Hinder's 6th Birthday

 My baby turned 6 at the end of the year. I can't believe we've had this guy for 6 years. He sure does seem so grown up lately, going to school every day and becoming more and more independent of me and Riley. It's exciting to see him grow and change, but makes me sad too. Time goes by too quickly. 

He had a wonderful birthday, and was spoiled with lots of fun gifts. He was so gracious and excited about every gift, and that made me so happy. Even the clothes. 

 Rather than have a party, he decided he wanted to go to the Legoland Discovery Center in Boston. Lorie was still here, so she joined us on this adventure. It was geared for little kids, so it was just right for our family. There were a couple of amusement style rides, tons of Legos to build with, a  movie theater, and Lego models of famous places in Boston. That was arguably the coolest part. 

 Happy birthday, Hinder Buddy! 

Christmas Loves

 Sometimes I can't get over how quickly Christmas comes and goes. After all the anticipation, I love to look through the pictures and remember how fun it was. And this year was a good one!

It was just our little family for Christmas Eve. We tried to make it as magical and special as we could. Driving around looking at lights, exchanging our own secret santa gifts. I had Hinder's name and surprised him with four lizard toys. Ledger and Vyla had each other. Riley got me some thermal socks.

Hinder had Riley's name. He shopped around a little bit before deciding on a Star Wars Lego toy. Riley and Hinder love to build with legos together. Hinder saved that gift in his pajama drawer for a couple of weeks before the big reveal. It was hard for him to keep it a secret, and it slipped out of his mouth at the breakfast table a few days early. But it doesn't matter. It was pure Christmas joy to watch him give a gift in love.

Instead of gingerbread houses (this mom procrastinated getting a gingerbread kit until the 23rd... and there were none to be found in the stores)  we made giant gingerbread man. That was more fun anyway. The kids decorated with candy and spread frosting and had a ball.

 My favorite part of this Christmas was our little nativity play, reading Luke 2, and singing Christmas songs together. Then we had a family talent show, a long-time tradition I enjoyed as a Killian kid. Hinder showed off his tumbling by doing flips on the couch, Vyla showed off her dance moves, I played a little flute, and Riley taught us how to make amazing paper snowflakes.

The kiddos were tucked into their beds and Santa was free to come!

It was so fun having a real fireplace to hang and stockings on this year!

 Santa wasn't the only anticipated visitor. My mother-in-law, Lorie, arrived by plane and bus Christmas eve night around 10 p.m. It was so wonderful to have her here. The kids loved to have grandma all to themselves, and it was so fun to have a little family to round out our celebrations.

The kids were happy as clams the next morning. The Spirit of Christmas was alive and well at our house.

 Thank you to everyone who gifted our kids with such thoughtful, fun gifts. They have enjoyed them many times. We felt your love despite the miles!

 The rest of the day we spent hanging out together, playing with presents, playing lots of Sorry and Sponge Bob Rummy. Riley's sister Mallory put together a DVD of all our their past Christmas morning footage. That was a serious highlight, even for me. I loved seeing Riley as a little boy and watching how similar Hinder to him.

It was such a glorious day, filled with feelings of love and peace and joy. Merry Christmas!

A few days after Christmas, Riley's Aunt Gretchin came to visit. We love her visits! She played lots of Sorry and cards with us and stayed for late night pancakes. We treasure every time we get to see her, because we know it won't last forever! 

Every year for Christmas, rather than just hand us cash for our gift, my dad comes up with a fun way to shop. Last year, we played a game in the mall where we had 30 minutes to buy something for our spouse. This year, we each had to guess what our spouse would buy with their Christmas money and the couple that guessed the closest won. Riley and I were FAR from winning, but we had a fun time going on a rare shopping trip together anyway. I knew exactly what I wanted- books from Longfellow Books and new shoes. I had a few bucks left and got a pair of clearanced sunglasses just for fun.

Riley was so indecisive. We walked through a lot of stores in the mall before he found something he could settle on. A portable blue tooth speaker. I did not guess that. 

Visiting Santa and the Prelude to Christmas

 In a neighboring village called Kennebunkport, they have a giant Prelude to Christmas festival. It's claim to fame is being home to the Bush family. We went to the tree lighting this year, and although it was bitter cold, we had a great time. Riley's study partner Jenny came along. The entire town is decorated to the nines, they have roasting chestnuts and hot cocoa, local choirs singing carols, and quaint streets with boutiques and shops to peruse. 

Once again, we attended the UNE Christmas party. The kids each took their turns on Santa's lap, which is always my favorite. Their personalities shine in that moment. 

Hinder had his list ready. His #1 was a Zoomer Dino and his back up plan was a Grimlock from Transformers. 

Miss Vyla! She was so sweet and content just to chat with this jolly guy. When she climbed off the stage and I asked her what she asked Santa for, she simply shrugged her shoulders and said, "I jist ast for a toy or somsing". And off she ran to the bouncy house. What a dolly!  

