December Highlights (a.k.a. Getting Ready for Christmas)

December is always a whirlwind month full of lots of fun activities! Here is a glimpse of some of our highlights of the month.

Trimming the Tree . . .

Mason experimenting with some close up photography

Stockings were hung by the Chimney with Care . . .

and Stockings even Decked the Hall . . .

This is a new Advent Calendar I made for us this year. Each stocking has an activity that we do that day. It turned out adorable, if I do say so myself. It was fun to check the stocking each day to see what fun thing we had in store. (Idea credit goes to Debbie)

Making the Snowflakes . . .

 A messy business...but they had a good time doing it.

Holiday Story Time . . .

 The title of Sadie's book is Sadie and the Snowman. Fun!

Church Christmas Party . . .

Renae was the Angel in the Nativity Reenactment

Snow and More Snow . . .

We will definitely have a White Christmas...it is beautiful, but can be a pain.

EVERY day before Colby and Sadie leave for school they begin the extra dressing process: first snow pants, then snow boots, followed by the big coat, and last gloves (they usually skip the scarves and hats). It is quite the ordeal, but they can do it by themselves (thankfully) and they don't complain a bit.

 Making Gingerbread Houses . . .
Actually they are Rice Krispy Treat and Graham Cracker houses...but with all that candy, who cares?

Can you say SUGAR RUSH????

Thanksgiving

 A quick summary of our Thanksgiving before Christmas is upon us.


A few days before Thanksgiving the kids and I made these fun little turkeys out of Oreos, Reese's cups, and candy corns. They may not have been pretty (they made them totally without help or supervision) but they were yummy.

 Renae doesn't like Candy Corns (weird, I know!) so hers just has frosting wings.

 

This was a really cool Pinterest idea that I tried out for my students to make at school. I bent all the ice cream cones (which took FAR longer than it should have) and they stuffed them with candy and put on the ribbons. Aren't they ADORABLE!!!!

We did another batch for our own Thanksgiving Feast 

and attached Name Tags (a Williams' tradition) to set on the Thanksgiving table.

We had our biggest crowd yet (not biggest crowd EVER, but biggest crowd for Thanksgiving). We had 20 people for dinner. We were able to put 4 tables end to end to make one big long table that went from my dining room to the other end of my living room. I was a bit nervous and anxious about hosting a party that big, but luckily between my 3 sister-in-laws, Eric, and my niece Lauren all pitching in, I didn't have all that much to do and it went quite smoothly. Sadly, there are no pictures of us all sitting down or with the food on the table. I was exhausted and just ready to eat by then and I never even thought of snapping a picture. Sad, but true.

Another thing I'm sad about is that I didn't take any pictures of my Fall Decor. Nearly all of my decorations are things I made and they make me happy!!! I think I love them more than my Christmas decorations. Oh well, next year.

But speaking of sad...now for the REALLY sad story...

Sadie was sick almost the whole Thanksgiving Weekend. Poor thing didn't move from this mattress we put on our bedroom floor for 2 whole days. She was up all night the night before Thanksgiving throwing up and with a fever. What horrible timing!! She was a trooper and didn't complain much, but she sure was miserable.

Say Good-bye to Fall

I guess it had to happen...fall had to turn to winter eventually. We had a lovely, mild fall for the most part, with some unseasonably warm days. We still haven't had any big snow storms but we have seen flakes a few times and once it even stuck on the ground...for a few days. But now everything is just brown and dead. It is at this point when everything is ugly and it is bitter cold (hasn't even gotten up to the freezing point today -- it is 31 degrees at 2:30pm) that I am ready for snow. It might as well be beautiful and white if it is going to feel like this.

Anyway, I digress...before I leave fall behind, I wanted to share a few more Fall Pictures.

Jumping in the Leaves

Homemade Donuts at Aunt Debbie's House 

Thank you Debbie for this wonderful Fall Tradition!!! Yummy!

Pumpkin Pancakes...with Eric's Homemade Butter Syrup.

They got eaten up too fast to take a picture afterward. Tee!hee!

