Things I Learned (or Re-learned) in 2016 - by Marc

1. My wife is so smart. 

 

2. I had no idea that Disney World had so many fun rides for adults. Taking “older” kids is totally worth it (well, maybe not worth it, but still fun).

 

3. It’s best if my wife is only allowed on Pinterest in moderation and only during the spring/fall - when my garage workshop is much more comfortable.

 

4. Testifying in court becomes almost enjoyable when the person asking the questions is not a lawyer but instead is someone representing themselves.

 

5. When in doubt, just go ahead and force the dog to vomit. Most likely she’s just ingested yet another dog toxin.

 

6. Every day is a blessing.

 

7. My kids may say that they want stuff, but really I think they just want shared experiences to make memories.

 

8. Deciding where to spend 40+ hours of my life every week is tough. People make the difference - good and bad.

 

9. Don’t believe everything you are told, even in a professional setting. Trust is everything.

 

10. My kids remember 100% of the silly stuff I tell them and 10% of the real life stuff I tell them. I’ve now learned to weave real life lessons into those stories of unicorns on the side of Sugar Pike Rd or my truck windows being voice activated. 

 

11. My oldest daughter wants to have conversations, my middle daughter wants to be held, and my youngest daughter just wants to eat and be heard. 

 

12. Teaching young ones what to say (or not say) when exiting a restroom is almost the most important thing to teach them.

 

13. A drive-through safari sounds good until you realize that the animals drool and stink.

 

14. Now that the girls are getting through fundamental school things like reading and math, I actually enjoy helping them with critical life skills in their school projects - like building a contraption to safely land a falling egg. 

 

15. It has now been 20 years since I graduated from high school, 15 years since I was joined with my bride, and 5 years since I finally stopped going to college. Enjoying each day with family and friends is the only way I know to make the years slow down. 

 

16. Reading the bible daily requires discipline but is always worth it. I’ve found that my attitude as I respond to life happenings is a direct reflection of my time spent with our God.

 

17. Always believe the instructions/warnings on a seed packet - especially for watermelons!

 

18. After walking two miles in 3-degree cold to see Christmas lights in New York, it may not be in your best interests to compare those lights to anything you’ve ever seen before.

Christmas 2016

We have truly enjoyed our Christmas season this year, and it was a good mix of Christmas activities and rest. We went to the Atlanta Christmas Musical at our church this year and we enjoyed it.  Sweet Brooke fell asleep towards the end because the program didn't start until 8:00PM. Every time she falls asleep on me (which is very rare) I cherish it because it is very well the last time she will.  Each Christmas she gives me this little gift reminding me she is still my baby.  She slept soundly through all the noise until the bagpipe player started.  She jumped so high, and I had to try and keep my laughter under control. She of course has no memory of that.

Macy sang in KidzPlace for a couple of Sundays and the whole family came to watch her the last weekend. 

And we surprised them with a trip to New York City.

Christmas morning was a relaxing time with the family.  Because Christmas fell on a Sunday we opted to watch church service from home in our pajamas. There was no rush to get out the door. And because their big gift was the trip, our morning was low-key.

A gift from her dad...

We thought it would be fun to get a new family game about New York this year.  

The dog did not like her electric toothbrush.

 

A new sleeping bag she wanted.  I guess at 9 years old you outgrow the child princess sleeping bags.

Two years in a row I have managed to surprise him with an electronic.

Ugh. Purchased by Daddy in a weak moment when Momma was out of town.

We headed to my mom's house after service.  We enjoyed the afternoon with her and my sister's family.  Brooke was thrilled with her Star Wars gift.

And this girl added a bunch of Tsum Tsums to her small collection.

Pearl earrings for the big kids. 

Matching dresses for the cousins!

There is a funny story behind this gift.  When we were in Pensacola with my family my mom wanted to visit Chet's restaurant for dinner.  The first time they tried to go the restaurant was closed.  We tried again, and we were the last ones to show up.  Apparently there had been a discussion about how much my mom needed this "got mullet?" shirt. Marc decided, without knowing about this conversation, that we needed to get this for mom for Christmas.  Only after the purchase did we find out about everyone agreeing the needed this shirt. Her family knows her so well. :)

The rest of Marc's family came in town after Christmas.

It was a joyous, family filled Christmas season this year.  I am thankful to have family close by so that we can spend time together throughout the year.

Christmas Brunch

We all love our tradition of hosting a Christmas Eve brunch at our house each year. Each year the girls get more involved in the preparation, and I never know who will help me make cinnamon rolls.

I love having my home filled with the people we love.

New York City Day 5

Our last day in the city was another frigid one.  We had one last surprise planned that had to be rescheduled due to the weather conditions.  On our way we decided to swing by the Today Show studio. Fifteen minutes later we received our 5 seconds of fame when the audience was placed on national television after a commercial break. Thankfully we were able to set up our TV to record using an app on our phone.  Amazing technology we have access to these days! It was pretty neat to watch ourselves on TV when we got home.

Our final adventure took us back to Central Park for a carriage ride! I wish it wasn't so bitterly cold, but we enjoyed ourselves as much as we could.

Our driver gave us a great tour of the park full of information of movies filmed here and celebrities that live nearby. It was a fun experience.

 

We decided to visit Toasties again for lunch followed by dessert at Grand Central.  At Grand Central Station there is a special place where you can speak into one corner and be heard across to the other side. No one hears you in the middle because sound travels up along the wall, ceiling, and back down. The girls had fun with this.

We finished off with dessert from Magnolia Bakery.  The girls had cupcakes, Marc had a cookie, and I enjoyed their banana pudding.

It was now time to head back to the hotel and catch our ride to the airport.  We had a wonderful vacation and experienced many things as a family.  The cold temperatures were brutal, but we made the most of it and came away with some great memories.

New York City Day 4

Sunday's adventure took us to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  The girls thought they had seen all they would see of Lady Liberty, so they were very excited to know we were riding over to the island for a closer look. 

For any of you that read about our trip to Australia you may recall the number of random people that wanted to take pictures of the girls.  I know they are super adorable, so who can blame them. :)

And once again, here in New York City, we had strangers taking pictures of the girls. What do my girls do? They smile for everyone. This is obviously not a new thing for them.  It is always someone from an Asian country. Marc and I find it absolutely hilarious.

Anyway, back the adventure at hand.

We enjoyed an audio tour around the statue, but the tour of Ellis Island was everyone's favorite.

The girls became Junior Rangers for the first time.

Enjoying our audio tour of Ellis Island.

Before we left a friend suggested we venture across the Brooklyn Bridge to Grimaldi's pizza. It was nice to go to a restaurant where you were ushered to a table instead of having to fight for one as soon as someone made any indication they might be leaving. It was cramped up next to another table, but that's okay.  The pizza was delicious and we were glad we made the trek to try this place out. 

Rest time today included some Star Wars.  Apparently there was a Star Wars marathon running with Rogue One coming out in the theaters.  The girls were excited to sit and watch this again for a little while.

We ventured out to check out the holiday market at Bryant Park.  It was a neat experience and we were hoping to find something yummy for dinner.  There were many places to eat set up like semi-permanent food trucks. They were small, temporary buildings and each location had a different, but limited menu.  Of course it was hard to find something that the girls wanted to eat, but from the first moment we smelled Waffles and Dingus I knew that's what I was having for dinner. It was one of the best things I had all week. Belgian waffle with strawberries, bananas, nutella, and something crunchy on the inside. Amazing.

And with dinner enjoyed we did a little more walking around before heading back to the hotel.  We had some packing to do as well as some more thawing out.