Winter Break

Ah!  It is mid-January already and I have been too busy making memories to stop and document the memories!  I'll try to get caught up.  Our Christmas break was great- lots of food and time spent with family.  This was the first year that my parents were locals and it somehow made everything feel more Christmas-y to have them around the whole season for baking cookies, going to church together, watching Christmas movies, and other fun activities.  On Christmas Eve Matt smoked a turkey which will go down in history as being called "the best turkey I have ever had" by Susan Mack.  The next morning the kids woke up giddy and early to see what loot had magically appeared by the tree overnight.

Watching The Grinch on Christmas Eve

As usual we went to Oak Ridge on Christmas Day to spend a few days extending the Christmas and playing with all our new toys.  Peggy always decorates the house spectacularly, it feels so festive and cozy, even though this year it was pretty warm outside it was Winter Wonderland inside.

Some of our favorite gifts were an elaborate marble run (with elevator for the marbles!) and hammocks.  The kids, and adults, tested out all of our new goodies.

While we were in Oak Ridge, we visited the American Museum of Science and Energy and my brave kiddos jumped at the chance to volunteer to do a demonstration on static electricity.  It was quite entertaining and I'm proud of how eagerly they stood in front of a room full or strangers to participate.

Once we got home, the celebration continued with Mackmas 2019- and a weekend with our favorite visitor- Hannah Summers!  The cousins are adorable together as usual and one of the best gifts we received was an annual membership to the local children's museum.  We've already been 3 times!  We loved showing Hannah around all our favorite exhibits and it was such a sweet time to have the family in one place.  The first six months of 2019 were dominated by the kitchen renovation- planning all the details, then living through the construction, and then all the final touches Matt did himself.  At times during the mess and constant decision debate I wondered if it was worth it.  It paid off though, because our beautiful new space was perfect for hosting such a wonderful holiday with family.  We had plenty of space to prepare food, eat food, congregate and socialize without being cramped, and I'm so thankful that we have such a welcoming layout to enjoy for years to come.

Once our house quieted down, we still had almost a week before school started back!  I sadly had to return to work, but the kids and Matt spent a few more days making the most of Winter Break.

The beginning of a new year is always full of such hope and reflection.  We definitely had our ups and downs in 2019, and some major changes like Luke starting school, my parents moving to South Carolina, and the above mentioned kitchen project.  We tried new things like t-ball, soccer, and camping.  I went to Chicago for the first time, Matt went to Vancouver for the first time, and we're losing count of how many times we went to SC beaches.  We welcomed new baby Saylor to our extended family and mourned the loss of my passionate, vibrant Tante Ursel.  There was not a day this year that I didn't tell someone and have someone tell me that they loved me, even when I was out of town for work, Matt and the kids always sent me texts, and to me that is the true indicator of a good year.

I'm looking forward to things hopefully being a bit calmer in 2020 as we settle into this next phase of life- the Elementary School years filled with attending friend's birthday parties, sports games and practices, homework, and new adventures.  I have thought many times about quitting the blog, but then find myself wanting to go back and remember trips or what the kids were like at certain ages.  I'll try to keep it up a bit longer, I mean, you are here reading it so that makes me happy.  I wish you a very happy 2020!  I love you dear readers!