We are so thankful for the beautiful Christmas we had this year. We hosted an early celebration on December 22nd with our family while my parents were in town for the Nutcracker.
Christmas Eve & Christmas Day were quiet with just the four of us. We roasted chestnuts for the first time, went to Christmas Eve service, decorated sugar cookies, & grilled steaks for dinner. It was a lovely time to slow down, eat great food, play games & enjoy each other’s company.
Anna performed beautifully, once again, in A Colorado Nutcracker held at the Pikes Peak Center. Rehearsals began at the beginning of September on Tuesday nights & Saturdays, & continued until the shows on December 19th & 20th.
The following pictures are from the Cast Reveal back in August. All of the dancers & parents filled a room, & level by level the girls were called up to take their envelopes for the October show, Take Flight, & A Colorado Nutcracker. Then all together they opened them & the excitement & screaming began. Anna was so excited about her roles this year – Mary McAllister & a Chinese Cookie.
This year, Anna was sick with the flu for four days leading up to the shows. We were concerned about her having the strength to perform, but we called in friends & family to pray & God gave her a little miracle. We were so thankful for his mercy & protection for her. Anna’s dedication to dance is incredible & we’re so proud of her hard work!
With the kids being in a busier season, any free nights we have we typically prefer to hang out all together. So, Kenny & I have more lunch dates these days since he’s working from home & the kids are in school. Sometimes we try to take a walk too. We had lunch this month near a park with a great trail for walking. Such a beautiful day!
One of my favorite things is the end of the day when the kids are going to bed. For many, many years we have all gathered on our bed together. When the kids were small we would read together & continued this until just the last few years. Then we’d pray together before tucking them in. These days, with older kids, we still gather together to pray & talk about our day. There are many nights, though, when Anna is out late at rehearsal or James is out with friends & once returning home, they just head straight to bed. It has made me appreciate the nights we are all home together so much more.
James’s band concert…
Concert band…James is playing jingle bells & slapstick…
Jazz band…drum set time!
Elf night! Homemade personal pizzas, sadly disappointing Elf cookies (but they were cute!) & watching the movie together. This year is the 20th anniversary of the movie!
The beginnings of sugar cookies…
Celebrating Kenny & Lynn’s birthday…
Hosting our small group Christmas party…
