Happy Birthday Jesus!! and Merry Christmas to All!!

Just a quick note.....we celebrated our little family Christmas last night, celebrated Jesus' birthday with cake tonight...we are officially ready to head to Kansas bright and early on Wednesday! I just wanted to share a few pics with ya before we head out....Merry Christmas... Can't wait to see you all!....Signing off!

Warm Beach!

No, we did not find a warm beach as the title may suggest!! I was talking to some Moms at preschool on Friday and they were talking about this place called "Warm Beach"...I was thinking "yeah, I want to go...I'm freezing"! Well come to find out it was a Campground that transforms into a Winter Wonderland for a few days of December...and this weekend was one of them! And handy enough it was on the way home from La Conner (keep reading, it's in the next post!)!! Double bonus! So after a full day in La Conner we stopped off at Warm Beach to take in some lights, cocoa, a train ride, pony ride, a petting farm and we even got to talk to a talking tree!! This place was awesome...the kids (and us!) had a blast!! It was a perfect way to start our Week of Christmas celebration!!

Posing as a trio of Alpacas in the Petting Farm!

Bruce The Talking Spruce....He was hilarious...he would tell the kids jokes...our personal favorite was.....Why did the gingerbread man go to the doctor? Because he was feeling Crumby....HAAAA!

They also had a Toy Shoppe where the kiddos could make their own toys. The boys decided to make tops...here Grady is painting his top on a spinning wheel!

On the Polar Express train ride...enjoying some cocoa and cinnamon sugar donuts! YUM!

Gabe painting his top!

Hello La Conner Washington!

So, a few months ago, Shawn and I were reading some article about must do and must see attractions, cities, etc., in the Puget Sound area...well low and behold we had done 9 of the 10! The only one left was La Conner WA.! On Saturday....this being the first Saturday we have had free since before school started...geesh, I know...what a crazy life!...we decided to head out for #1o! It is about an hour or so north of our house...and on a clear day it would have been a beautiful drive, but Saturday was foggy and drizzly so we just stared at each other, enjoyed the Christmas music and took advantage of the fact the children were buckled down and had to talk to us! HA! La Conner was a cute little town...with lots of yummy places to eat and lots of fun shops to shop! We spent the entire day eating and shopping our way through La Conner! We picked up some birthday gifts for next year, and my fellas finished their Christmas shopping for me! They set me loose in a jewelry store...silly boys! So glad we finally hit #10....mission accomplished!

The boys even found Santa in La Conner!

This was a huge piece of tree on Main Street...Gabe was determined to figure out how old it was....I think he got to 100 before he decided it was going to take FOREVER!!

A Wonderfully Sticky, Ooey, Gooey Gingerbread House!

On Friday, Grady's class made gingerbread houses and I had the ultimate pleasure of being a helper!! The kids did a wonderful job....I was really impressed with Grady's gingerbread house! He was a determined architect....he didn't snack on the candies or lick the frosting until his structure was complete...he also didn't want my help! The entire gingerbread house was constructed by Grady himself...I was pretty impressed! The kiddos also had cupcakes, their book exchange, and Ms. Janet read them the Santa Mouse! The kids were so hyped up by the time the school day was over, I'm not sure how any of us were able to get them in their carseats!

Carefully, carefully with the frosting!

Looking good!

Mmmmmm....that frosting is really GOOD!

Ms. Janet reading the "Santa Mouse" to Grady's class!

The Annual Baking Extravaganza!!!

On Saturday evening...the Fox Household became a flour covered mess!!! We had our evening of Christmas baking!! This has become one of my favorites holiday traditions....I get to see all 3 of my guys working hard....listening to my every command ;).....and hopefully in the chaos of flying flour and spilled vanilla...we are making memories that will leave a lasting (and positive!!) impression on our boys! This year Gabe was the head chef of the fudge...he did an excellent job...he was also Shawn's sous chef for the chocolate station! Grady was the man of mixing and the runner...if we needing something...he would grab it! We ended up making peanut brittle, Christmas tree cookies, fudge, and chocolate covered pretzels....yum-o! What a great evening.....Chocolate, cookies, Christmas music and baking with my 3 fellas!!!

A little flour mishap....hmmm....wonder how that happened! The dots on the picture is the flour still floating through the air!!!

The Fudgemaster...taking time to cheese for Mom!!!

Fa, La, La, La and HO! HO! HO!

The Fox Family has started off this wonderful Christmas Season with a bang!!! Gabe had an arts and crafts fair and choir sing on Thursday evening....while Gabe was filling the air with the sounds of Christmas...Grady was busy beautifying a frame!!!

On Saturday we headed down to Barnes and Noble in Lynnwood and listened to Gabe sing again! The Choir is amazing...they harmonize beautifully...they definitely do not sound like 50 3rd-5th graders singing! I was standing next to one of the employees of Barnes and Noble and she kept going on and on how awesome they were!!
Here is Gabe jingling his bells!!

On Sunday at church we had the Fusion performance and then Santa visited...Gabe has hit that "I'm too old to sit on Santa's lap" this year....At least I still have a couple of years with Grady!!

It's Christmas Time!!

On Saturday we headed down to Seattle to take in some Christmas Time Cheer!! We started out at the Seattle Center and took the Monorail down to Westlake Center and then walked down to Pike's Market for some yummy seafood!!!
Mom and Gabe cheesin' it up on the Monorail!

In the Center House at the Seattle Center, they have set up a huge model Christmas Train Village! At various times during the day kids can actually "engineer" the train! As you would guess there is quite a wait to drive the train, but both of the boys patiently waited their turn!! It was so much fun to watch them drive the train...they were on cloud nine!!!

Gabe taking his turn!!

Just a little sample of the Christmas Village!

Greta and I at the fountains at the Seattle Center!

There was also a guy doing an ice sculpture at the Seattle Center! It is pretty amazing all of the time and work that goes into it...and to think all of his hard work would melt away by day's end!

We also enjoyed a carousel ride at the Seattle Center!! We had a great time taking in Christmas at the Seattle Center!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!! We had a great Thanksgiving weekend! My Sister arrived late Tuesday night to help us celebrate our last Washington Thanksgiving....it seems so weird to be talking about our "last" anything..we have almost 8 months left...but it's all I think about when we are out doing stuff anymore!! Anywho...we had an awesome feast on Thursday..ham, noodles, rolls, jell-o jigglers, asparugas, greenbeans, maple sweet potatoes, deviled eggs, apple-blackberry cake and of course pumpkin pie!!! It was sooo delicious! We ate, watched some football, napped and ate some more...it was a fabulous Thanksgiving!

On Friday morning, Greta and I woke up at 2:30 to hit the "Black Friday" sales!!! We met up with Shawn and the boys for breakfast and then went in search of the perfect Christmas tree!!!

Grady chilling out with Santa at the Christmas Tree Farm!!

Gabe taking a little rest after the big hunt for the tree!

After a little rest, we headed down to the beach to soak up the wonderful, but rarely seen November sunshine.....Shawn found a large hammer!!! What a goofball....that's why I love him!!

The boys loved having Aunt Greta here.....I'm sure she is enjoying her quiet house now, though!!!