December came fast and furious this year! We started the month with a trip to Tahoe for the first ski weekend of the season. We discovered that I've grown EIGHT inches since last year, and I needed all new ski clothes. Sissy got up on skis again, and she is fearless as ever! Our favorite activity was sledding on our property, while Spirit chased us down the hill each time. He is definitely a good snow dog! He loves playing ball so much, and went absolutely nuts during the snowball fights - he caught the snowballs, and then couldn't figure out where they went as the snow disintegrated! It was hilarious!
Snow bunnies in new ski gear
sledding siblings!
Gee & Grandpa were less successful in their sledding debut
Gee & Grandpa were there too!
Ellie, Declan holding baby Henry, Lucius in back, and Keevah
Nyx on the slopes
The second weekend of December was an amazing whirlwind of holiday fun! We went to the Nutcracker in San Francisco - and this was the first year that Keevah Nyx got to come with us! We all loved it, and even got to buy our own nutcrackers! Keevah did so well sitting still, we were all super impressed. We had a lovely Indian food dinner, spent the night in the hotel, and then flew to Flagstaff, Arizona the next morning.
All dressed up for the Nutcracker
Little red riding hood sound asleep
We met some friends from Napa down there for a special surprise. Mama and Dada wouldn't tell us what we would be doing there! First, we went to Meteor Crater - a mile wide crater created a super long time ago by a large meteor from space. There was a very cool museum that we all enjoyed, and I even got to buy a small piece of a meteor!
The biggest surprise is that we got to the NORTH POLE! There is a North Pole experience where you travel through a special Portal to the North Pole! We got to meet Toy Soldiers, see the special North Pole compass that spins around in circles, meet Santa's head elf Alabastor Snowflake, help stuff and dress teddy bears for delivery to good boys and girls, get donuts in Mrs. Claus' bakery, dance with elves, go to Elf University (and get an Honorary Elf diploma!), see Mission Control, see Santa's sleigh & reindeer, and meet the big man himself! It was so super duper cool that I want to go back again next year. Unfortunately Arizona has the closest portal to California, so it requires another flight! Hopefully Mama and Dada agree to go back!
Special song to enter the teddy factory!
Teddy bear workshop
Lookout! Reindeer crossing!
After our trip home, it was time for the last week of school before the Holidays. I had my school concert, where my class sang two songs...on the same day as Keevah's FOURTH birthday. I can't believe she is already so big! She loved getting a dress up box from Gee & Grandpa, but the biggest surprise was her getting a ride-in Lamborghini. She ran into Mama and made her fall over once, but now she's a much better driver! We also celebrated an early Christmas with Gee & Grandpa, and we loved our annual Mint Coins - they also gave me a trip to Tennessee to the Challenger Space Center for June 2020!
I'm always in the back since I'm so tall!
The four-year-old birthday girl (who dressed herself!)
With Gee & Grandpa - I made them a clock for Christmas!
I got a binder explaining my next trip with Gee & Grandpa
All dressed up from her new dress-up box to go on a drive in the Lamborghini
Crazy driver!
Our Elves have also been up to no good!
Keevah reading a book by her tiny tree before bed
She couldn't make it long enough to finish the book though
Mama and Dada all dressed up for Mama's work Christmas party!
We can't wait for Christmas to come! We are spending the week home here in Napa (and hopefully closing on our new home tomorrow!)...then spending New Year's week in Tahoe!
WOW! Time always flies by so fast! We wrote the last post right before Halloween, so you never got to see our costumes! Then we just finished Thanksgiving and are already decorated for Christmas! So - three holidays for this post!
We had a super fun Halloween weekend - with Trunk or Treat at Declan's school, Halloween party with our friends Levi & Indy, and trick or treating with Declan's friends Haines & Ethan. We also walked around downtown Napa for their trick or treating, and our costumes were the HIT of the day for pretty much everyone. Can you tell who we are supposed to be? Even Spirit got to come along, since we needed our Scooby!
Downtown Napa for the Scooby Doo Gang
Mount George Elementary trunk or treat
Haines (the Alien) would have gotten away with it if "it weren't for those meddling kids!"
