Finishing off 2015

Christmas project for mom 

(Sewing machine cover for the odd shaped machine she has)

Activities at Mom's house:

Caroling

Shopping

Making Gingerbread Houses

Park Time

Decorating Christmas Plates 

(with Sharpies - it was kind of a Pinterest-fail in the end because it was not permanent and it faded in re-baking, but they are still cute and I'll try again and we'll still use them)

Venus time (Christmas Eve)

We got low on wrapping paper, so my SIL's got wrapped by my  husband with one strip of wrapping paper over the top of the box. My brother-in-law's is the awesome stick-in-a-box (yard tool). We used over 4 rolls of wrapping paper this year! (Not so much from more presents but from mostly using larger [amazon] boxes to wrap so  many things.)

Aunt Bethany had a bunch of cute printables for the girls to do while we got dinner ready to serve.

Bookworms!

Woo-hoo! Some "seed money" for her new wallet

I love these handmade blocks by Caleb and Bethany! My kids (yes, even the big ones) love blocks. They are so basic and versatile.

Another Christmas Project

Did a project for both our mom's (plus 2 sister-in-laws and the 5 kids together)...I was probably a little crazy this Christmas season.

Rob built this stage for the kids (we were going to build it anyways and decided to make it a Christmas present for all the kids).

And I sewed curtains to go with them.

(I really did just try to buy them, but everything I crafted or sewed last month was something that was custom and not available for purchase.)

She's been begging to make slime (homemade gak) for months, so I finally gave in on Christmas.

Spent Christmas with Bethany's family and her little girl (who was a little unsure about getting her hands messy) decided to join in on the purple slime.

Activities at Memere's

All aproned up for crafts

We made these (painted), which also can't withstand washing...alas - these will be decoration unless I find a way to make these permanent.

 The side view

Memere wearing Seth's hat...to prepare in case the temperatures drop below 75F!

Biltmore Estate

Alee wasn't quite as thrilled as the rest of us were.

Going to see lights

Decorating (filling) the new glass case with Memere's collection of nativities (she calls them Creches - it's the French Canadian word for nativity and I've probably spelled it wrong.)

New Year's Eve

Friends

Sparklers

We dropped the ball[s]

Actually, all the kids stayed up to see the actual ball drop...even Alee. She hasn't gotten to bed on time in weeks anyways - especially with trips to 2 grandparents and Christmas eve excitement in the middle of all that...we are just now getting her re-regulated from last month's, er, "flexibility."

There has been no slowing down in the new year - but I'll save those pictures for another post!

Life is good.