Running bad with Christmas cheer!

We started our break by hosting our annual Christmas party for friends, neighbors and family.  After that was over we were a bit more relaxed and it actually started feeling like a break. 

Though Evan looks plenty relaxed and happy that school is out for two weeks!  We spent Sunday hanging out at home and then visited a Nativity walk at a local church.  After leaving the church we headed home for dinner and to don our jammies and prepare our hot cocoa for the Jammy Cocoa Christmas Car Ride!

Monday morning we set out for the early matinee of The Force Awakens!  So awesome!

Tuesday Hailey and I finished up a bit of last minute shopping at the mall and anxiously awaited the arrival of our family from Wisconsin!

They made it around dinner time with a stowaway in the form of a cousin Elf to visit with Springle as well.

It was so unseasonably warm on Wednesday that a walk to the beach was in order.  The kids even waded in Lake Michigan - on December 23rd mind you!

Later that afternoon we did some cookie baking.

These kids sure love hanging out together.  Ready for our first Christmas party with Grampa Paul and Grama Sandy.

Donning their matching jammies that Auntie/Mommy made.

The girls all decked out festive for Christmas Eve.

 Santa made a visit to our Christmas Eve party.

Christmas morning.  One of the best days of the year!

Hailey was thrilled with her gift!

The boys were pretty stoked about theirs as well.

On Christmas afternoon the Campbell cousins were surprised by another visit from Santa!

Late Christmas evening gaming.  This is one of my favorite holiday pictures.  I love how I snapped it just in time for the high five. 

The next morning we went to see Star Wars again because...AWESOMENESS!

On Sunday we had our last Christmas celebration in Grandville with the cousins.

I turned around on the car ride home and saw this.  Which pretty much summed up how we all felt.

What a great Christmas we had.  It can be best expressed in the song Hailey wrote:

It's here! It's here!  The best time of year!  We are running bad with Christmas cheer.  We don't want cookies, toys and more.  We have everything we need heeere.  FAMILY!

Decembering

This month is a whirlwind.  I can't believe it is already the middle of the month and we are in single digit countdown mode to Christmas.   There is still so much more fun to come, but here is a bit of what we have been up to so far...

The arrival of Springle!

The candy advent calendars are one of my kids' favorite traditions. 

The children's theatre show at Dad's school.  It is always very fun for the kids and helps start the month off with a big dose of Christmas spirit.

The Lighting of the Lights party at the Vikings has been a tradition for many years.  Now that the kids are getting older and it is mainly a youngish kid party - I don't know how many of these years are left.

More Springle fun. 

Hailey was very excited about all the toys she picked out for Toys for Tots.  This little girl has such an amazing heart.  The other night we were talking before bed and she was telling me about a video that she saw at school about a little girl who was fighting a disease in the hospital and all she wanted for Christmas was to be able to spend it with her family.  As she was telling me I could see her getting teary and choked up - it really touched her - since then she has been telling me about how presents don't really matter, she is just looking forward to being with her family this Christmas.

Evan's first band concert.  They did a great job!

Making the gingerbread house.  I came across the best Pinterest tip ever!  If you are not planning to eat your gingy house, use hot glue to secure the house together.  OMG!  So easy!  For years we have struggled with icing and caving in walls...NO MORE!

Evan and Hailey had a blast decorating it.  There were lots of laughs - and threats to eat the gummy elf that goes with the house.

And of course we still have school for a few more days and homework.  But I have to say that homework doesn't seem as bad with twinkle lights in the background.

There is so much more fun to come  - I can't wait!