Buddies

Over the holidays, one of my best friends from high school and college roommate (Alicia) stopped in for a brief visit. She brought along her sweet  little Natalia. She and Jasper hit it off immediately!

Jasper:  "Hey, have we met before?"

Natalia: "Oh, I've heard so much about you!"

"Mom, can we keep her?"

 "I like you."

Jasper does his "happy dance"

 "I like you, too."

My best friends of 20 years, Susan and Alicia (not pictured: Anu)

Both Susie and Alicia are  pregnant right now! Happy!   Susie and Sam are expecting a boy in July. Alicia and Felipe are expecting TWINS in August.  Simms and Jasper will have more buddies on the way. Yay! (Now, we just have to figure out how to get Alicia to move back Jackson....)

Our First Advent Calendar

I've been talking about making an advent calendar for a couple of years now. But this is the first year that I actually followed through. hooray!  It was so easy, too. I just  printed out the numbers for the 25 days of Christmas, attached them to muslin bags, and hooked them onto a string using mini clothespins. Easy! Then I typed up  25 different activities,  printed them, glued them to cardstock, and placed one in each of the bags.

Some days we did the advent activities, and some days we didn't - and that was alright by me.  The Advent calendar was an effort to start a new family tradition; get us into the spirit of Christmas; make some memories....  Not create a mile long list of obligations.

Here's the list of our advent calendar activities:

1. Get a Christmas Tree!
2. Walk around the neighborhood and see all the Christmas lights!
3. Attend a holiday  event at the Natural Science Museum
4. Pop PoPcorn & Watch a holiday movie
5. Holiday Sushi Night!
6. Cuddle up on the coach and read Holiday Stories 
7.  Pick food out from the pantry and donate it to the local food shelter
8. Use this $5 to buy 5 gifts for your brother at the dollar store
9. Make homemade cookies to give to special friends and neighbors 
10. Give a bag of treats to our mailman to thank him for his service  
11. Make homemade cards
    
12. Decorate gingerbread house
13. Make a Christmas ornament 
14. do something nice for another family member
15. Put on Pajamas. Go for a drive around neighborhoods to look at Christmas lights.
16. Go to the library and check out a book that teaches us about other traditions/holidays
17. Walk to Highland village, Look at decorations and enjoy a treat at beagle bagel!
18. Host a neighborhood christmas party
19. Open up one Christmas present! 
20. Give cookies and cards to the garbage men
21.  pick out 5 of your toys to donate
22. Go see the lights and ride the carrousel in canton
23.  make presents and cards for your teachers
24. Go to church on Christmas eve 
25.  Set out cookies for Santa Claus and carrots for reindeer