Farris family blog: December and a New Year!

Well December, like always, flew by! We came home after Thanksgiving and got a REAL tree this year! We just went to home depot and grabbed one and it was so fun to have a real one for the first time in ten years(maybe it will have to be a new tradition). The kids helped us decorate and get everything all festive for the Christmas season. We really enjoyed all the things the kindness elves had us do this year like clean out toys, clothes, books, hand out candy canes, write letters and thank you notes to people. It really kept us focused on others during this season.

We made gingerbread houses again this year and our birthday cake for Jesus. Which our boys would pray every night that "Jesus would have the best birthday"We had fun things this month like getting to take Carter to a donut date before school and him asking me "why God made it so cold". Tuck got to go with Bret to the sugar shack and he went on and on and on about how daddy let him pick three things and he is the best daddy in the world. Which Carter always politely reminds him, He isn't the best daddy bc he buys of stuff but bc of his love and what is in his heart.

We went back to the lights of Tejas this year and had a blast as always. It was very cold that night, so I broke out and came in all my ski clothes. No shame here. Both the boys did the zip line again this year, although T was a lot more hesitant but Bret went up there and got him to go. The bounced on the bounce houses, made cupcakes for Jesus, made Mangers for Jesus to lay and played games all night. We had a blast. We with with friends all from church.

The boys had their Christmas parties this year and so I got to go and be apart of those. It is always so fun to see them get so excited about end of the year parties.

The weekend after school got out, the kids and I went to Houston to see Amy and her kids since it had been awhile since we had seen her kids. It was a gorgeous weekend and our kids had a blast playing (Rylie and Ellie made lots of messes) but we had a lot of fun seeing Santa, playing outside and getting to go to dinner and the park with kristen and Jordan.

The next week my mom came to the house dressed as Mrs. Clause. It shocked us all and was hilarious and amazing. The kids loved it and she came with huge bags of new sleeping bags for them. They ate that up and loved it and then we got to go to dinner with her.

We did Christmas early at our house since we were leaving a few days before Christmas to see family. Our little two got new bikes and Carter got new rollerblades(which he is a rockstar on) and so it was fun to see them with all their new stuff. Carter said this was the BEST Christmas ever. Bret and I got each other big gifts this year (HE GOT ME A GOLF CART) most amazing gift ever, and I got him a new set of golf clubs. I think we both had a blast getting to splurge on one another. More than anything we had fun getting to see our kids have so much fun and enjoy Christmas together and go up and give each person and even people they don't see often thank you and be grateful for their gifts. I am so proud of our kids.

After we did Christmas at our house, we went to one of Tuck's best friends birthday parties. Our kids had a blast at the jumpoline place and were so excited it was a Pokemon party. The next morning we went to my dad's ranch and hung out with him there and then went down to my dad's House to stay for the night. We did family pictures and the kids played with my dad, we exchanged gifts and had a nice short stay there. We ended up leaving that night to drive through the night to head to Bret's parents house and the kids slept the whole way, so that was so nice. We had a great time getting to see his parents and Troy and Holly and McCoy. We laughed a lot and played outside a ton, and got to see all their extended family on Christmas day. We stayed a few days after Christmas and took Bret's dad to lunch for his birthday before we left.

Two days after we got home from Christmas, we got a phone call for a sweet little boy named Bentley. He got to our house around 10:45 at night on a Thursday and has been here for about two weeks now. He is a great, sweet 3 year old adorable little boy. He has fit so seamlessly in with our family and loves to play with all our kids. He loves cars and trucks and scooters, blaze, paw patrol, superman, batman, rescue bots and spiderman. He is all boy, but also will be sweet and play with R with her dolls. Our kids have loved him being here. He loves noodles, so our kids always want noodles now too. He loves yogurt, cereal, grapes, pepperoni pizza, chips and any kind of sugar. That is about the extent of his diet. :)

This weekend we took him to Houston to stay at my dad's house and then we went to my sister's daughters 1st birthday! The kids had a blast playing on the bounce house and getting to see all of our family. Bentley wanted to "ride with grandpa" and be with him and the boys just like our boys follow suit. That was sweet.

Last night we went to dinner and all the kids on the way home were saying "meatballa" and cracking up. They are so funny. Carter and Tuck are into pokemon wars right now and I don't understand any of that game at.all. They also got stinky books for Christmas and are obsessed with their books "i Stink". R got all kinds of babies and cribs and pack n plays for Christmas and she tucks them ALL in with her at night. Its cute. Our kids are pro's on their electric scooters we got from my dad. Tuck wouldn't even ride it a few months ago and now he's a champ at it. Our kids are pretty good drivers.

The boys started basketball this week! Uncle Frank gave them a new basketball goal for Christmas and this week they started practices. They are so excited about that. Tuck did great tonight at first practice. Tonight at Tuck's practice, Carter saw some of the big kids lining up across the gym and noticed one didn't have a ball and went over to give him his ball. I about melted into pieces. That kids heart is so big. The boys love to go help Bret on the roof and do the Christmas lights and help him unload all the cardboard in the trailer.

Last night we got some of the best news. We have always wanted to make our way back to Houston one day. Last night our business consultant took us to dinner and told us we got the store in the Woodlands we wanted. We are so humbled and excited and can't wait to see what is next for us.