1000 hours outside challenge

Last year our neighbor Kindra introduced us to the 1000 hours outside challenge.  We decided to give it a try.  I knew it was almost impossible to achieve but I thought it would be fun to keep record of how much time we spent outside.  There are so many benefits to being outside.  I knew that being intentional about being outside would only benefit our family!  I am so glad we did this challenge.  In an attempt to get in one extra hour before calling it quits for 2021, we ate dinner outside!  :-)  We finished the year with 632 hours!!  These hours represent camping trips, backyard hangs, visiting local parks, being with friends and neighbors and SO MUCH MORE!  

We've printed our 2022 tracker!  I would like to set a goal of 700 hours for 2022...we shall see!

2021 in review...

 It's hard to believe we are in the final hours of 2021.  I had big hopes for 2021!  2020 was most likely the craziest year of my life!  I thought that somehow magically 2021 was going to be bigger, better and less crazy.  Well I was wrong.  COVID lingered!  It changed.  We celebrated the approval of the vaccine.  I just knew that once the vaccine was approved and people had the opportunity to take it, things would turn around.  A few months after the vaccine, we had the sweet taste of freedom.  If you were fully vaccinated, things looked different for you.  You didn't have to worry about being exposed, just monitor for symptoms.  Masks weren't needed.  It felt more normal to gather with friends again.  Then we were introduced to the Delta variant and it went crazy!  Just so happened to hit the south around the time school started!  Thankfully we were all able to start school school but it was crazy!  Exposures left and right...nuts!  Things calmed down around October but picked up again after Thanksgiving.  As we prepare to head into 2022, numbers right now are higher than EVER before!  Once again, life feels crazy.

It is easy for me to focus solely on COVID.  It effects my life on a personal and professional level.  I can't get away from it.  Someone is always reporting something that needs my attention.  However, I don't want to only remember COVID from 2021.  I want to remember the good times as well.  When I collected pictures for our Christmas card, we had SO many good times together!  While things still weren't 'normal' we enjoyed lots of family fun together.  Tonight at dinner, I asked everyone to tell me something good that came from 2021.  Below is our list.

• Andy: first plane ride, elected moderator of our presbytery, lots of camping trips  
• Rita: celebrated my 40th birthday, lots of camping trips, enjoyed several beach trips
• Caroline: became a teenager, went to Ridge Haven, started middle school and we all got vaccinated
• Maggie: celebrated Mom's big birthday, played a lot with friends, visited the American Girl store

Oh how I hope that we won't always remember 2021 because of COVID.  How I pray that as we move into 2022, COVID will become a less dominant subject and that we (mainly me) will focus on our many blessings each and every day!!  2022 we are ready for you!!!  Be kind to us please!

The Dukes Mayo Bowl

For the first time in 15 years, we won't be spending New Years at the beach with our friends.  At first we were bummed that it wouldn't happen.  However, one day sitting in carline, I had a great idea.  What if we sent Stacey and Andy to the bowl game...this wouldn't normally be an option because we would be at the beach.  Plus it was a day game so they could make the trip in a day and wouldn't have the expense of staying in a hotel.  So I sent Lia a text and she was all for it!  She found great seats and I ordered them.  We were both so excited for this Christmas surprise.  Both of our boys received a jar of Dukes Mayonnaise to unwrap.  Needless to say they were shocked and so excited!!!!  

The boys left early this morning.  They were pumped and ready for a fun day.  All the girls gathered at Lia and Stacey's house to watch the game.  It was an awesome game.  USC beat UNC 38-21!!  The boys were so funny texting us quite often.  They said several times how Lia and I 'knocked this Christmas gift out of the park!'  We had dinner together once they got home.  They were like little kids at Christmas telling us various things that happened.  It made my heart SO happy to gift Andy this special surprise!!  And to get to enjoy it with your best friend, priceless!!!

When the girls heard we weren't going to the beach, they were said.  They have such fun little traditions that they do every year.  They exchange gifts amongst each other.  They watch baking shows all day.  They play with each others hair, etc.  So today they started out watching the game with us and slowly went upstairs to do their things with their friends.  Lia and I loved hearing the giggles!!  The girls got an extra special treat in that they get to spend the night with their friends.  It seems so strange being our house without either girl...I hope they have a blast...they informed us that they wouldn't be sleeping so we shall see how tomorrow goes! :-)

 

Ice Skating

Caroline asked if we would be willing to take she and Ansley Kate ice skating.  Considering how hard this kid has worked the last two days helping me, Andy agreed to take them.  Caroline is a WIZ on skates.  I believe because she can rollerblade so well, ice skating comes naturally to her. Ansley appears to be more like me...it's hard work and doesn't come easy at all!!  However, they laughed and made memories!!  They decided to cut their time short and talked Daddy/Uncle Bub into taking them to Starbucks for a treat.  Afterwards they came home, we made homemade pizzas and hung out before taking AK home. 

