The Leonard Family: January 2016

It is always amazing how fast each year seems to go by for us! We spent some time yesterday with the kids trying to remember memories and fun experiences from 2015! It was a very happy year for us and we are excited to see what 2016 brings! We work hard each day to remember to be happy and thankful! If today is any indication, we are in for some great things! We started the day just the four of us snuggling on the couch in pjs watching movies by the fire! The rest of the morning was spent coloring, playing with toys and eating leftovers! There is a boston butt on the Big Green Egg, blackeyed peas on the stove and some cabbage crunch slaw for the afternoon! I think that there may be some ladder golf in our future too!

The holidays were wonderful and crazy busy as usual! We enjoyed having Mimi, Papa Tillie AND Gigi here for one weekend! We spent some great time together and had fun exchanging presents! The kids loved them being here! That same weekend we hosted Breakfast with Santa at our house! It's the 8th year (WOW!) that we have continued this tradition. 5 families came over and brought yummy breakfast food and all the kids got to talk with Santa and take lot of pictures!
We also hosted a big fun night with neighbors at our house! TONS of food, drinks and kids! Ha! Hoping we continue that tradition! Love our fun neighborhood!
Speaking of neighborhoods, we also had a BLAST at the Polo Holiday Party at the Club! We went with several other couples! Too fun! And the kids got to go in pjs and watch movies while we hung out, chatted, ate and had drinks!
I had the best time taking Lucy to the Nutcracker ballet! We went to Gwinnett this year and it was so fun! It's a small venue and all the seats are great! Lucy LOVED getting to meet all the ballerinas after the show! That's a fun tradition with my sweet girl!
We spent a weekend at Poppa and Nunno's to celebrate Christmas with family! They made an AMAZING dinner and the kids were in a frenzy of toys and gifts and laughing! All the cousins LOVE being together!
Another fun tradition is our Christmas Dinner Club which this year was at the Coopers! We spent several hours talking and enjoying yummy food while the kids played. YEP. The kids played the WHOLE time! Wow, how the years change!!!!
The kids both had great holiday parties at their schools that we got to attend! We did a little tag team with those! The whole family got to see Lucy's Holiday Program one evening, and then I went to Jack's Gingerbread House party for his class and Daddy went to Lucy's Holiday Feast!

For Christmas, we LOVED spending another year at home for the actual holiday! Nannie and Ugga came up to celebrate with us! We started with a super yummy dinner at Branchwater on Wednesday night! The kids had their first ever Shirley Temple and they are STILL talking about! Too fun! We baked ninja gingerbread cookies for Santa (yes, that is correct! NINJA COOKIES!) and made tons of great appetizers on Christmas Eve! We made a BIG traditional Christmas lunch the next day! We enjoyed our Christmas china and beautiful table with family! It's just so fun! Poppa and Nunno came to eat and spend some good time with us! The rest of the day we were super cozy coloring, playing and being together! It was just a happy day!

This past week we have done everything from hang out at neighbors all day (EVEN playing Rock Band! TOO fun!), outdoor movies, lots of new board games, ladder golf, hot tub and fun outside (YEP..it was in the 70s!!!), bowling, eating out fun lunches and watching movies! I wish we had more time like this! It's been fun!!!!

Cheers to 2016!

Breakfast with Santa!