Christmas Love and Joy

Let There Be Light

Yesterday Tal decorated the exterior of our house for Christmas. He put lighted red candy canes along our sidewalk and driveway and hung a wreath on our front door. Also, Tal put up an inflatable Santa and rocking horse that he bought on clearance after Christmas last year. Let there be light!

Also, this is our decorated entry at night:

Everyday Moments

Life...unedited. 

These random iPhone photos are dark, blurry, and untouched,

but they capture everyday moments from this week.

Over the last two weeks, we've sold $17,400 in books at our school Book Fair in my library. With our profit, we'll be able to buy 200 new library books, as well as new technology and equipment for our school community:

During our Thanksgiving break, we've been enjoying some extra family time. Last night, we got some warm cake donuts from Duck Donuts. We got three cinnamon and sugar donuts (our favorite), as well as a chocolate covered donut, powdered sugar donut, and a pumpkin donut. Yummy!

Sisterly Love

Today our family put up our indoor Christmas decorations. Savannah loves her pink and purple Christmas tree in her bedroom:

This is Hadley's Christmas tree in her bedroom:

At the beginning of 2018, Tal and I started our home decor/home improvement shopping ban. Our goal was to spend zero dollars on home decor/home improvement in 2018. Instead of spending money on home decor or home improvements, we wanted to put the money towards other financial goals, focus on decluttering our home, and practice being content with our home...just the way it is. 

For the last 11 months we have stuck to our shopping ban. We haven't done any home improvement projects this year. I haven't walked inside TJ Maxx or Homegoods in 2018. We haven't bought any home decor items. No pictures, picture frames, throw pillows, towels, sheets, etc. (Just to clarify, in 2018, we've paid for some necessary home repairs to our roof, HVAC, plumbing, sheetrock, and garage door.)

Well, this week we broke our shopping ban. When we put up our Christmas tree, we discovered that half of the lights were burned out. We spent $10 on Christmas lights at Target and put them on our tree. Three strands of Christmas lights was cheaper than buying a new Christmas tree:

This morning Savannah and Hadley participated in the Home Depot Kids Workshop. Each year Home Depot has an "extra" Kids Workshop the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This morning the girls enjoyed making a gingerbread picture frame ornament. They nailed the pieces together, painted their ornament, and then added stickers. 

Savannah's Ornament

 Hadley's Ornament

IL Road Trip 2018: Part 2 (Children's Discovery Museum)

While the girls and I were in IL in October, we enjoyed playing at the Children's Discovery Museum with Grandma Judy. For 6 hours, the girls loved playing with water, pretending they were making pizzas and working in a doctor's office, taking care of baby dolls, and painting on windows. The children's museum had some fun activities on a cold and windy day!

Playing with water

Making pizzas

Visiting the doctor 

Giving baby a shot

Measuring how tall Savannah is 

Painting on windows

Great Wolf Lodge

On November 20, the girls and I started our Thanksgiving vacation by traveling three hours to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, VA. We enjoyed playing with our dear friends Emily, Xavier, and Felix at the water park.  

Great Wolf Lodge was fun, family-friendly, and affordable. Our hotel rate included free, unlimited access to the indoor water park during our stay. The water park had six water areas that included water slides, inner tub slides, lazy river, wave pool, surfing simulator, water fountains, and zero-depth pool. 

Going to Great Wolf Lodge was a fun way to burn some energy and to spend time with our friends!

When we checked-in at Great Wolf Lodge, the girls received free wolf ears. They loved wearing their wolf ears and pretending they were howling at the moon:

Our hotel room

Me with Hadley (4) and Savannah (9)

Savannah (9) and Xavier (9)

Savannah did a great job on the surf simulator:

Hadley slid down the water slide at least 15 times! 

After playing at the water park, the girls and I went to Emily's room, where all of the kids played in the hot tub:

After a fun day at the water park, we took showers and then ate dinner with Emily and her boys at the buffet restaurant inside Great Wolf Lodge: