pre christmas festivities

We had busy month of December...with me graduating and having LOTS of big things to do at the end of the semester and parties and activities, and being in Atlanta till the 30th etc.--I'll admit I didn't get around to everything I wanted to get done but THAT'S OKAY!  That's not what this season is about so I'm perfectly okay with that!

We did do our lil activity countdown...but didn't do something major every day.

Squeak still made his appearance every day!  I couldn't believe this was our third year to do Elf on a Shelf!  This is something new I had Squeak do this year and am definitely going to do it each year moving forward.  G was excited about going thru his stuff and making room for all of the new that was to come!

I thought this might upset R but it didn't--he LOVED it!

My sweet baby all snuggled up with his friends!

Even though it was cold her...when you have a hangerin' for your first love from Starbucks...you gotta just go for it!  ;)

We met Poppy for coffee one afternoon & R had to get the Snowman cookie!  :P

We are still loving my mom's new kitchen!!  {& kitchen table!} it's so warm and welcoming in there!

I discovered a new recipe to make "cookies" {two mashed bananas, cup of quick oats & some chocolate chips;  cook for 15 mins. on 350} and R loves helping me mix them up!  Delish lil snack for us both!

Since I got out of school before R's school got out, I got to go watch him in gymnastics one day!  He loved having me there and I loved watching him!

I saw this picture pop up on my screen saver from last year--he looks like a baby huh!? :(

R got his first hot chocolate from Starbucks on a rainy night we went out to look at Christmas lights!  He was excited about it! ;)

Well...Mama finally graduated!  With all the talk about me graduating R would always say, "I want to graduate!!!"  I told him one day he can and he WILL!  Trying on Mama's hat the night before!

So happy to have Aunt Kathy in from GA for my graduation!

Me & R...For some reason I didn't have any pics with my parents on my phone.  :/

R got to go to his cousin Hannah's Christmas program at her church.  Aren't they cute?!

I got in some subbing time before public schools were out for Christmas Break--makes me SO ready for my own classroom!

We read some of our favorite Christmas books, and added some new ones!

R listened to his great grandpa read The Christmas Story in a Hallmark book OVER and OVER again!

I thought about keeping some of the Christmas gifts that I got for other people--jk....sorda!  ;)

Did some snugglin' when we had time!

We went to LR with Poppy & Uncle G to shop for KeeKee (even though we had already ordered everything for her online! ;)) and we made a stop at the new Bass Pro Shop to look around and see Santa!  Poor Santa didn't have much of a "lap" so this is what we got!

HAHA!

Busy little bees!  Phew!!  I'm tired all over again just talking about it!  ;)