Christmas Fun

The 2012 Christmas season has been a wonderful time for our family.  If only we could pause life right here for a few extra days...

The goal early on was to incorporate each of our favorite things into daily activities.  We've caroled, watched Christmas movies, shopped, worshiped, been in plays, baked, played games, looked at Christmas lights, visited with family, and even had one snow day! 

Here are some pics from our day trip to Ft. Wayne last Saturday.  We began our festivities with a steak dinner at Logan's...yum!

This girl could eat steak for every meal.

He likes it, too.  :-)

Ryan usually opts for fried foods -
notice the lack of veggies on his plate.

Cutie pie.

After dinner, we shopped for awhile.  For the last few years, Habitat for Humanity and Ft. Wayne's Christian radio station have sponsored a Christmas village display in the old Marshall Field's department store.  They have 11 large displays, lots of lights, and beautiful Christmas music playing in the background.  I have posted pics from each display.  You can enlarge them for more detail.  They were so beautiful!

This was Habitat for Humanity's display.  It wasn't nearly as
intricate, but definitely showcased what they do!

After we were maxed out at the mall and a few other stores, we grabbed a frosty at Wendy's and headed to Franke Park for the Fantasy of Lights display.  It was super busy, but traffic moved well and we enjoyed all of the different displays.  Here are a couple of them:

We had all gotten our second wind, and went back to the mall for awhile! Alli's feet were killing her by the time the night was finished, so she was given a lift by her big bro.  :-)

Sunday afternoon several from our church caroled at three nursing homes, one assisted living facility, and then for one of our ladies who hasn't been out for awhile.  As usual, caroling was graced with fun, laughter, and (of course) snacks.  This year, though, I think many of us were touched beyond what we had been in awhile.  One of the men we caroled to was an Iraq veteran who acquired a disease while at war.  I can't describe to you what the disease has done to him physically and probably mentally, but it was both heart-wrenching and heart-warming to see him smile and hear his mom say that our songs had quieted him for the first time that day. 

Kaitlynn and Evan were also able to go caroling with their class last Thursday.  They visited a couple of nursing homes, and Miller's Textiles (where Greg works).  They received lots of compliments...their class has an amazing amount of talent.  :-)

(photo compliments of Miller's Facebook)

Out and About

We are enjoying some of the places that we didn't frequent so much when we lived a little ways outside of Lima. Our town is blessed with nice shopping and activities. One Saturday while Greg was out hunting with the boys, the girls and I had a hearty breakfast at Bob Evans, and then went to explore the library for a few minutes. We were surprised to see that five members of the Lima Symphony Orchestra were set up in the middle of the main hall and they were putting on a free program for kids. We stayed and watched for awhile, and plan to go back for the next event that is going to be put on by the director of the orchestra, Crafton Beck. Later in the afternoon we went to the holiday taste fest at Sam's Club.  :-) 

In the children's library

The mini orchestra

Every year, our local museum puts on a Christmas Tree Festival.  The local businesses, organizations, hospitals, schools, etc., can bring in and decorate a tree.  The public has a week to view the trees and vote on them.  The museum hosts music groups throughout the week, and has lots of crafts, refreshments, and other activities for the kids.  There is also a three story Victorian house next door that the museum owns.  It is decorated beautifully.

Our school did a tree for years, but hasn't for the last 6 or 7.  I'm thinking maybe we need to do it again next year.  I slid out of a wedding rehearsal a few minutes early so that our family could take in this experience. 

Our Cincinnati Thanksgiving...

This year has been a notable year for those of us who share Yount blood. My grandmother (the glue of the family) was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in August, and the last several months have been a winding road of treatments, etc.

We are a close family (still carrying on yearly gatherings after 45 or so years), and a highlight in our year is being together for a couple of days. This year, a few were unable to attend for various reasons, but there were still plenty of us who piled into Germantowne Pizza on Thursday for the ginormous feast. :-) I didn't take many pics because I was starting into what became laryngitis, and I just didn't feel all that great.

Some of the kiddos ready for Thanksgiving dinner!

My sister and her hubs opened their home to us.  We had
so much fun!  Thanks, guys, for a comfy, cozy place.

Traditionally, the great grandkids (at least the younger ones)
sing choruses and carols.  This year, after they were finished,
they filed by grandma to each give her a hug.  It was a special time.

Jonathon and Uncle John had a birthday on Thanksgiving day.
Jonathon had fun with some of the gag gifts my mom brought him.
Notice how good grandma looks.  Wish I had taken more pics of her.

