Omaha & Mac Town Road Trips

We spent a few days in Omaha with Grandma Pat and the 

McGinnis crew to celebrate Christmas before & after!

Charlotte and Kate ALWAYS want to ice-skate!

We walked around Old Town with Kathy and Patrick . . .

McGinnis Cousins - just missing Vaughn

{Patrick (almost 12), Charlotte (almost 13), Kate (13), Molly (16)}

We had a little arcade fun on a cold day in Omaha . . . 

No pix of me killing it on the Skee Ball!

First Christmas without Grandpa Pat was not easy. 

We visited his grave together and left flowers.

We got up early our last morning to make it McPherson 

to see the Reichenberger crew before lunch time!

After lunch and a fun gift exchange, we went to 5:30 mass together . . .

After dinner - we all took a walk to Lakeside park to enjoy the lights. 

It was SO NICE out!

These two make me laugh harder than anyone.

The OG 3. Love how close we are!

Sarah (almost 46), Brian (almost 50), Jenny (almost 52)

Can hardly wait to celebrate Brian's big 50th in March!

Merry Christmas from the 4 of Us & Bear!

 

It was the 2nd warmest Christmas Eve ever in Kansas City - in the high 60's! What a gorgeous afternoon to meet friends early at church for 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass!

We went to the Plaza after mass to see the lights come on and 

have a fun dinner - just the 4 of us! It was so fun - maybe the start of a new tradition?

After dinner, we swung by the fondue bar and had dessert - 

dipped in S'mores chocolate sauce!

It was the girls first fondue experience and it was so fun!

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Christmas morning!!!

The smell of Monkey bread baking in the oven, Christmas tea/coffee brewing, the sounds of Christmas music playing and lots of gifts unwrapping! Bear in the middle of it all!

Molly & her Bear.

2 More Sleeps Until Christmas!

Cure of Ars' and Saint James are both officially out for 2.5 weeks and I'm LOVING having the girls home and on break! No homework or school obligations and lots of family time in store!

We have a countdown this Advent on our kitchen chalkboard - 

And in the girls' Advent boxes, I fill with 

treasures and surprises every day!

Love our tree filled with so many memories of our family trips and experiences!

Kate took a nap today while reading a book by the fire . . . 

I'm so grateful for our cozy home.

The gifts were all wrapped!

A few new ornaments this year we collected from special memories - 

Our first time as a family in Georgia - when we went to Savannah for Memorial Day Weekend - fittingly we grabbed a peach ornament on our trip.

And our first week of Summer Break spent enjoying 

the beach life in Hilton Head Island!

And our first time together in new places in Colorado - 

like Pikes Peak - where Mike hiked to the tippy top!

Scenes around our house . . .

LOVE hearing Kate playing Christmas songs on the piano this month . . .

We made sugar cookies - and this is "Bear"

Lately . . .

 

Mom's nativity set has a new home this year!

I think Mom would love it in front of our home in KC . . .

Yoga with two of my favorite yoga friends!!

Kate bought 12 masks with her OWN money (her idea) to surprise all her friends in their lockers as a little Christmas surprise - she handwrote notes and tied them to the masks. Love her giving heart.

Our next door neighbor and friend plays in a band on the side and he was in a Battle of the Bands - so the neighborhood went to cheer him on! It was SO FUN!

Molly's CYO sophomore team is having a lot of fun playing basketball for SJA!

Christmas Party Date Night!

Molly's Art

 

Molly had Drawing class this first semester as a prerequisite required for other classes. She wasn't thrilled about taking it, but we think she has so much talent! I have to share!

For her final, she was asked to draw a person she knows - so she drew Kate. 

Another assignment had her drawing her open tennis bag.