First week of January 2017

Happy New Year!  We enjoyed the little bit of time we still had with Kimberly and her kids.

Uno!

Making slime

Playing with bubbles outside

Hanging out at the park - getting more time outside (You've got to get out after being cooped up playing with all that Christmas stuff!)

Kids are enjoying this marble run toy they got

Fun with slime - Kaitlyn

Fun with slime - Tyler

Late night games together

Maxwell has been sleeping on some blankets in our room while Kimberly was here.  He has loved it.

She loves looking at our Christmas cards

Saying goodbye :(

Maxwell asks to do more science experiments everyday.  I love that he's into it.

We started up swim lessons (sort of).  The kids have a bunch of make up lessons so we are using those up and then we will sign up again at least for Emmalyn.  We will see how it goes for Maxwell.  Since his favorite teachers aren't here any more I'm not sure how into it he will be.  It was fun because they were swimming right next to each other.

Emmalyn moved up to the next level!  I no longer have to get in the pool with her.  She's now a level 3.

Katherine and I are still getting out and walking multiple times a week.  We just have to really bundle up right now.  This time it was 26 degrees ("feels like 14") and we still did it!  Committed to keeping up the exercise and weight loss in the new year!

We got a tiny bit of snow.   The kids were so excited.

Trying to get enough snow together to make a snow ball but it just wasn't the right type of snow.

We took the kids to another movie (again, have no idea what we saw).

Emmalyn is so loving.

After the movie we went out to dinner.  Was a fun evening together!

Beginning of December 2017 - let all the festivities begin!

One of like 20 (I'm not kidding) Christmas outfits that have been passed down to us.  I don't even know if we ended up wearing them all.

All the kids playing outside

Emmalyn had a play date at her friend Hudson's house (his mom is Katherine - my walking buddy).  She's been really wanting us to get our Christmas decorations up.  Well, I get a text from Katherine that when Emmalyn walked into the house she said, "Oh, your house is decorated!  Our house is not decorated yet."  Yup....shamed by my daughter.

I had to go out of town for my last trip of the year.  It sure is nice to be able to say goodnight to the kiddos with facetime.

Still committed to walking!  After our team dinner, I put my workout clothes on and walked the halls of the hotel before I went to bed.  I'm in a good place with staying committed to the walking, which feels good (Both physically and mentally)

Proof of the walking - BOOM!

We had our Perfetti end of the year meeting at the Bengals stadium.  

Peter sent me this pic of Emmalyn all dressed the next morning

He did her hair - way to go, dad!

Me and my friend, Oscar, the airhead.

I found this eggnog made from almond milk.  It's so delicious!! (and only 50 calories a serving!)

Maxwell brought home a book to read from school that was a recipe book for making salsa, so we mad it.  He did a great job!

We finally got around to putting up the tree at the beginning of December.

Never a shortage of helpers when it comes to putting up the ornaments.

Good job kiddos

Whew - the tree is done!

Ugh...now for the rest of it (so many boxes of stuff!) 

I finally got a set of stockings that all match.

Emmalyn bit me!  She's never done it before.  She wasn't doing it out of anger but holy moly it hurt.  

We took the kids to see Santa at a local church.  You have to buy tickets to get it but it includes breakfast, crafts, and of course seeing Santa.  The best part is that there are a ton of volunteer teenagers that wait inline for you - they text you when they are getting close to the front.  It was great because we were able to eat and do other things while a poor teen just stood there for us.

Making a beaded bracelet

Ta-da!

Group shot!  Emmalyn is standing next to her friend, Hudson and her other friend Michael is sitting on Santa's lap. (I don't know the rest of the people)

More holiday fun - we decorated Gingerbread houses with my friend and old boss, Michelle.  She brought Baby Jack who just hung out in the high chair and watch us.

Maxwell did it all on his own

Decorating the little tree in his room

We went to see Santa again (for our usual photoshoot) so the kids prepped some letters.  I wrote Emmalyn's and she decorated it.  She would like Peppa Pig toys, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Trolley (she rarely watches the show), and something from "Shimmer and Shine" (All tv shows)

Maxwell wants a karaoke set, a drone double wing, a pokemon book, electric ripstick, some type of wheels, and a delux morpher.  I don't even know what all of that is.

Ready to see santa

I snuck a couple shots - Maxwell was so excited

Emmalyn hung back and watched Maxwell go first.  She wasn't scared at all.

The boys