Jake is 6!!!

Every year around this time I write how fast time is going by...and it is!  Just flying!  But on Sunday Jake turned 6 years old.  He is such a wonderful little boy and we are so proud of him.  Here is a little trip down memory lane...

And now he is 6 and getting older by the minute!  He is a growing boy!  He measures 44.75 inches tall which is a 2 inch growth from last year!

So this year for his birthday, we asked him if he wanted a party or to go see the Harlem Globetrotters with his basketball buddies.  Of course he chose the Globetrotters, which is fine by me!  So in a couple weeks we will do that.  Jake just finished up his first basketball season.  He played with his two neighborhood friends and Brian was a coach.  A true test of patience for Brian and he did great!  Now he will start coach pitch baseball on Saturday.  No Brian is not coaching baseball, I can't imagine anyone having the patience to throw a ball to 6 years olds over and over, willing them to hit it.

He is doing great in Kindergarten.  He gets report cards now and they have been stellar.  Reading is his best subject.  He flies through the words and now asks if he can just read silently to himself.  But that might just be a way of getting out of doing his homework!  He can be sneaky!

Avengers (Captain America especially) are his favorite thing these days.  He is really starting to get into Legos...which frustrate him but he keeps trying.  They are hard!  The family got a Wii for Christmas so he likes the racing games and Mario Bros.  He is definitely looking forward to some warm weather so he can get outside with some of his birthday and Christmas presents.   He got some planes that loop around in the air and they have fascinated him lately.

Jake has been such a blessing to us.  He is funny, smart, kind, competitive, sweet and even loves his sisters!  Yes, he gladly kisses and hugs Grace every night!  We love you Jake!  Happy Birthday Buddy!

Snowmageddon

So guess what 2.5 inches of snow can shut down and entire city!  I have now seen it happen!  Completely baffling to someone who grew up with snow but you had to be here to understand.  There have been so many wonderful and heartbreaking stories to come out of Atlanta the past few days.  Here is ours.

They predicted snow but let me tell you most people don't pay attention to the weatherman.  It NEVER snows when they say it will.  This time it was true.  I was running errands and the flurries started.  I got a text saying school was letting out 2 hours early.  I remember rolling my eyes.  Then I waited at the bus stop for an hour for Jake and his buddies to get home.  Poor boys had been stuck on the bus for almost 2 hours.  Brian had called and said he was heading home.  Evidently so was everyone else in Atlanta...literally. 

The snow kept pouring down and we had 2 inches in a couple hours.  All of our neighbors were texting in.  I know being stuck in cars for hours and hours is stressful but so is sitting at home helpless and worried...with a bunch of snow crazy kids.  Not a day I would like to live over.  Brian spent about 5 hours in his car and was at a stand still the last hour or two.  Finally he parked his car on a side street and started to walk.  Of course Brian didn't have a real coat, or a hat or gloves.  Not really prepared for a 6 miles hike (uphill) in 20 degree weather.  At least one nice person was walking with Brian.  He was almost home so he offered Brian his coat, hat, anything he had on.  Brian took the hat and was thankful for it!

A couple hours later a very cold and hungry Brian arrived home.  He went straight to defrost in the shower and I heated up dinner.  But the night was still young.  Ours friends Heather and Troy across the street were stranded far from home and their kids were still at school.  Brian and Andy (another friend down the street) hopped in his truck to rescue their kids.  So about 10:30 Brian was in for the night.  Our other friends and neighbors trickled in throughout the night but Heather across the street gave up and was offered a cot at a hotel.  Which she gladly took.

So the next day the sun was shining.  We were told not to go anywhere.  Like we were going anywhere...we had snow to play in!  Brian and a couple guys spent the afternoon picking up everyone's abandoned cars.  But the morning we spent sledding and making snow angels!

We tried sledding down our front hill with a few different makeshift sleds.  But the Decker's saved the day with a pool raft.  Those kids were flying down the hill.  And let me tell you the one who had the most fun was GRACE!  Once she got that first run down the hill she was hooked.  She toppled out of the raft and started up the hill, holding her little hand out for help.  After she got up there she got herself in the raft to go again.  She was not waiting her turn, I think she even pushed a few kids out of her way.  It was hilarious!

I'll post a really short video on my YouTube site of her sledding.  You can hear her say "weeeee."  She is awesome.

So to recap.  The snow fell Tuesday afternoon and school was dismissed early.  Obviously no school on Wednesday.  It was still pretty icy and cold Wednesday night, so no school on Thursday.  And to just make sure all the parents went completely insane they cancelled school on Friday too.  Again, we are talking about 2.5 inches of snow...I measured.

However, the kids playing in that snow, and the smiles and laughter was priceless!

Christmas

What a Christmas we had this year!  It was full of fun, laughter, visitors, gifts, and some sickness.  But it was another great Christmas in the McNeely house!  Christmas Eve started with the children's church service.  The 35 minute service is just the right amount of time for us.  Then its home to eat a yummy Christmas Eve dinner that Daddy made (this year it was lasagna).  After dinner it was time to put the cookies out for Santa.  Jake and Julianna had some set backs...Grace kept eating the cookies.