Gee, Keevah (Velma), and Mama (Daphne)
Since Shaggy looked a little strange without the rest of the Gang, Declan wore his Dia de los Muertos costume for the school parade. (with Haines & Aiden)
For Veteran's weekend, we headed to Tahoe to celebrate my Great-Aunt Dana's 80th birthday (she's Grandpa's sister). I got to play with my second cousins Nora and Alyssa, and everyone got to play with Spirit. We had a lovely hike along Emerald Bay, and I walked the whole way all by myself without complaining at all! We also spent an afternoon playing at Kiva Beach, and watched Spirit chase balls and dig holes.
At Emerald Bay
I'm a strong hiker!
Me and Declan on the hike
Queen of the Mountain!
Spirit was like a little billy goat on the rocks
The whole gang: L to R: Great Aunt Dana & Sara, Dada, Gee, Mama, Cousin Sharon, Cousin Tim, Grandpa. Kids in front: Declan, me, Nora, Alyssa & Spirit!
goofing off with Dada
The whole gang again - with our 80th birthday glasses on
Then it was time for a visit from Gran! We always love when she comes out and this time was awesome as always! She took us to the bowling alley - TWICE! We went to Sonoma to a cool art museum, we saw Frozen 2, went to a pottery/ceramics studio to paint, did lots of art at home, did a private art class at Art Lab, did some walking along the river, ate at Morimoto, ate at Don Pericos THREE TIMES (since Declan and I LOVE mexican food)...and then she and Mr. John stayed to celebrate Thanksgiving and helped us pick out our Christmas tree. I'm exhausted just writing it all down - Gran must have been happy to get back home to relax too!
With Gran at Morimoto
Thanksgiving - Declan Hercules (8)
Keevah Nyx - ALMOST 4
Gee & Grandpa came for Thanksgiving as well
Siblings!
And Mama is never in the photos - so we had to snap one!
Mama and me
Mama made a delicious Turkey - and bought 6 extra turkey legs so there wouldn't be any arguments!
We had our annual Stranded-in-Napa Thanksgiving and hosted the Grandparents, as well as the Li's, the Romps, the Corradettis, the Montague/Pribyls and a friend of Dada's from work. Lots of fun, food, kids, and noise! We had a great time with everyone!
Declan and Haines at Farmstead - Haines' dad is the Executive Chef there and we had a special VIP experience!
Dinner at Haines' house, with Gran too - His mom, Miss Tiffany is reading a story that Haines wrote...
Declan loved it, so while we were eating, he wrote his own story that Miss Tiffany read to the whole gang.
As soon as Thanksgiving was over, it was time to move on to the next holiday! The day after Thanksgiving, it was time to get our Christmas tree! Gran & Mr. John came with us to pick out the perfect tree. Declan was the ultimate decider, and we think the tree is perfect. I got to pick out a tiny tree all of my own for my bedroom. We read a book by the tree and sing Christmas songs before I go to bed.
With Gran and Dada at the tree lot
This is the tiny tree I picked out
Giddy-up Rudolph!
Getting my tiny tree upstairs to my bedroom
Declan and Dada on the roof getting up the lights before the 10 days of rain started - they just barely made it!
Isn't it petty?
Christmas is coming!
I helped Mama decorate the inside of the house while the boys were on the roof, but we all decorated the tree together at night. We always play Christmas carols, turn on the fire, and get a special drink while we decorate. I loved re-finding all the ornaments I forgot about - and figuring out which ones are mine!
Even Spirit has matching jammies
Mama and Dada with their "first Christmas" ornament from 2005
Family selfie - we finished the night by watching Home Alone for the first time. It is hilarious!
While we watched the movie, we figured out what keeps happening to the pillows on the couch...with the Home Alone sound track in the background!
And today is December 1st - the start of the Christmas month, the start of my BIRTHDAY month, and the day where the Advent Calendars start, and the day when our Elves arrived! Pit & Twinkle (and their reindeer Sparkle), arrived this morning in a hot air balloon! And our Advent calendars had bouncy balls to add to our collection.
And here are a few random things from this month:
The day I accidentally dressed like the hot air balloon that landed right next to my school.
Learning to ride a bike
Being a crazy person
Learning to dive ( I still love my swim lessons!)
Family craziness
Can't wait to post more about the Christmas/birthday month. We head to Tahoe next weekend, Flagstaff AZ the next weekend and then it is Christmas!