And this picture got missed at Halloween time 

(it was on my phone)

Sadie and her BFF - Charlotte

both dressed as cats

Home Improvement -- SAFETY first

This latest Home Improvement project wasn't so much about looks (although it did improve the curb appeal a bit) but it was mostly about safety. A few months ago this project wasn't even ON our list, but then a few comments that were made and the memory of one crazy kid put this at the TOP of our list.
Within about a week of each other two different elderly ladies at church told me that "the worst thing about my house was the front railing -- it didn't help you up the stairs." I had never even thought about it before, but they were right. The railing is just at the top landing...not going up the sides of the stairs. And the little railing that is there is VERY shaky and rickety. You really can't use it for support at all. And finally, it is quiet ugly as well: faded and peeling paint, rusty joints, visible screws and nails, and a very plain design.
The second thing that got us thinking about a new railing is the fact that on one side of the stairs there is a huge drop. You can drop/fall/jump to a planter that is about 4 feet down and then there is another 5 foot drop to the cement below. I worry about small children or the elderly falling on accident...and about crazy kids/teens jumping down purposely and then breaking a leg or something. Last Halloween we had one such older kid who grabbed his candy and then jumped off the stairs landing on the trash can below and then jumping to the ground. Insane!

So whether or not this is how we WANTED to spend our money...this is how we felt we SHOULD spend our money. We are very happy with the results: safer and more beautiful front entry way.

BEFORE:

 

The big drop off

AFTER

A close up-artsy picture of the design work...just for fun! Eric picked the railing out without me (I wasn't home when the guy came by to do the bid). I'll admit that I was a bit nervous about how it would look. But he did a great job picking out the design. We both love it!

Halloween

We had a normal Cameron Family Halloween month -- we squeezed in all of our favorite traditions: caramel apples, candy-mold Halloween suckers, cut-out sugar cookies, and Pumpkin Stew. Funny how all of our traditions revolve around food. Sad, really. And it is also sad that I never pulled out the camera for any of them. Oh well...looks pretty much the same as last year. And yes, I think I put on a few extra pounds to pay for it too.

Black Cat  --  Witch  --  Dracula

Monday night for the Halloween Carnival at our elementary school. 

This is Renae's "alternate costume" as you will see later.

 I like it just as well or better than her "real costume."

Mason is not dressed up...he dressed up for school, but not for anything else.

***

Devin (Eric's brother) and his family just happened to stop by as we were about to start carving our pumpkin the night before Halloween. Eric had to leave for a meeting and I was going to have to do it alone (which I had never done). I jokingly asked Devin if he would like to help (knowing that Devin is a master Pumpkin Carver) and he willingly volunteered. It was awesome. He took his carving very seriously. And it turned out seriously amazing!!!

 The Headless Horseman --- THANKS DEVIN!!!!

Halloween Night was COLD and RAINY. The kids kept adding extra layers to their costumes. Another jacket on top...another shirt layered underneath. We also had to use umbrellas almost the whole night. Well at least I was under the umbrella...the kids didn't seem to mind or notice the constant drizzle all evening as we trick-or-treated. Mason stayed home this year and helped hand out candy...he is too big for trick-or-treating now...says his mean Mommy!

 This is my favorite shot because they are all in character and it came out pretty clear. 

Most of my pictures came out blurry...not sure why. Maybe because I am standing in the rain to take them so they can be dry on the porch...but I didn't really have any other options with the rain.

 Renae as an India Girl  

-- a note about this costume:

Renae's BFF had some family living in India this fall. They generously bought these outfits and sent them to Renae & Mairin. I actually didn't even get to see it until Halloween day. It was a little more "Belly-Dancerish" than I had imagined. That isn't actually her tummy showing...it is a unitard (nude- colored leotard), but I still didn't love the look of so much "fake skin" showing. However, I was grateful for the costume and the dresses were gorgeous and so were the girls.

Funny thing -- it was so cold that she ended up adding a black long sleeve shirt for trick-or-treating so a bit of the effect was ruined. Tee!hee!

Sadie as a Black Cat. 

Sadie loved being an animal...well she is often pretending to be an animal, 

but she doesn't usually get to have the full costume and whiskers on her face. 

She was a happy camper!

Colby made a great Vampire. 

We dyed his hair black which was quite the different look on him. Thanks Debbie for the loan of the cape (he was my child that didn't know what he was going to be until a few days before Halloween). 

Sigh. 

Costumes are not my forte.