January

January has been a real kick in the pants kind of month.  I shouldn't complain because we have had no real catastrophes, but work stress and perpetual sickness can really get a girl down.  I am thinking it is just the contrast to what will be an amazing February free of phlegm and full of sunshine cruises and homemade Valentines.
We did take a family day trip to Charlotte to visit Discovery Place free of charge, compliments of taking 300 children there on field study in the spring.  Silas was up for eating a cricket but not laying on the bed of nails. Silas also went skating for the first time, is practicing his 2 wheel cycling, and enjoyed this laser maze as a way of saying we did something other than watch t.v. for the entirety of a weekend.  Daron and I learned to solve a Rubik's cube. Nerdy but fun. Rory is still around, but apparently I never photograph him except as a background accent.  As an excuse, he whines a lot.

Here is the gang at Kristen's wedding, which no one actually attended due to snow. Literally the saddest thing ever.

December

Our Christmas pre-game was strong.

 

The Grinch, pizza, and lights at Saluda Shoals was the end to a fun day with the future Dolans.

Gingerbread houses with pals.

Program at Living Springs.

Cookies.

Silas was my church date for Christmas Eve because Rory's nose was a fountain.  Mr. Roebke read the Grinch and Meemaw and Gramps came over for cards. 

(Skip to Christmas post here.)

Post Christmas activities included lots of play time with cousins.

Watching a ninja show on his new t.v.

Hymer spotting in Anderson!

  

Steel drum brother band.

Happy New Year!

Christmas! Christmas!

November

This sure is feeling like the sweet spot of the year (/life?!?).

Reunited with the Privetts!  The kids requested a snack and I found them in my bed with a buffet of Cheez-its spread across the comforter.  It was a crumby night.

School had the highlights of the book fair and mom as a guest reader.  I scouted approximately 100 books and landed on The Scruffiest Giant in Town.  It had the word underwear in it so I knew it would be a hit.  I also made all the kids wear their own paper "kindness" crowns when I finished.  Only one child cried.  Also, Silas's class is adorable.

My team went to the NAGC Conference in Minneapolis.  This was our venture to the Mall of America.

Thanksgiving was a dream combo of good company and gluttony.  As a holiday miracle, Aunt Jan gifted me a pair of her jeans and THEY FIT. (They were super stretchy.)

The Christmas decor is up! Rory almost froze getting our tree, but it turned out to be a beauty! Silas is actually pictured next to a random tree at the lot because we changed our mind like 17 times.

October

According to my photos, mostly only Halloween happened this month.  Rory loved pumpkin guts.  We had s'mores and pumpkin carving with the Monday night crew, where there was a noteworthy puncture wound that livened up the evening (Linnea).  We had to rope a new set of pals into trick-or-treating with us, but it was a good time.  Rory went through three costumes and landed on the gnome.  He wore the hat for pictures only because his hands were occupied with fruit snacks. Silas was Jim from Trollhunters who absolutely no one reading this is familiar with.  

School pictures came in and Silas had his first parent-teacher conference.  He is doing fine, but I was hoping for more gushing.  Turns out he isn't one of those kids who is mysteriously angelic at school.  I recognized exactly the child she described.