Farris family blog: December

December

The end of 2015. Seems so surreal that all our kids are about to turn 6,4, and 2 so quickly here next year. We just got home last night from a week of celebrating Christmas. It was such a great time with friends and family, I am thankful for that, but all our kids are definitely wiped. Our little two got fevers and coughs during the week at some point too, so that wasn’t the most fun. Thankfully, they are on the mend now.

December has been full of Christmas programs and parties, which we at both boys school and at our church. Our boys were night and day different with their stage presence. Carter is more shy and reserved, while Tucker is very “bold” in his stage presence and much more lively if you will. :) We enjoyed getting to see both of them sing their songs on stage for us. Sweet boys.

The first weekend in December we went back to lights of Tejas in Giddings. Our kids have SO much fun there. They have bounce houses, sleigh rides, a ropes course, cupcake decorating and snowball fights were the biggest attractions to our kiddos. We met up with some friends there, and then ran into a million more people there. It was such a fun family night. A little cooler, but we had fires all around camp to keep us warm out there. The night ended with a fun firework show as we were heading out the door. Always a must around Christmas time.

The next weekend we had the annual Christmas parade. Last year we rode in it and this year we opted to watch it. So, we went over to our friends Zac and Amelia’s house and the kids loved getting all the candy that the floats passed out as they drove by. We thought it may get rained out, but the rain held out for us. The next day we had our team Christmas party at Chick-fil-A. It is always so fun to have our team and their families together for a big celebration. We catered Italian food this year and then played games of charade, musical chairs and unwrap the gifts with gloves, scarf and mittens on. We laughed a ton and it was a fun celebration. Our kids really loved musical chairs and they wanted to play it all next weekend when Grams and Pops and Aunt Pat came in town for a visit. The next day we had our CG Christmas party and that was a lot of fun too. We played catch phrase and its always fun to see peoples personalities come out in games like that. We have loved getting to host CG this year and the families we have in our group are so wonderful and amazing. Such a blessing for us and our kiddos. Our kids are always asking when CG night is and when all their friends will be here.

The weekend before Christmas we asked Bret’s family to come in since we would be traveling all over Christmas. We were so glad they were able to come in and we could have a family celebration with them. The kids got new bath robes and candy from Aunt Pat. They look SO adorable in them. Bret’s parents got them new fun sleeping bags, a hot wheel track and some new dino-go toys to finish out their collection of those. We had a really great time with them. Bret’s parents will be moving into their new dream house in January in Gainesville so we are so excited for this for them. Hopefully we will be able to go visit soon to see it! They left Sunday around lunch and we had our Classic Christmas service at church that evening. They have pictures with Santa there. Our little ones have never done pictures with Santa before, and well, may be the last time. Tucker and Rylie screamed their heads off in Santa’s lap and Tuck probably cried for a good ten minutes after they left. So yeah, Santa is terrifying to our kids.

We were planning on heading out of town Tuesday to do Christmas with Jack, so Monday we ended up going to see Steve and Alli in Salado. We found a fun park there by a river and our kids had so much fun playing there. It was almost 80 degrees all of Christmas week, so we really got to enjoy the outdoor weather and all until just a few days ago. We had dinner with them and enjoyed getting to catch up. Our kids loved playing outside with their dogs so much. Glad we can let them enjoy other people’s dogs. :) We left around bedtime and headed home.

Tuesday morning we did our own Christmas celebration with the five of us that morning. The night before, Carter woke up in a dead sleep when we got home from Salado to put out his reindeer food he had made at school. It was so cute. He really is the only one who gets Christmas, so he woke up early the next morning and we had to wake our other two up. Ha. I always feel like we are waking up one kid or another on Christmas morning. One year, pretty sure Bret and I did our presents with out the kids because we were so tired of waiting on them to wake up. Anyways, when they walked out that morning we had their new roller coaster set up and Rylie’s kitchen and the kids jumped right on them. (And put two holes in the wall, of course, despite Bret’s awesome effort to combat that) but they sure did love their gifts. They were super excited about their new gloves and snackeez in their stockings, books and new running clothes. It was a great amount and Carter was so thankful, and Tuck would always say”yes, this is what I always wanted!!” In the car later that day Carter was talking about how the real gift of Christmas is Jesus and He is more important than all the toys. I don’t think he really meant that, because they were all about some presents this year, but I hope that we can always point them to what matters most during this time and to give back because we have so much.

That afternoon we left for Tomball and we had such a fun night with family. Jack turned up the hot tub for the kids so they could swim, and they also got new scooters and Rylie got a shopping cart with new food for her kitchen. It is always so good to see Jack, because we don’t get to see him very often anymore, but I always want my kids to know him and him to be in our life. Bret, sadly had to drive back home to knock out some things at work the next few days and we went to my mom’s to stay there for a few nights before heading to my dad’s on Christmas Eve. We went to the park that morning with Amy and her kiddos. The kids played and played. Our little girls got soaked playing in the water, so Rylie wore a rain jacket to lunch, but nothing new there. That night my mom got home and so we hung out with her for the evening. The next morning we left for my dad’s because the kids wanted to play with Christopher for the day. They played and played SO hard. My dad got them new four wheeler, ranger power wheel toys and they had a blast with those along with riding all my dad’s toys. All the rest of my dad’s family got there that evening around 5/6 and it was another fun celebration with his side of the family. We went back to my mom’s that night for Christmas at her house the next morning. That was when our little two crashed. Thankfully, we got Rylie some medicine and by the end of Christmas day she was much.better. We had a fun day at my mom’s house with her whole side of the family and our cousins. Everyone stayed pretty late that evening and we all crashed hard that night.

The next day we relaxed all morning and went to Sheri and Dave’s house later that afternoon. The kids got to ride the golf cart, play tetherball and with so many other toys, and jump on their trampoline. It was a nice and fun break out of the house with friends. That night we just put our kids down early and Bret and I watched my big fat greek wedding. Such a nice and relaxing day after such a busy week. My mom kept the kids for us Sunday morning while we went to church there. After we picked up the kids and we went to lunch with our friends, the Beakley’s. It was great to see them and catch up with them. They are about to have their third one so soon! That night we went to the Coldwell’s house for dinner and to hang out. It was a really fun time catching up with them and the kids played till around 9 when we left. Tuck slept till almost ten the next day! So yeah, they all played hard. Monday morning we loaded everything up and Bret headed back to come home, and the kids and I went to see my sister before we left. We got home later that afternoon and it is so nice to be back home, even if just for a few days before we fly out to see some friends in Virginia.

Six Christmases. Wow. We are so blessed by amazing families who love us and our kids so well. Rylie is now talking in full sentences, our boys hair is getting that winter long look, and so now we are about to start another year. Thankful. Grateful. Full. Joyful. Humbled. By what the Lord has done for us and what He has given us this year. May we honor Him each and everyday of 2016.