Zoo Lights 2017

We had so much fun at Zoo Lights this past December, I just HAD to share some more photos!

This year we went to dinner with the whole family.  Then we filled up the van with grammae and as many cousins as we could fit (3) and we drove into Portland.

When we arrived at the zoo at 7pm, we were expecting the parking lot to be clearing out (this was our luck in previous years).  But this year...it was still full, and closed off!  Oh no!  So Marcus dropped us off at the entrance and by the time we did that, the lot opened and Marcus got a good spot.  He met us just inside the gates.

It was a beautiful, chilly night.  No rain!  It was still very crowded for the first half of our visit, but it definitely thinned out for the 2nd half.  We caught the last zoo train with NO lines!  It was a very late night but we couldn't say no to a stop to Sesame Donuts on the way home.

December 2017 catch-up -- festive holiday fun

All sorts of Christmas activities!!!  Here is a view into our December:

Zoo Lights with cousins this year!!!
We ate at our traditional place: Noodles & Co.

Always a fun time at Zoo Lights

Winter dance recital at the Dance Hall (Gemma in white scarf)

James and Posa

Bunny--I think she is on the left??  :o)

Fun with Papa's train at the annual "Reason
for the Season" soup dinner

Christmas Fun Day 2017 (Red Lobster)

still had school to do, but that's OK...we will be done by May!

All the kids love our Sunday trips to Mindy's
(Decadent Creations Bakery)

Family trip to a Blazers game--I stayed home with the littles,
and took Gemma to urgent care...where she was diagnosed
with the flu.  As in The Flu.  Lots of fun.

Somehow through all this I still had time to run the St. Matthew
Christmas Play.  I had a GREAT group of kid, so it was easy!!

Christmas Eve at grammae and papa's

Cellie got her first American Girl doll!

Christmas Morning--James was happy

so was Gemma!!

Dinner at Amelia's, just for fun

December 2017 catch-up -- activities

So much fun in December!  And some not-so fun moments as well....

horse lesson continued through the winter (brrr)

Bunny on Porter

We took care of the neighbor's ducks while
she was on vacation.

A favorite holiday tradition is "Christmas Fairy
Box" where the lovely and talented Christmas
Fairy leaves treats for the kids each evening.

I always try to carve out time for coffee
with a good friend!!!  :o) :o)

lots of cookie baking...at least until the flu
hit our home in mid-December

We were all sick to varying degrees.  Poor little
Celeste had a febrile seizure during Christmas
Play practice at the church, and she had a nice
little ambulance ride to the ER....
(She is fine and luckily did not have another seizure.)

We were all mostly healthy again for Mariposa's
end-of-December birthday (11 years old!).

Much to be Thankful for!

Thanksgiving Day is such a wonderful holiday.  Just thinking of it gives me warm and cozy feelings of being together and being grateful for all our blessings.  :o)  

Marcus usually has a light work day on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, which was particularly great this year since he was traveling earlier that week.  On Wednesday we make our food contributions to bring to grammae and papa's house for Thanksgiving dinner.

On Thanksgiving Day we usually attend Mass in the morning, but this year we opted to stay home, making it a wonderful, lazy morning.  :o)  Then we went "over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house" for the big feast.

We don't care too much for Black Friday sales but Marcus and I do have a tradition of doing SOME shopping on the Thanksgiving weekend.  We like going out late on Friday (with a stop at Decarli's first!) to do some shopping while the kids watch a movie and Bunny puts them to bed.  (It is SO great to have a live-in babysitter!  Luv you, Bun!)

The rest of the weekend is usually spent doing chores and preparing for Advent/Christmas, and this year was the same.  It is a wonderful transition into the "hustle and bustle" of the Christmas season.

Here are some pics from our Thanksgiving weekend 2017:

Thanksgiving is a time for acknowledging what is most
important in life...apparently for Marcus, it is the car.  ;o) :o)

time with cousins at grammae and papa's

twinsies (I don't think Aidan was thrilled at
the thought of matching with Gemma....) :oP

pre-dinner craft projects

lots of washi tape

let the feasting begin!

my contribution to the dinner

kids' table

We also celebrated two birthday boys,
Uncle Shane and Aidan.

Annual post-dinner weigh-in