Christmas Party with Old Pals

Although we are no longer bringing the boys to Lanka's daycare, we are now invited to her holiday party as "alumni".  The boys, especially Andrew, had fun playing with some of their old pals.  And of course, Santa's visit and gifts are always a big hit with the kids.

Mini-Nut and Birthday Lunch

Each year we like to take the boys to see a holiday show. This year, we drove to Silver Spring  with Gramma and Grandad to see the Mini-Nut, a shortened version of the Nutcracker for kids.  Dan described ballet to the boys as "ninja moves for girls", but the boys didn't quite understand and were a little disappointed when they did not see any ninjas.  But they did like the soldiers!  After the show, we enjoyed lunch at Tower Oaks Lodge and celebrated Dan's birthday. 

Naughty or Nice?

So Santa visited Andrew and his friends at Discovery Station a few days ago.  So is Andrew on the naughty or nice list this year?  I guess we'll find out in a few weeks - but he's definitely on the cute list!

Holiday Concert at Wolftrap

Last night we went to the Holiday Sing-a-long Concert at Wolftrap with some friends.  The Marine Corp Band played lots of holiday classics and the audience got to sing along and shake our jingle bells.  The concert ended with Silent Night and a processional exit with candles and flashlights.  This was a great holiday event and one that can really remind you of the Christmas Spirit in the midst of the craziness of this time of year.  I hope that our family can make attending this event an annual tradition!

Breakfast with Santa

After the jog, we quickly headed home and changed our clothes so we could make it to Arcola United Methodist Church for their annual Breakfast with Santa event.  The event is co-sponsored with the Arcola Volunteer Fire Department and it something we look forward to every year.  Now the question is.... will Santa visit our house this year?  To be honest, if yesterday was the determining day, the answer would be no, but luckily the boys have 24 more days to get on the nice list. 

Jingle Bell Jog

On Saturday morning, the family participated in the Jingle Bell Jog at Liberty Elementary.  Elmo even joined us this year and was lucky enough to catch a ride with Andrew on his trike.  After our 6 laps around the track, we enjoyed a light breakfast of muffins and cocoa. 

Gingerbread Men

To end the Thanksgiving weekend, the boys decorated some gingerbread men with Grammy and PopPop. Aren't they cute?? 

Kicking off the Holiday Season with a Parade

For some Black Friday = shopping.  But for us, Black Friday = Parade at the Reston Town Center.  This year, the whole Vaughan clan joined in the fun.  It's not the Macy's parade, but it is still a fun way to welcome the Christmas season, especially when the sun is shining.  Goodbye Thanksgiving and Hello Christmas!  (and thanks for the extra few days in between this year....I *REALLY* like that!)

It's A ......

BOY!!!!  (Can you see the blue stripe in the middle of the cheesecake?)  We are all very excited to meet the newest cousin next year. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

We celebrated Thanksgiving this year with Dan's family at his parent's house.  After romping outside and enjoying the beautiful weather, we had a wonderful time feasting and sharing about some of the many blessings for which we are all thankful.  God has been very good to all of us!

A Preschool Feast

On Friday before Thanksgiving week, my little pilgrim celebrated the upcoming holiday with other Pilgrims and Indians.  After a cute song performance, the kids were excited to dig into the feast of snacks!

End of the Season

The last game of the season was a bit chilly, but it was the ending to a great season for Nathan.  He had lots of fun and learned so much!  He is already looking forward to baseball starting up again next spring.

Ouch!

The Final Score:  Playground: 1 and Andrew: 0.

Trick or Treat

Introducing Captain America and Jake the Pirate (from Disney Jr.'s "Jake and the Neverland Pirates").