Culpeper Christmas Parade

Victoria's cheer coach, Adrienne, and the team, and a couple team moms, Samantha and Tammy, worked hard to make this float and it looked great!

Danny was running around working on things since the parade was at CCHS, 3 of our kids were in it, and Christian was with friends at the start of the parade.  That was a little sad, but I found some friends to watch with. Thanks, Hibberts! Soon, Danny joined me. (C got dropped off and met up with us a little ways into it.)

Grant and Katherine rode in this float with CCHS's FFA float with Katherine's friend, Lily. They really enjoyed that.

It was a pretty neat parade! Danny and I thought that it was pretty awesome that they shot off fireworks for our anniversary! I joked that it was like a Bachelor date.

Now you can see the fireworks. It was a good parade and a good fireworks show. I hope that if they do it again that they will do it much earlier in the month, but we enjoyed it.

Katherine's Class Party- Reindeer themed

Amy Bowling, Chloe's mom, and I got to work on a class party for Mrs. Sutter's class. It was a reindeer theme and we had stations where the kids made reindeer crafts, put together reindeer cupcakes, played a reindeer game, and played Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer on the pipe chimes that I brought. (The chimes were a bit more cacophonous than I anticipated, but a couple of the groups .) We were busy running those stations, so don't have pics of those.

Then, the kids got to pick from fun treats that generous parents brought in. I think they enjoyed those! Because there were so many treats we decided to send the cupcakes that they made home with them in little clear cups in clear bags. 

Josiah, Kolton, Brandon, and Katherine

Lily, Jerrone, Jamie, Reid, and Gio

Gavin, Chloe, ,Rylee, and Jenna

They are a really cute class and I love them! 

I am so glad to have the opportunity to be available to help with things like this. Thanks, Mrs. Sutter for creating such a happy classroom and for inviting the parents in for the party. Thanks, Amy, for the fun headband and for organizing the party! I think the kids loved it!

Christmas Minute to Win It- Piedmont and Culpeper Youth

This activity was packed! We played minute to win it games for 30 mins, then played the white elephant gift exchange and then had treats. It was a lot of fun!

Decorating the tree (10 days later)

We almost decided that the tree looked pretty enough with just the lights on it. We finally got out the ornaments and put them on though. There just hadn't been a time when we were all home.  We decorated right after church. 

Then, I am guessing that these two took my phone to facetime their cousins when I took a needed nap.

Swim Team!

Have I mentioned that Christian joined the high school swim team! It has been fun to watch him try new things! They practice at Woodberry Forest, a nearby boarding school, at 8:30 every night! It is really late and the bus doesn't get back to the school until 10:15. If Christian rides back on the bus, then he won't get home until 10:30 and to bed really really late. So... instead most nights, when there isn't a basketball game or an activity at the church, I drive him there, wait in the lobby for an hour and then we drive home. Even this way it is pretty late, but still we get home about 30 minutes earlier than if he has to ride the bus back to the school.  Again... we are crazy. 

Even though it is late, he really likes it and it is cool to see him improving and learning quickly. Because he is an 8th grader (there is also an 8th grade girl on the team), a lot of his races don't count, but are exhibition races. He is staying in great shape though, learning a lot, and making friends.

Danny and I had fun going to this meet- it was a big one with lots of schools and was exciting to watch. We also enjoyed a dinner date at 5 guys before the meet.

 

I am pretty lucky!

I think the early morning seminary visit and a busy day really wore his one out! I'll take it!

Hot Chocolate Bar for Seminary

We thought it would be fun to surprise Victoria's seminary class with a hot chocolate bar one morning. They liked it and it was a great way to start our day!

Chorus Concert

The Devil's Virtuosos performed The Greatest Showman and I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas.

Surprise!!! Jingle Ball!

Snow Day!

Picking out a tree

We took a really long time scouring the tree farm for just the right tree! It was fun at first, see funny poses in picture. It became less amusing as time passed and we didn't agree.

Katherine was cold and tired. Christian to the rescue!

Eventually we found a really good tree that everyone agreed about! 

Reading Night at Yowell

The kids enjoyed a reading night at Yowell. They read books in comfy bean bags, wrote Christmas cards, made magic snow by reading and following the recipe, and participated in a reader's theater with some teachers. Fun night. 

Then we went to a basketball game and watched V cheer.

Fall Sports Awards and Star Stallion

Pretty cool to see Danny, V, and C all on the same stage! 

There were a lot of awesome scholar athletes called! They really do work long hours between school and sports.

Christian also got the Sportsmanship Award for Cross Country. I was really proud of him for that.

Victoria got her Varsity letter for being on the Varsity Cheer Squad and Competition Team. Also, well deserved! They trained so hard- V had visible abs after this summer's conditioning.

V and Kayla, one of her good friends

We were also proud of Katherine for being a Star Stallion for the month of November! She is a great kid.