A Date with my men

Last Saturday Jack got four free tickets to a UNC basketball game (and a free parking pass).  I spent the afternoon with my three favorite men.  I'm not a UNC fan at all, but it was still fun to go to a college basketball game;

Christmas Eve Eve

We spent Christmas Eve Eve with our dear friends, Scott, Traci and Travis.  They had us over for dinner and then we went to their neighborhood Santa Claus.  I liked this Santa Claus.  He does it every year.  His wife dresses like an elf, and they really spend time with the children.  It makes the line move a little slower, but I like how he really talks to them.  He really picked on Joshua and embarrassed him because the elf found out that he has hit his sister!  It was funny.  I loved seeing him embarrassed. 

School Christmas Program

The first Friday of December Jacob and Jenna were in the school Christmas program (for 3-5th graders).  Jacob sang in the choir and Jenna was supposed to sing a solo (well 3 lines of a song).  Her friend Breanna, was also supposed to sing 3 lines, but the two of them are both so quiet, they were afraid no one could hear them, so they sang a duet.  I could hear Jenna fine, and more than the other girl.  What surprised me is that she was just a little nervous and she could sing.  My disappointment was that I haven't figured out my camera yet, so I only got a few seconds of her singing, but I thougth she did a great job.

crafts

I only have the girls one more day after today, so we have been busy making crafts.  We ran behind after my kids got sick last week and I missed two days with the girls.  Today we made reindeer cookies and the manger scene.  I used tissue boxes and spray painted them, and clothes pins for the cradle, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.  I also found some spanish moss at the dollar tree to use as hay.  It was fun to tell them about baby Jesus and the star, and Mary and Joseph.  Thanks to Jack for cutting the tissue boxes and the clothes pins for me!!

Southside Basketball Team

Southside started a basketball team this year.  They started late and hope to build the program up.  They are just getting scrimmage games up right now until we can join a Christian school conference.  Joshua was really nervous but I think for the first game the team did really well.  I hope that next year they can start a soccer team too.

Christmas Parties

I'm catching up a little here on my blog.  Saturday, December 1st Jack's company had their Christmas dinner.  This year they moved the event from the Shriners Club to the Angus Barn Pavilion.  We arrived at 11 and had our family picture made and then we enjoyed our appetizers.  The kids went over to the kids area to run around and go to the various craft tables and balloon/face painting artists.  I love that the kids can get involved.  The Christmas Tree flirted with Josh and danced with him and Josh turned two shades of red!!  Our dinner was very nice....fillet m (don't know how to spell the word), turkey, chicken, rolls, and a kids bar full of cheeseburger sliders, corn dogs, french fries....and then there was the best dessert bar ever with our favorite dessert....the chocolate chess pie that the Angus Barn does so well:).  The kids each got a present before they left (games).  I totally enjoyed it but I definitely didn't step on the scale for a day or two!!

FINALLY!!

I finally hit my goal.....I lost 50 pounds in less than a year (51 to be exact....and I just barely made it with a week and a half to spare).  I never imagined last December that I would lose weight.  I joined to get healthy and have somewhere to go when I needed to relieve some stress.  The weight kept coming off so I set my goal for 50.  It's been a hard two months as I have been doing everything right but the scale would not drop that last 2 pounds.  In the last several weeks I've been doing the battle of trying to lose the last 1/2, but finally it came off.  I hope I can stay this way so that I can be healthier and be around more for my kids.

Friday

Friday Jacob's class gave their presentations on their simple machines that they had to make.  Jacob made his out of legos and made an incline plane and one with a pulley type  I thought it was quite clever and he did most of the work himself.  A lot of the kids went with Lego's but it was cute.  Friday night Jacob had his friend Jackson over to spend the night.  He is leaving the school, so Jacob is a little sad to lose his best friend.  We took the kids over to Lights on The Neuse. It was a 30 minute hayride through the farm to see the lights.  We usually go to Meadows, and Meadows is much cheaper, but it was fun to do something different this year.