Tis the Season

I cannot believe Christmas is less than a week away. Where has this year gone? We were actually ahead of schedule this year and had our Christmas lights up within the first couple of weeks of December and all of our Christmas shopping done early! Wow-go us :)

We decided to have a REAL Christmas tree this year! The boys were super excited to get to pick out a tree and put all the decorations and lights on it. My friend Erin came over to help us which ended up being so much fun!







We also took the boys to see Santa! I think I was more excited than they were but that's okay :) They were definitely having nothing to do with sitting on Santa's lap, but we did convince them to stand next to him.





On Friday the boys had their Christmas party at their school. Mrs. Hall had asked me to do a craft with the kids during the party, so I decided to make foam picture frames. The kids seemed like they had lots of fun! I love getting the opportunity to spend time with Allen and Thomas in their classroom. It makes me feel included in their lives and I love it :)











Being the naturally emotional woman that I am, Christmas always seems to make me extra sappy. With all the plans that we make and all the extra tasks that always seem to pop up, it becomes very easy to lose focus on what Christmas is really about. I always try to remember how lucky I am to have my family and friends, and everything else that I have been blessed with in my life. I am so grateful for all of you and I count my blessings everyday, but twice on Christmas :)

ABC's and 123's

Over the past couple of months Avery and I have had the chance to spend some time in Thomas and Allen's preschool classroom. It's amazing to see all the things they do in their class and all the things they learn. It seems like they learn things so much sooner now than I ever remember learning them! Their teacher, Mrs. Hall, is amazing and I am so thankful that she always makes it a point to include us in their classroom activities!

Last month, Avery and I were invited to come speak to their class about being Community Helpers. I talked to them about being a dispatcher, calling 911 in emergencies, and how police officers are there to help people. Avery was definitely a hit in his uniform with all his toys :) Avery taught the class about what he does as a police officer and explained what all his gadgets are for. The kids were awesome listeners and we were excited to get to spend some extra time with the boys :)



Today we were invited into Thomas and Allen's classroom for a special project. Mrs. Hall had asked Avery to put together a woodworking project for the kids, so Avery decided that we would help them build their very own toolboxes! I think Avery was even more excited than the kids :) He spent two weeks cutting out pieces and drilling the holes and made each kid their own "toolbox kit". They were definitely a hit! The kids were awesome at putting them together and were so happy to see the finished product!