Uncle John with one of his granddaughters.


On Black Friday, I was feeling really nasty, and had totally lost my voice, but one of my favorite things to do that day in Cincinnati is shop with my cousin Jennifer, and sometimes my sister comes along. This time the three of us hit the road a little before 5 a.m., and boy did we shop! :-)

We started early with Starbucks, but ended up at
Chik-fil-A and then Panera before it was over!

 

The day after the holiday, my cousin's restaurant is open for business again, so we all pile in at Grandma's.  We always hope for good weather, 'cause it can get a little crazy in her 1500 sq. ft. house!  This year (uh oh)  Roto Rooter had to come out.  :-)



Kaitlynn and Aubrey watch, along with a couple of their
great uncles, as the machine does its job.

That afternoon, Jonathon treated all the guys to a round of golf!  Ryan and Evan don't have many first cousins their age, but they definitely make up for it with plenty of male great uncles and second cousins that love to have fun.  They we able to go golfing with the guys, and that made their day. :-)

Friday evening, we headed downtown Cincy for the tree lighting in the square.  It was really cold, but so festive!

 

The fireworks were great!

Beautiful tree! 

What's more classic than Santa at Macy's?

 

Later on that night, a bunch of us met up at GBS gym for pizza and basketball.  Not everyone came out, but we crowded up the gym pretty well.  :-)

 

Krystal and Jennifer had a game going for the kids.

Kaitlynn and Sophia

My cousin Janel...she's cute and classy.  :-)

Kaitlynn and Whitney (Whitney gets her name from her great-
grandpa and grandma - Rev. A.J. Whitney)

Evan in his M gear.

Valerie works with Aubrey and Alli and their volleyball skills.
Alli didn't want to quit.  She volleyed to me for a long time
after that!

Some of the great-grandkids

 

Plenty of pizza for all!  Aunt Ruth always makes sure everyone
has a full belly.  I think it's her calling.  :-)

Love this pic of one of Sarah Ann's little guys.
He was serious about his pizza!
 

On Saturday, we were planning to meet up at Grandma's again to say our goodbyes, but her realtor was showing her house early in the afternoon, so we shifted over to Craig and Alisa's a few blocks away. We had such a good Thanksgiving, and I'm so thankful that God gave my grandma strength to host everyone. Of course, she had lots of help (always does), but she looked stronger this year than she has in a couple of years, and she enjoyed the gathering so much! Hopefully her house will sell soon, and we will be able to be closer to her and make sure she has company and has her needs met as the days move forward. One of the families we missed this year was my Aunt Sarah, Uncle Jerry, Jason, and Jeremy & Andrea and their family. This was because Andrea was almost ready to give birth to their 5th little one! She has since had Laila Rose, and they are lookin' great!

Happy 13th Birthday, Nathaniel Ryan!

We celebrated this occasion earlier with family at Cracker Barrel, so for the actual birthday, we had Zach and Caleb over and ordered pizza and wings and they played Xbox in the basement. After I left for Women of Worth, they had cake (Greg forgot to take pics), and went shopping at the newly opened Dunham's. We are still trying to digest the fact that we are parents of a teenager. :-)

13 years
5' 10.5" tall  ~  189 lbs.
size 12 shoe  ~  38 in. waist  ~  32 in. inseam

Happy 5th Birthday, Allison Brooke!

November 13, 2007

 

2012
Our angel {and she is - most of the time!  :-)}

 

5 years old!

Halie spent the evening with us.  She and Alli are best buds.

We went to Golden Corral cause it was kid's night.
Kaitlynn could live on steak alone.  :-)

Kid's night extends to age 12, so this big guy ate like a man
for $2.99...he was one week from being 13.  I was always afraid
the employees would think I was lying when I said he was still a kid!

Gotta love Golden Corral...where else do you get unlimited
cotton candy for free?!



Having cake and presents at home

A castle for a princess

 

Halie enjoyed the rainbow cake

 

Big sis helped Alli with her gifts

 

Love seeing the eyes sparkle. 

Because of her mid-November birthday, we struggled a little bit about whether to send Alli to kindergarten this year.  She was "ready," but because of watching kids for years, I know that ready now doesn't always mean ready later.  So, we opted for another year of preschool.  As it turns out, she is right on target with the kindergarten students in her phonetic reading and writing, so who knows how it will end up.  I think she will enjoy having only three days of school next year, as opposed to 5 days had she been going into first grade.  This will also give her an extra year to enjoy opportunities as they present themselves in high school.

 

Of course, she now reminds us that she's "almost six."  :-)