Christmas Day - Part I

The kids woke up and came downstairs and we all opened presents. The kids requested French Toast for breakfast, and I was more than happy to comply. Santa was very good to us this year. The best gift of all was getting to be together as a family for sure.

Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve at our home with my parents. We had a great dinner and exchanged gifts, as we traditionally celebrated Christmas Eve while I was growing up.

Gymnastics Class

Both the kids are enrolled in gymnastics, and it's pretty much the highlight of their week. Julia is doing very well. She was placed in the advanced class for 5 yr olds and it was determined she had all those skills and needed to be placed in Level I instead - so she is in a class with 6-10 yr olds. She is learning so much and she really loves it.

Kenneth is in a pre-K class and he loves to do the Tumble Track, Trampoline, and flips. He laughs and smiles the whole class.

Of course, I don't know what to do with myself when they are taking their class. It's exciting and weird and awesome and oh yeah weird some more that both my kids are at an age where they don't need mom all the time. They have grown up so fast.

Julia's Christmas Program

The day after Kelly returned from the desert for his R&R, Julia had her Christmas program. She knew her songs and movements so well and she just sparkled up on stage. It was so wonderful to have our family intact to attend such a special event. We were so proud of her!

(Yes - Julia is very tall for her age. She is above the 95th percentile for height. We didn't hold her back in school a year and she is the same age as her classmates. People ask me that quite a bit so I thought I would address that.)

Reunion

Nothing but pure joy. I think the pictures say it all. I will let Kelly come back and tell the tale of his travels to get here, but the shots of him and the kids are so priceless I had to get them on here! He got off the plane just in time for us to pick up Julia at school.

He will also get to attend her Christmas Program tomorrow morning. I don't think Kenneth unburied his head from Kelly's neck until we got back into the car, so I don't have any really good shots of him!

Huntington Blvd. Walk

Tonight my parents, the kids, and I took a walk down Huntington Blvd. in Fresno. It's not as popular as Christmas Tree Lane, but it still has the feel of an old fashioned Fresno Christmas. Plus, you don't have to deal with the annoying yuppies driving their gas guzzlers and being stuck in traffic for 2 hours to see the lights.

My dad managed to borrow a wagon for the kids which was awesome. They really enjoyed that. Plus, my parents have friends who live on Huntington who let us park at their home.

We were amazed by the 90 ft "America's Tallest Decorated Tree" and the kids got to visit with Santa and see the reindeer. I can't believe we have less than 2 weeks until Christmas!

Kelly will be on his way home this week for his 2 week R&R so please send some extra thoughts/energy/good vibes/prayers etc his way! And maybe some my way too...my "to do" list is about a mile long with things I want to accomplish before he arrives! We are way excited!

Seven months...

Kelly is now seven months into his deployment. Or, 217 days if you prefer. Only (only? yeah right) 148 to go.

Not that I'm like, ya know, counting or anything...