Once the plate was full (and I mean full!) they checked on Santa to make sure he was in route.  Yes, you can see where he is on some website Brian found.  Then it was off to bed so Mommy get wrapping!  The kids woke up early, around 6:30 and were super disappointed to hear they had to wait for Grace to wake up.  Finally around 7:00 she was ready to go!

Santa brought Jake a new basketball hoop, basketball and lots of stocking stuffers. Julianna got an art desk for her room with all the supplies.  Grace got a Minnie Mouse big wheel.  No, her feet don't reach the pedals but she grows like a weed so maybe by the spring she can ride it.  AND the whole family got a WiiU, which required a new TV.  So we are all set for some fun games!

We had lots of fun opening presents.  Each kid gets to pick a toy for their brother/sister.  It's funny how they talk about it.  Julianna was very specific and told Jake to buy her the Brave bow and arrow (which of course he did).  Grace gave her a Sophia the First amulet.  Julianna gave Grace a drum and Jake got Grace a Minnie Mouse doll.  Julianna picked out the Hulk smashing fists for Jake and decided Grace would give him the mask.  Turns out Grace was really more into being the Hulk.

We spent most of Christmas day putting toys together and setting up the Wii.  Brian was in bed sick so I figured it out.  The basketball hoop took a few days but that is up as well.  A few days after Christmas Jake came down with pneumonia.  But that didn't slow him down, he just got to rest and watch some TV in the afternoon.

Friday Brian's side of the family came for a visit.  The cousins all had a great time playing together and opening presents.  Saturday night the adults went to dinner.  Yeah, I found a babysitter for 7 kids...yikes!

After the McNeely's left, Grandma and Poppy came for a couple days.  They brought even more presents to open.  Grace got a Minnie Mouse apron and was put to work the very first day.  Grandma always makes cookies with us!  Although Poppy was sick, I think everyone managed to have a fun time.  We rang in the New Year together (sans Poppy and Grace who were sleeping).

Now I am trying to get back to normal after a very eventful Christmas vacation.  Wouldn't you know they cancel school the first day back because its cold.  What's one more day of fun, right?  I hope everyone had a great Holiday season and 2014 brings you lots of wonderful memories!

Julianna's 1st Ballet Recital

Julianna's very first dance recital was last Friday.  She has been going to class for months and the recital was finally here!  She got her costume weeks ago under strict instructions for it to hang in Mommy's closet.  Can't imagine why?  Finally on Thursday she got to wear it for dress rehearsal.

I had no idea how much goes into these things!  I was never a dancer (my sister was but I didn't pay that much attention).  When the teacher said they need to have their hair in a tight bun my stomach dropped.  What?  Have you seen Julianna's hair?  Wet hair and a LOT of hairspray worked like a charm.  She wouldn't take her hair down.

Friday night I think she was a little nervous but our neighbor was also in the recital so that helped.  She was excited to see Ella's costume.  Ella was very sweet and held Julianna's hand backstage.

The performance went well.  She smiled and did most of the right stuff.  They each had a partner that they danced around.  Julianna's was pretty clueless so Julianna kept telling her she was not doing it right.  But it was all as cute as you can imagine.  At some point they give out a video of the entire recital.  Parents are not allowed to take pictures or video.  It's awesome!  You can just focus on your kid and not getting the perfect picture.  However, I did take a video of the rehearsal.  It's a little crazy and the lighting on Julianna is not great.  I loaded it on my YouTube site.  She is in the back row first dancer on the left.  The one who keeps checking to see if she is on her green sticker.  We are very proud of our little ballerina and I am sure we have many, many, many more ballet recitals in our future

Thanksgiving

First I don't think I can talk about our Thanksgiving week with out saying WAR EAGLE! 

Around here the kids get out of school for the entire Thanksgiving week.  So I try to do fun stuff.  They always, always, always pick Chuck E Cheese.  We also went to a trampoline place called Champion Kids.  Grace was sliding down into a foam pit.  I can't believe what a little daredevil she is!

Finally on Wednesday Aunt Lyndsay came to visit.  She was up bright and early to run the Atlanta half marathon.  Of course that morning was the coldest day we have seen in a while!  25 degrees is not normal for us!  But Jake and I braved the cold to cheer Aunt Lyndsay to her finish.  We were very proud of her!

For Thanksgiving dinner we decided to split the meal with our neighbors.  It was so nice to pop down the street and only make half the meal!  And the kids played and had a great time.  Grace ate 3 helpings of corn, some turkey and kept coming back for a bite of roll.  She is just too cute! 

Finally to wrap up the weekend we went in search of the perfect tree.  3 Christmas tree lots later we found it.  Jake was so excited.  He loves to get the christmas tree!

Yesterday we decorated the tree.  Brian was a little late so I thought it would be a good time for a photo shoot.  Sometimes they just all smile at the same time and I catch it.  I love a cute pajama picture!