 

Caroline's New Skill

 Yesterday we worked to get Christmas decorations put away.  The inflatables, the Christmas tree, the cards, everything.  With the extension chords and stings to hold the inflatables in place, we have gotten the leaves up in over a month.  While the front yard wasn't too bad, the back yard was covered!  So we got out early to get started.  There were several projects to work on.  Caroline asked if she could use the lawn mower.  Of course, I said SURE!  So we had a quick lesson on filling it with gas, priming it and how to start it.  I got it started and sent her on her way.  Before long, it was time to empty the bag.  We did and she started it all by herself!  I was SO proud of her.  It was a huge blessing because it allowed me to work on other projects with Maggie. :-)  We bagged 8 bags of leaves!!  The yard looked amazing when Andy got home!!  I was so proud of us!! 

Did you ever look young?

 

This morning Maggie was helping me prepare our Christmas cards for our prayer ring.  She looked at one of the pictures of a family with a new born baby.  She said "WOW!  This Momma looks young!!  Momma did you ever look young?"  Yes kid...I looked young before I had kids!! :-)  We can always count on Maggie to keep us humble!

Exterior Illumination

 We aren't sure if the playset will make it another year...it's really beginning to show it's age.  So I wanted to make sure I got at least one more picture of the gingerbread treehouse!

We also added a few new inflatables to the side yard this year.  We needed a spotlight for them but never got around to it.  Oh well, there will always be next year!

The sweet view from the front of the house!  I've decided next year that I want to put all the inflatables in the side yard so that I can enjoy my sweet while lights and garland in the front!

I know these are sweet years with little ones...thankful that we have little ones to decorate for...maybe I should say "a little one" since once isn't as excited about the inflatables as the other! :-)

Happy 90th birthday Mema

 Today would have been Mema's 90th birthday!  Man what a blessing that would be to get to celebrate her today!!We sure do miss her!  She was precious and such a gift to me!  I received this extremely sweet and thoughtful gift for Christmas tea towel with Mema's hoe cake recipe and her signature!  I love it!!!!!!!

Christmas at Peep's

We did Christmas lunch with Peep and Katy today.  The kids were so excited with their gifts!  It was a gorgeous day!  SO after lunch we headed outside to enjoy Jay and Grayson's baseball tees.  The kids loved it!  So thankful for our time together this year!  

Christmas Morning

Once Maggie started sleeping in a big girl bed, the girls started sleeping together on Christmas Eve.  They would use Maggie's monitor to call us when they were ready to get up.  We don't use Maggie's monitor anymore but we pulled it out for this morning.  Caroline says if this tradition has to continue, she needs a full size bed by next Christmas.  :-)

They told us that they planned to get up at 5:30 AM.  About 5:20, I heard Caroline stirring.  I proceeded to watch her wake Maggie up.  As I was watching them and listening to them talk, Caroline's phone, which stays in our room at night, went off.  That little stinker set a 5:30 alarm to make sure we were awake as well!!  

Caroline was SUPER excited about her $50 bill and gift card to Plato's closet among other things Santa left.

Maggie was SO excited that Santa brought her a Baby Alive!!  Mommy and Sissy think they are gross but she is thrilled!

Caroline trying out Maggie's bike. 

Caroline had one of her friends at school make this mug for me!  Such a thoughtful gift!!

Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!

Mayonnaise??? What???  Yep Daddy!  You and Mr. Stacey are headed to the Dukes Mayonnaise Bowl to watch the Gamecocks play UNC.

A Kindle!!  I think she is pretty excited about it!

Lights for her room!

Their very own cereal...all just for them!  They don't have to share!

 It's been a wonderful morning!!  We are blessed beyond measure!  We have so very much to be thankful for!!

Christmas Eve at Tomi Jean's

Our tradition with Andy's side of the family has always been to gather after the Christmas Eve service at church.  Tonight our kids sang at our Christmas Eve service.  They did an amazing job!!  The actual church service was beautiful!  Such a sweet time together.

We left straight from church and went to Tomi Jean's.  Although it was pretty warm outside, Uncle Greg had Mema's fire going.  She LOVED to sit by the fire on Christmas Eve.  We sure have missed having her with us these last few years...  

The "kids" this Christmas!

 

Christmas Brunch at Granny's

This morning we met at Mom's for brunch at 10.  We ate so much deliciousness that we won't need lunch!!  The kids had fun hanging out together.  They weren't thrilled about opening one gift at a time but they went along with it!  Everybody was super excited with their gifts!!  So thankful for family!

Maggie trying to teach Wilson how to 'rock' while holding his feet!  They were determined they were both the best and could outlast the other!!

Can't tell if Daniel is trying to actually hold Wilson down OR if he is break dancing????

The originals...

The calm before the storm!

How many people can you fit on the couch?

This was definitely a tighter fit with 3 adults vs. 5 kids!