Waiting for the New Year

We've been playing Star Wars Monopoly to pass the time until 2024:

We watched National Treasure just before this. The way our game is going, we may need to play some more games before time is up.

Ice Cream & an 8-bit

On the way back from the beach, we were pleasantly surprised to find Colleen's Coffee House open, so we ordered up some ice cream (cotton candy, of course). In the pic with the sun beaming in through the windows, Tor was holding Dad's ice cream while he waited for his order:

We went to Jack's for some groceries, and Tor found a little Throwback 8-bit Handheld game console that he bought for himself.

Summer-like Beach

It was amazingly sunny and warm at the beach today. No coats needed! 

After waking up super late (11 am), the kids all needed some exercise, so they had a race. It's getting closer now, but Jillian still is ahead:

We brought a football to keep at the beach, and Bridget tried striking a pose ala Tor:

... and Tor and Jillian battled it out for the ball:

Team Bonding

Jillian's club volleyball team, Cowlitz 16 Black, got together at teammate Macy's house for a team bonding event. They ate tacos and played all kinds of games:

Peterson Family Christmas

The Peterson Family kids got together with the adults at Papa Ken and Bev's house to celebrate Christmas.

We started with appetizers for the adults and pizza for the kids, followed by treats. Then, presents were passed out and opened:

Bev set up a game of drawing a Christmas scene on a paper plate (without seeing it):

Somehow, Dad won on the adult side, joining Karlie who won on the kid side.

Pre-Party Dinner

Cousins Andy and Karlie came to visit, so we invited the Peterson family over for dinner ahead of the Christmas get-together the next day:

Mom made everyone's favorite ... tacos, plus there was lots of leftover Christmas treats. We wrapped up the night with some Christmas shows: Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, and Merry Madagascar.

Castle Rock Christmas

Our final destination of the day was Grannie and Papa's house, where we got to see Kenny and a very wide-eyed Rory:

After bagels, soup and treats for lunch, the kids passed out presents, then joined in opening their own:

While waiting for pizza dinner, Bridget and Tor busied themselves with playing with toys and putting together a puzzle (while Jillian napped):

Traditional Christmas Pics

Mom and Aunt Dany have been taking this photo in from of Cindy's tree since they were in high school. This is the latest version:

Then add in our kids to the mix:

Mid Morning Christmas

Our next stop was Grandma Cindy and Hal's house with the Stephenson / Paul family (and Papa Ken making an appearance). After a big sausage casserole breakfast, treats (cinnamon rolls included) and coffee, we got after the present exchange:

The kids had passed out all the gifts, and received many nice gifts from everyone:

Mom got several volleyball-related gifts:

Early Morning Christmas

The kids got up at 6:30 am (with help from Dad) and snuggled into Jillian's bed together before coming out to the front room. They snuggled back into their bean bags to open stockings and presents.

Late Night Prep

Before heading to bed, the kids took care of a few traditions, including checking the Google Santa Tracker to see where he was (though they also played some of the games):

... followed by a reading of The Night Before Christmas with Dad (they chose the classic old book from Grannie's Room 109 this time around). After some hot chocolate (and a little pizza), they prepped the milk, cookies and carrots (Tor thought the size of the carrots was ridiculous):

Christmas Eve Party

This year's Christmas Eve Party was at Cale & Erika's house, which meant lots of Kenny and Rory-time. Santa Claus made an appearance, bringing gifts for the kids. Santa asked Jillian if perhaps her present was some Mark Morris gear:

... and likewise, he asked Bridget if her present was some Cascade Middle School gear:

Santa brought a Washington Husky bag, which worked for Tor:

The kids enjoyed their gifts:

... and they enjoyed their time playing with Kenny:

... while everyone held a sleeping Rory at some point in the evening:

None of us won the quiz. For the white elephant exchange, Mom ended up with a pickle ball set, and then Grannie donated her gift to us (Cowlitz County-opoly, and a Keurig pod gift set).

Neighbors Gift Exchange

Neighbors Hazel and Ila (and Matt and Sarah) came over to exchange gifts with the kids, and hang out and talk. We also exchanged some homemade sweets.

Sibling Gift Exchange

The kids gave each other gifts (that they bought with their own money) while sitting around their own little Christmas tree. They know each other well when it comes to picking out gifts:

Christmas Eve Service

The Christmas Eve Service at Grace Lutheran wouldn't be complete without a photo op in front of the tree.

There were lots of traditional Christmas songs, and a brown sack of goodies was awaiting us at the end.

The Hunt for the Gingerbread Man

The kids hadn't been up to Castle Rock for a while (since December 8th), so they had lots of catching up to do in looking for the Gingerbread Man.

In this pic, Jillian was the one who hid him, with Bridget & Tor searching.

The kids are pretty good at finding him, though they need hints sometimes, since he's not very big and blends in. Each win was $1, second was 75¢ and third was 50¢, all contained in the advent lighthouse.

Holiday Lights Tour

We rode in style in Auntie Greta's car with cousin Adam, touring Longview and Kelso to view the Christmas lights. We saw several light shows with radio station music, including the usual on the Kelso hill:

Gingerbread House

Bridget went to her friend Audra's house to make a gingerbread house, which she spent 2 hours decorating. She promptly started snacking on it the next day.

Tree Topper

After a long wait due to busy kid schedules, we finally got the star put on top of the Christmas tree. Jillian had the honors this year, and you can see that she is nearly hitting her head on the ceiling.

American Legion School Awards

Papa Ken invited the kids to the Castle Rock American Legion Glen House Post No. 175, where they were each given the American Legion School Award, including a certificate and an impressive medallion: