Declan Hercules: Christmas is coming, Keevah Nyx is FOUR & we saw the North Pole!

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!