Christmas Cheer

I'm enjoying Christmasy Stuff!

Adorable wrapping paper from World Market! Deer and cuckoo clocks! Have they got my number or what!?

Pfeffernusse and Zimt Sterne! (I love the collection of German cookies that the commissary carries!)

Extra bonus: Tony hates them, so there's minimal sharing required.

I've also been gorging myself on Rold Gold peppermint-dipped snowflakes. SO GOOD! So, if you see me and think I'm getting a little thick around the middle, no, I am not pregnant....just enjoying Christmas food.

I thought I'd love anything that involved white chocolate peppermint, but Tony put that theory to the test and totally busted it.

Disturbing. However, if they had actually been dipped in white chocolate, I'll bet they would have been good.

Bleh.

Some Things Never Change

Sofia was my co-pilot/dj for our drives to and from Tennessee.  

Kitty ears: She made them as favors for her 9th or 10th (this fact is somewhat disputed) birthday party. Recently found them again. Wears them to school. (She claims it's a nod to anime, but we've always known she's a little bit catty.)

Tony wasn't able to join us until the day before Thanksgiving and ended up driving his truck. (He chickened out of the whole Greyhound Bus thing at the last minute.) 

I was super grateful to be caravaning on the way home. We stopped for one of our many, many potty breaks, and the car wouldn't start back up. The battery had come loose and discharged itself. Boo. 

Lesson: Don't let Jiffy Lube do work on your car. 

Luckily, Tony was parked right there next to me, charged us up and we were back on the road!

I won't be surprised ten years from now, when Cozette starts wearing a unicorn horn and mane to school... ...because some things just never change.

Horses

After leaving Sofia to babysit Cozy while the rest of us went to ride go-karts (3-story go-kart course!), I felt I owed her a little something special. I told Missy I was going to take Sofi horseback riding. Missy and Lizzy wanted to come...and it snowballed from there. :) Even Grandpa came! 

Sofi was hoping for a paint, but Harley was a nice horse too.

Annika got the spunky horse that wanted to eat grass, not stay in line, and nipped at the other horses when they tried to share the water trough.

It was a nice way to spend some time outside....and I loved seeing the kids enjoying something so novel for them.

Favorite quote of the day goes to Wesley: "Did my horse poop yet? Tell me when my horse poops!"

The Lost Sea in Company

A lot of the cousin hadn't been to the Lost Sea. Rick (again!) got a trip together. :)

We had a reserved time slot that we missed by....a while. I may or may not have gotten lost. 

When finally made it there, another family was also just arriving. They had a better excuse than me - rear ended by a motorcycle cop. (Better than the other way around, right?!)...so we would've missed our "reservation" either way. Whew!

While we were killing time, waiting for the giant school group that went ahead of us, some genius bought fries....

...no idea who, but that didn't stop us from helping eat them. 

My SIL Missy went in the general store and bought a giant bag of dirt. It doesn't sound like it would keep kids from 3-17 occupied, but they sifted and panned....

...and sorted and compared....

....and were super-focused on their treasures until it was time to go reclaim our place in line.

Sofi wasn't thrilled that James wanted to be Ryan's buddy. Stop fighting over James!

...and finally we were down the tunnel!

Our ubertolerant tour guide (we had a lot of questions and remarks from kids! :) didn't realized we were a family group until the end of the tour - when Sofia had established that he was an awesome homeschooled Dr. Who fan. Funny thing: same guide we had last April! I asked Sofia if she got his number.

Us minus Uncle Jon (the photographer). ...and then we kept with tradition and invaded the A&W Drive-In. :)

Grotto Falls

Tony's brother Rick and his wife Jen found a fun hike not far from the lodge. Pretty Tennessee!

It was rated "easy", but I think that rating was aimed at fit adults. Not so much for fat adults and little, tripping, wandering off of steep ledges children.

Check out them trippy roots.

And slippy mud and rocks.

Lucky for me, this was a family hike, so there were massive reinforcements to help out. James was permanently attached to his big cousin Ryan. (So sweet! He helped him/carried him the whole way!)

...and Cozy got a ride from her Uncle Rick! :)

We made it!

...and got to walk under a waterfall at the end (well...middle...we had to hike back down.)

Behold: blurry, victorious us.

Thanksgiving Reunion

Tony's family (Mom) organized a big get-together over Thanksgiving.  It was a-mazing that they found one place that was big enough for all of the families. There are lots of us, see....

Indoor pool.

Hot tubs.

Giant kitchen with 2 sinks and 2 ovens...and two tables, of course. (Sarah, if you look close, you'll see that it's YOUR table...times two.)

An arcade and movie theater downstairs.

....with lots of cousins to play with...

....and a dining hall/karaoke room/chapel.

I guess it isn't surprising that after a week of playing, James and Cozy said they didn't want to go home. ...and I quote, "I don't like little houses! I only like big houses!"

Well, as much fun as it was to visit with everyone in the giant house....I still like little houses.

"R"-n't you happy it's Christmas Time!

Oh, it is happy time! I spiffed up my wreath for the Christmas season.

The "R" got a new and different coat of paint, and I bought some new flowers and berries to stick in here and there. 

The only sad part is that it smells....the same. Not piney at all. Fake tree and a fake wreath...I might have to buy some fake "Christmas scent" to go with them.