The Adams Family: Friends, Family, Christmas Tree, and Santas

It's the third week of Advent already, and we have been jamming our Christmas season full of great memories. The first full weekend in December was the one that we did Breakfast with Santa at our school, enjoyed the B1G 10 Championship with our friends, and we made our annual trip to Saum's tree farm to get the Adams' Family Christmas Tree! You know it's a good weekend when you get to 11pm Sunday night, and you haven't sat down. And you are utterly exhausted!

It started Friday night when Matt volunteered at the school and set up the Breakfast with Santa. We have to volunteer a certain number of times during the school year, and this is an event that we can do in the evening and not take time off work. Then Saturday morning we got up early and headed to the event. The kids enjoyed the pancake toss and the games the most. When it was Laura and Hannah's turn to catch their pancakes, Emma walked right in front of them and started telling the pancake guy each of her family member's name. She was so cute! Then we went into the gym to play the games. The games were similar to the ones at the church festival, and they give away trinkets, which my kids LOVE... and I don't. For those that know me well, you know that I will be throwing those away in short order! Anyway, the kids were not really that interested in Santa. Once they got close to him, Emma really like him. She hugged him and snuggled. Hannah was luke warn about him and told him what she wanted for Christmas. I don't think Laura believed that he was the real thing. When he asked her to sit on his lap, Laura said, "umm, I'm 7." She reluctantly did sit on his lap. Emma actually liked this snowman that was walking around more than Santa. I think she thought he was Olaf, and she wanted him to come with us everywhere.

After our eventful morning, we ran some errands and headed home. Matt and Laura headed immediately back out for Laura's first basketball practice! Matt said that she did really well. They ran various drills, practicing the fundamentals. Then they played a few games, like minnows and sharks, where they practiced stealing the ball from one another. I'm so happy that she is trying it. I enjoyed basketball so much as a kid, and I hope that I get to watch my kids play too.

While Laura and Matt were at her practice, I took the other two to the grocery store. Then we got ready for our friends, the Childresses and Tony, to come over and watch the big game with us. The kids had a GRAND time. The girls hadn't seen the Childress girls in a long time, and they played until they practically collapsed. Emma actually did cash out, and the other two fell asleep fast after our guests left. It was nice to visit and hang out with friends, and it sure helped that we shut out Wiscy to win the B1G 10 title.

This is Avery and Laura. I think they are playing zombies.

The next morning after church we caught up on some cleaning, and then my parents came in the afternoon, and we headed down to Saum's. We have been going there for about six or seven years, and it is an awesome experience. This year the weather was beautiful, and I think the entire city of Columbus was there. It was as packed as I have ever seen it. Hannah chose our tree this year, and it is the biggest one that we have had. It is about 8 1/2 feet tall and broad. Along with picking out the tree, the kids enjoyed cookies and cocoa, and then they got to sit on Santa's lap, for the second time in one weekend! The Santa and Mrs. Claus at Saum's are really good. They look really genuine, and they are really good with the kids too. Laura and Hannah loved them. Emma wasn't into it this time, but Emma being temperamental is not unusual. Gotta love her :) When we got home, I fixed us some tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner. That's one of the girls' favorite meals. Then my parents left, and we set to work decorating. Matt got about 45 minutes into putting lights on the tree, and a light on his strand went out and blew the fuse. All of his lights were out. He was not a happy camper. He ripped off the lights and threw them all in the trash. Then he went into Meijer and bought all new lights and a star. Eventually we did get the tree decorated. In fact we got the entire house decorated except for the village that night. (And we got the village up the next night.) It was an awesome day. It wasn't without it's stressful moments (Emma may have been difficult from time to time), but overall we will remember the fun parts of the day. Hannah is very proud of the fact that she chose the perfect tree, and that is so special to me!