Sextet of Singers: 2014

Mini-Getaway

A few days after Christmas, we got a room at a hotel down at the coast, one with a pool. We went to the U.S.S. Nautalis Submarine museum on our way down. It was pretty cool. The kids enjoyed the little phones we listened too on our tour.

A fun hotel with swimming both Friday night and right when we woke up on Saturday. We were all in heaven.

We stopped at Rocky Neck State Park on our drive home. It was cold, windy, deserted and beautiful. I really could never tire of the ocean.

On our drive home, Matt started feeling cruddy. He got straight in bed when we got home and was there almost 4 days. By the time he was getting better, I went downhill. Thank goodness we had the good times when we did. :)

Christmas Fun

Life didn't calm down after the live nativity but in all the craziness, there was a lot of fun.

On a Friday off school, we made gingerbread houses with the neighbors.

Annie had her polar express day at school

Mary's Winter Chorus concert (she was most animated in this song, "I'm Gettin' Nothing for Christmas")

Church Christmas Party and a visit from Santa

We missed Santa and the fire trucks coming through our neighborhood so this year we went to the fire station to visit him.

And on Christmas Eve we kept our tradition of going with friends to a nursing home to do a program for them and carol through the halls. As usual, it brought the perfect spirit to our holiday.

Christmas Day was happy and relaxing. The kids had a great morning.

Merry Christmas!

Live Nativity and Creche Display

Our ward held the annual live nativity and indoor creche display for the community the weekend after Thanksgiving. I was on the committee this year. So much time and effort was put in to making it great, and it was. What a wonderful event. I was happy to be a part of it.

Matt and the kids were in the live nativity for an hour the first night. We had the best shepherds around...toughing out the cold.

The inside of the church turned out so beautiful. Pictures can't really do it justice. There was such a great turnout from the community that it made all the work worth it.

And it was also wonderful having it done. It was nice when it was done to be able to set up our tree and nativities at home.

A New York Thanksgiving

We surprised the kids the day before Thanksgiving. They thought Aunt Megan and Uncle Nate would be coming to our house that evening. We woke them up for school and told them that Megan and Nate wouldn't be able to come. When everyone was on the verge of crying we said "I guess that means we have to go to New York and see them." What a fun surpise!!

Driving down...such happy kids.

And the picture dump begins. That night, we went down to watch the balloons being blown up. It was cold and rainy and kind of miserable and a whole lot of fun.

Then Thanksgiving morning, Megan and I were out the door by 5am and Matt, Nate and the kids were out the door by 6am. We found a spot on the parade route, I think it was around 66th and Central Park West. And then we waited, and waited, and froze, and waited. Again, kind of crazy and kind of really great.

Sunrise

We had a great spot, right up against the barricade.

Love this picture!!

Our first (of many) clown visits. 9am had finally come!

Thank goodness it was starting, because Whitney had just about had it. :)

And we took about a billion more pictures than this but they are all basically smiling kids in front of big balloons or crazy clowns. Such a happy morning.

And then we crashed at Megan and Nate's and eventually ate a delicious Thanksgiving dinner. So much to be grateful for.

Friday morning, we woke up and surprised the kids again, telling them we were heading to Hoboken to go to Carlos Bake Shop. Excited kids again. So much fun!

Buddy's sister was in the shop that day. The kids were lovin' that too. We got some canollis and other treats and happily ate them on our drive back home.