Our Weekend - The One with the Downtown Tree Lighting

I started out the weekend right with one of the most productive days I’ve had in a long time.  Friday morning I woke up ready to roll!  I dropped the kids at school, grabbed a Peppermint Mocha treat, and then I headed straight home to tackle a million things on my to-do list.  By the time it was time to pick the kids up from school, I had finished up and scheduled three blog posts for Christmas Break, mailed the last of our Christmas cards, paid some bills, gotten squared away on lots of “life stuff” (yearbook ads for the kids, class Christmas party emails and texts, etc.), ordered several more gifts, filed some paperwork, worked on a couple of upcoming collaborations with brands, transferred three months worth of files to my back-up hard drives and Amazon drive, and a handful of other little things that have been on my list forever.  I basically felt like a million bucks rolling into the weekend!!

Friday evening we met my parents, brother’s fam, and my uncle downtown at our favorite brew pub for dinner and drinks, and then we stepped outside for the Christmas parade and tree lighting.  B and I have been attending that event for years (even before we had kids) and this was the first year that my parents and brother’s fam came with us. 

The parade had some motorcycle police men, a local school band, a couple of floats, some kids playing handmade instruments, the roller derby girls handing out candy canes, and Santa on a fire truck.  At the end of the parade, they lit the big Christmas tree, and then the kids got to play in the “snow” which is always their favorite part of the whole event.  The weather had been freezing and rainy all day, but fortunately the rain held off the whole time we were there, and the chilly weather made it feel even more festive than ever!

After playing in the “snow” forever, we stopped to take a few cousin pictures in front of the big tree, and then we went and walked along the Christmas tree trail.  The Christmas tree trail is a long line of trees all decorated by local businesses and schools, so each tree is unique and fun.  We found the kids’ school’s tree and then walked along to see the others.  My favorite besides the kids’ school tree was this one by one of our local bars… they had decorated it with red Solo cups.  So fun! 

The kids headed straight to bed when we got home, and then B and I turned on all of the Christmas lights and lit a fire and watched Christmas Vacation.  I wish every day could be part of the Christmas season.  It just makes me so very happy.

Saturday morning we got up and had our usual homemade waffles for breakfast, and then my sister-in-law dropped my nephew and niece off bright and early.  My brother and sister-in-law are FINALLY MOVING HOME!!!! and they had to do some painting at their new house to get it ready for their big move home next weekend. 

I pretty much spent the day like this:

And I was in heaven.

I did put her down long enough to feed the kids lunch and try to do some laundry, but she just wanted to be held, and I happily obliged. 

I may have also used someone else's baby to have some fun... all for Instagram!  Hehe.  I haven't posted it yet, but I'll probably try to get it up this week sometime.  

B stepped out for a few hours to run some errands in the afternoon and I held down the fort at home with a seven year-old, a four year-old, a two year-old, and a six week-old.  EEKS!  It was rainy and cold out so we were stuck indoors all day, but we made the most of it.  I have to say I rocked it like a boss, but by the time my SIL came to pick the kids up at 3:30 I was like, “OKAY, BYE!”  Haha.  But seriously, I’m so thankful to have them home so all of the cousins can grow up together.  On a side note, HOW DO PEOPLE SURVIVE WITH FOUR SMALL KIDS?! 

After they left, it was time to get ready for church.  After church, we headed straight for Mex and then followed it up with a good healthy dose of DQ.  I got the Snickerdoodle Blizzard and, Y’ALL!!!!  It is officially my favorite Blizzard of all time.  It’s basically a cookie dough Blizzard (my favorite) but with cinnamon instead of chocolate chips.  Oh my word, so good!

B and I spent the rest of the evening curled up by the fire and watching the Atlanta United soccer team play and win the National Championship.  (Well, I slept through the last hour because soccer on TV is so not my thing!)  We’re hoping since they won that they broke the curse for sports in the state of Georgia.  Our Braves, Falcons, and of course, our Bulldogs all STRUGGLE when it comes to winning the big ones.  People who live here in the state of Georgia have always said that we’re cursed.  But maybe not anymore?!  Do you hear me, Georgia football team?! 

Sunday morning was spent catching up on a few things since we hadn’t gotten anything done Saturday and then we spent the afternoon at my MIL and step-FIL’s having lunch and celebrating my nephew’s birthday.

Sunday evening my Momma made spaghetti for dinner and we got to sit around our table with my brother and sister-in-law in tow because THEY’RE HOME FOR GOOD!  Well, after they officially move back next weekend.  ;o)

I hope your weekend was as fun and festive as ours was!  Here’s to having a super productive Monday!!!!

Don't forget to link up with Heather, Johannah, and myself... just grab our new Christmas graphic and link up below!

*Linking up with B Loved Boston for Weekending and HoHo Runs for Weekly Wrap.

An InLinkz Link-up