A Christmas Whirlwind...

Whew.... it's been a hot minute since I have posted - mostly because we haven't been home since the middle of December and been busy with friends and family! 

Before we embarked on Tour America Christmas Edition, we celebrated here in NC first.  

The girls playing Santa and separating the gifts...

The first gifts of Christmas (on December 16th)...

Our Christmas started off with a bang - everyone getting some pretty good gifts before the holiday even started!  

This little celebration was just a precursor to what was an absolutely fabulous Christmas.

2021 Ornaments...

Here are 2021's ornaments to represent and display all the loves and likes of this year.  

Quinn

Xbox - 

Quinn got an Xbox for her birthday this year as a way to stay connected and play games with friends while being stuck in the limbo of the pandemic/remote learning.  This has proved to not only be valuable throughout the pandemic, but has continued to be a great connector for her and Sam being hundreds of miles apart.  

Cross-Stitching and Butterflies

Quinn has an infatuation with butterflies and has for quite some time.  She adores seeing them out in public and will be the first to recommend a butterfly house if there is one when we travel.  She has also picked up cross-stitching throughout the pandemic as a stress reliever and as something fun to do.  This ornament combines the two.  It is a work in progress and isn't quite finished yet.  I'll post a finished product when it is done.

Sullivan

Squishmallows

Sullivan has QUITE the collection of Squishmallow stuffed animals.  She began collecting them earlier this year and likely has a few dozen of them.  They are uber popular and had (and maybe still do) a cult like following.  I guess I equate it to the era of collecting Beanie Babies in the late 90s.  

Shoes

Sullivan is a shoe fiend.  She loves ALL things shoes but has a more specific fascination with Nike and Vans shoes.  She loves to randomly look at new shoes on the internet - maybe ogling over which ones she wants next!  

Ryan

Nintendo Ornament

I originally bought this ornament for Ryan because he was so infatuated with the NES as a kid.  We bought him a replica Nintendo several years back which he enjoys.  However, I easily clock more hours on it than he does, so the girls said this ornament is really more suited for me than him.  Perhaps they are right!?

Family Ornaments

Move to NC

This year has brought about a lot of changes, the biggest being a move to North Carolina.  This ornament represents that move to a new house and great adventures ahead...!

Key West, FL

We went to Key West for spring break this year.  It was a great time - we snorkeled, visited the beaches, and soaked in the sun.  Key West is home to Mile 0 of US Highway 1 that travels from Key West all the way up the East Coast (and right by our house in NC).  All the souvenir shops are obsessed with this tidbit and have marketed this as a big deal.  We traveled to Mile 0 - walking a mile or so from downtown to see it.  This ornament symbolizes that journey to see a small little green sign on the side of the road.  

Picture Ornaments -

Here are this year's picture ornaments.  I'm forever in awe of how fast they are growing.  

Block Party...

When you think of December you think of a lot of things - shopping, Santa, Jesus' birth, Christmas trees and decorations and so much more.  What you don't typically think of is a Neighborhood Block Party.  But... when the weather is 70 degrees and you live in NC, having said block party doesn't seem too crazy!

We met lots of great neighbors and had a wonderful evening.  Here is the lone picture from our block party... lots of great, amazing people!  

Did you spot us?!

So This Happened...

I can't comprehend how we are at this stage of life already... really and truly.  But this little thing happened today...

Quinn took to the wheel this afternoon with Ryan for her very first time ever.  They just drive around the parking lot of the school. Both came home alive, both had smiles on their faces, and both said it went relatively well.  I would call that a success!!

Quinn is in the midst of her driver's education classes right now and will begin behind the wheel training once that is done.  So crazy to think about Q being a driver and having her driving permit.

And the Winner Is...

Last year was the first annual contest of gingerbread house decorating in the Pooley house where Ryan came out victorious.  This year the girls wanted to decorate in teams instead of individually.  There was a lot of talk about who was going to be on whose team.  Quinn didn't want to be with Ryan. Ryan didn't think he should be with Quinn because they like decorating gingerbread houses the least. Sullivan only wanted to be with me, as did Quinn.  And then somehow in the midst of everything, both girls turned on me and teamed up together.  I was left (happily) with the reigning champion to help defend his title. 

Each team was given the exact same house and access to relatively the same materials to make things fair. After the hour time frame had lapsed, here were the final results.  

Team A

Team B

The houses were sent to family to cast their votes without knowing whose house was whose... after the votes were cast and counted, Team B came out victorious.  Who was Team B?

Ryan wins again, and I take my first victory.  

Quinn and Sullivan did an awesome job on their house and it was a nail biter.  We had one family member ask for a recount after the votes were counted!  Ha!  Excited to see what next year holds and if Ryan can win a trifecta! Ryan just may have found his calling.  

It's A Rough Life

 The dog may or may not love to cuddle...

Anyplace and anytime...

She even manages to get a few cuddles in the car too...

Tessa loves her cuddles, but the girls (and I) love them just as much too!

Thanksgiving 2021...

This past week was a week to reflect on all that we have, and all that we have to be thankful for - amazing  family, great friends, a beautiful house, wonderful schools and teachers, the ability to gather together after a year of uncertainty with the pandemic and so, so much more.  We were additionally thankful that Nana and Papa made the trip to NC to spend the week with us.  

We visited the Chinese Lantern Festival one evening before Thanksgiving.  Not really knowing what to expect from said festival, our expectations were low going into it.  Boy, did the festival knock our socks off though.  It was AMAZING!

The lights and displays were beautiful, there was just a little nip in the air, and it definitely got us all in the spirit.  

This festival will definitely be on our annual tradition for future holiday events.

Thanksgiving brought about pie making...

Plenty of delicious food shared with special people...

Throughout the week, we played plenty of games...

Took a turn at a puzzle...

Encountered our first NC snake in the neighborhood while on a walk, if you can even call it that.  It was a teeny tiny baby snake, perhaps only a foot long or so.  

We went to a movie and went shopping, but sadly no pictures were taken.  We did have plenty of down time where we just soaked up time with each other.

Thanksgiving was a great time of pause and reflection and appreciated all that we are blessed with.  Thanks for sharing in this time with us, Nana and Papa.