 And then their was Ledger....HA! Daddy to the rescue! 

Back at home, we did our best to cultivate some holiday cheer. Having a real fireplace to hang our stocking was so fun! And of course, I did my share of baking (and eating). 

 As well as receiving :) 

 

 Can it be Christmas time again?! 

Vyla Turns 3 and Thanksgiving

Vyla turned 3 on Thanksgiving day this year. What a cheeseball! 

 We celebrated the day before to make sure she had a special day. I'm so glad we did! She talked for weeks about the rainbow themed party she wanted. This was her first 'friends' party. We were so grateful to the friends who braved the snow storm to come party with us. I'm also grateful for pinterest for having a million ideas for Rainbow themed parties. ( I swear, the creative lobe of my brain has shriveled up to the size of a raisin since the invention of the Internet)  

 She was so excited about her cake. Maybe even more than her presents. I caught her stared lovingly at it multiple times! She definitely has a sweet-tooth like her mama

 Showing off her birthday spoils. Lots of new clothes this year! Vyla has sprouted like a weed and all the sudden she was in serious need of a wardrobe refresh. Thanks grandmas for coming to the rescue! 

 Her big gift was a bike. Or "bye-ch" as she would say. Nothing can stop her now! 

 She had a VERY happy birthday, and we just adore our Vyla! 

It turned out to be a very good thing that we got the party done on Wednesday.  About 15 minutes after putting a Thanksgiving pumpkin roll and cheesecake into the oven, we lost power and heat throughout our house. After rummaging to find a few candles and hand warmers, we bundled up in our warmest pajamas and put the kids to bed. We attempted to add some heat with a fire, and although it was seriously cozy and picturesque, we ended up with a smoky smell and not much heat.  The house was freezing and got down to 35 degrees. When the power came back on at 9 a.m. Thanksgiving  morning, we certainly had a lot to be grateful for! 

 

 We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving feast at our good friends, Tyler and Ashley Scott. They were supreme hosts, and I had such a great time I neglected dot take a single picture. Ashley and I hit up the local Black Friday sales that night at midnight. We scored some great deals for the kiddos. It was a blast! 

Surprise, Surprise

 On November 4th, much to my complete surprise, my sister Davi showed up at my breakfast table. It was a total shock and surprise! She and Riley had planned and schemed for two months, and I had no idea. It was SO awesome to see her. Not only is it always fun to have my sister here, but it was especially sweet since she is leaving for an 18 month mission to the Philippines in January. How awesome that I was able to have two full weeks with her before she leaves. 

We packed a lot of things into those two weeks. 

We walked around Prouts Neck, of course. I had never gone all the way around the loop (the kids always have a meltdown about 1/3 of the way through and we have to turn back) so it was about time! I love to gawk at the houses on this walk. 

A couple different times we enjoyed Downtown Portland and the fun night scene there. It's a pretty lively city with art museums, tons of restaurants and bistros, and indie stores. One evening, we went to the Muse Paintbar and did a painting lesson! 

Of course, a few shopping days happened. This little munchkin loved her carousel horse and running through the clothes racks at H&M like a hooligan. 

 While Davi was here, it was the perfect time to knock a few things off our Maine bucket list, including a day trip to Acadia National Park. It was beautiful, even though we were definitely there during the off-season. It was such a different National Park than the ones we've experienced in the west. It was so diverse, and I can't wait to go back to see it in it's summer glory. 

 We hiked up Cadillac Mountain (as far as these little legs would let us) and played at the sand beach. 

Hinder wrote Davi's name in the sand. It was so cute, I didn't have the heart to point out his misspelling. 

 The Gate Lodges built by John Rockefeller. 

 On Veteran's Day, we took advantage of Hinder's day off of school and drove up Vermont to see the Ben & Jerry's Factory and tour. 

 The Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial in Sharon, Vermont was another fun stop this day. Remarkable to walk where the prophet Joseph Smith and his family walked! 

 Our last day trip, Davi and I took off leaving the kids with Riley, to tour Boston. The last time she was here visiting we never made it to Boston/Salem and we always regretted it. It's pretty chilly in Boston this time of year, so we opted to do a hop on-hop off trolley tour of the city. It was so fun, and we learned a lot of fun facts about the city. 

We hopped off at the Cheers restaurant on Beacon Hill. My dad's a big fan, so we had to! 

 Next was the Boston Tea Party Museum. This has to be the one things I've wanted to do since moving here, but the timing has just never worked out. I loved it! The actors were so fun and totally in character the whole time. 

 We stopped in Salem on the way home. Unfortunately, it gets dark here SO early...we barely made it to the House of the Seven Gables before it was pitch black outside. But that's okay, because it kind of fit the mood of the place. 

There was plenty of Maine-y things too. Like lighthouses and lobster. 

 Her surprise was the best ever! Not just because of the fun things and adventures we went experienced, but her company and friendship during a really hard part of Riley's semester was so invaluable. Thank you, Davi! I'll get you back someday. We love you!!