement as we ran to our stockings to see what surprises lay inside them.
Macie got a ton of leggings in her stocking (Mom couldn't have been thrilled since she can't stand them being Macie's number one choice in leg wear).
My stocking was filled with lotions, fancy toiletries, and sparkly accessories!
Nixon had a stocking full of tools, trucks, and dinosaur related items.
The dinosaur backpack was an instant favorite!
Presley was all smiles as she discovered that her stocking was filled with Paw Patrol figurines, fruity candies, and glittery accessories "just like the big girls"!!!
Dad kept catching Nixon quietly sneaking chocolate every chance he could. The guilty look on his face was priceless.
Once we emptied our stockings we got to open our gifts from Santa. Presley got the Barbie Camper that she had been pining over,
and Nixon got a tool box, tool belt, and set of tools "just like Dad's"!
After opening our gifts from Santa the family enjoyed some TV time on the couch.
After eating a light breakfast we spent some time with Uncle Will whom had flown in late the night before to surprise us on Christmas.
After exchanging family gifts with one another we drove down to Grandma Judy's house for brunch. It was nice to sit back and relax with friends and family.
I spent most of my time with my cousin Maddox. He was so much fun to play with and I can't wait until I am old enough to babysit!!!
By the early afternoon we were all exhausted and drove home to rest before hosting Christmas dinner. Poor Nixon passed out before we made it to the freeway...
Back at home, with a second wind, we open a few more gifts and played some games while Mom and Uncle Will prepared the food.
Nixon got the award for "coolest way to roll the dice." Mom and Dad have no clue where he picked that up but they love it!
After a feast consisting of filet mignon, potatoes, salad, and homemade bread we were full and exhausted from our long day of Christmas fun.
Early the next morning construction began on our back yard, so Uncle Will took us to the park while Mom and Dad directed traffic.
We were all having a great time until Uncle Will said it was time to go. Nixon was not happy...
Mom is hoping his lack of tact was due to exhaustion since he passed on out the couch right after we returned home.
Later that evening we went to Pa's new house in Jamul. Macie and explored the surrounding trails while Presley and Nixon did some off roading in the truck.
If you couldn't tell how much fun Presley and Nixon were having by the big smiles on their faces the laughter in this video says it all.
With New Years right around the corner I am sure there will be tons more stories and adventures to come. Check back in 2018 to hear all about them.
Wishing you and yours many blessings -Riley
