A Very Merry Christmas Indeed!

What better way to wind down 2015 than a week with family, food, and fun? We spent Christmas week at the grandparents' in Pennsylvania this year.  It was memorable in so many ways, not the least of which was the need for air conditioning on Christmas eve or the 70-something degree weather on Christmas day.  We enjoyed so many feasts and so many family moments we lost track, but here are a few highlights...

Our Christmas day smorgasbord.

Best cousin friends!

Christmas eve gang.

Santa was very good to Simone this year!  Lots of American Girl swag, Shopkins (apparently all the rage in third grade) and a new Zuca bag for skating.

Simone spent a whole afternoon outside with Pop stacking wood, collecting kindling, and preparing for the after Christmas holiday fire.  She was so proud of her work.

Out to eat with the family in Jim Thorpe.

A quick game of checkers while the grown ups had a wine/mead tasting at a local shop after dinner.

Kodak moment near the train station.

 We took the whole gang ice skating two days after Christmas.  Simone was so happy to teach all her cousins how to skate.

Even daddy got in on the ice action!

And the big moment... the campfire!  Even with a little bit of drizzle, the kids loved roasting marshmallows and hot dogs around the fire.

Such a special memory!

And there you have it!  After all that fun, we made our way back home to ring in 2016!

Tis the Season...

We are now in full Christmas swing and we've had a very eventful last few days celebrating the holiday season.  First and foremost, I draw everyone's attention to our first Christmas miracle -- Simone's Santa pictures actually turned out well this year!!! It only took us eight years to get her to look at the camera and smile, but we finally did it.

Perhaps it had something to do with the re-vamped Santa setup at Tysons Corner -- it's quite the ordeal now.  Gone are the days of simply sitting on Santa's lap and reciting your wish list.  Technology has arrived!  First, we avoided long lines by reserving an appointment time online, and spent 30 minutes of fun going through the Santa experience.

First the Naughty or Nice O'Meter

Then building an elf video featuring Simone.

A pose with Daddy.

Some Elf-ray vision activities.

And finally balloons and face painting.

Our second event was Simone's holiday piano recital.  She played "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" without a single mistake -- so proud!

She went into super shy mode as she introduced herself and her song.

Much more relaxed after the performance.

With the proud parents.

And with her proud teacher.

Next up -- some evening excitement in Middleburg, where we caught the tail end of the holiday parade and then relaxed the evening away at cozy resort.

These horses were amazing.  They "danced" to music as they paraded along.

Simone took this shot of a gingerbread creation.

Instant relaxation!  I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS!!

Outside sitting at one of the fire pits that dot the beautiful grounds.

Lots of warm cozy fires to snuggle up next to both outside and inside -- so festive!

And finally -- a quick peek at two other toasty and tasty outings ...

Our second annual holiday tea at Oatlands Plantation.

And an evening at a local German Christmas Market.

Brats and split pea soup --Yum!

 Amidst all of the holiday chores, these are the kinds of things that make the holidays worth it!  Can't wait to see what other fun we can find this month.

Turkey Day in VA

So, it seems to me that try as I might, I just can't get very good Thanksgiving pictures year after year. I think it mostly has to do with how busy this holiday tends to be.  That, however, doesn't mean that we didn't enjoy a GREAT Thanksgiving weekend.  Simone's cousins came down to join us in Virginia for a few days of feasting, shopping, and holiday hoopla -- a very nice way to kick off the holiday season.

The lone photo I took on Thanksgiving day.  Our dinner table all ready to eat!

On Friday, we all headed over to Reston Town Center to watch the tree lighting and do some ice skating. Simone was a total pro -- her lessons have indeed paid off.  Despite the crowd, the really ripped up ice, and the slippery puddles, Simone was able to skate and help her cousin Jack who had never skated before.

Such a festive atmosphere and a very mild night to enjoy being outside.

And sadly that's it as far as photos.  But the parts of the weekend I didn't capture were a long hike along the river and a great evening out on Saturday for dinner and the new Disney movie -- The Good Dinosaur, which if you've not seen, was super cute.  A funny, heartwarming, tear jerking, sweet movie that kept us all entertained.

And now to wind down the year with lots of Christmas fun and family time.  We've begun putting up the decorations and next weekend we go to visit Santa.  Indeed, the most wonderful time of the year!!