Weekend Recap

We had a jam-packed weekend planned last weekend, and I have to say - I was pretty concerned we wouldn't get it all done.

Here was the schedule:

Friday

• 5:30PM-8:00PM - 3rd Grade Girls Church Party

Saturday

• 10:30AM-12:30PM - Addie & Sam's Birthday Party
• 3:00PM - 5:00PM - Luke's Birthday Party
• 5:30PM - Dinner with Kyle, Lauren, Dave & Lindsey at the Carlyles' house

Sunday

• 12:00PM - Riding Lesson
• 5:30PM - Visit to Lights of the Ozarks to see the lights and Santa

I mean the last time I had a season-themed weekend planned, the stomach virus struck.  I knew something would come up and wreck these plans - they were too good to be true.  But Lowe and behold, a Christmas miracle happened, and we pulled it off.

First, Friday night I took Alli out to Goshen, which is much farther away from my house than I ever gave it credit for, to attend the 3rd grade girls church party.  They made scarves for kids, baked cookies and wrote cards for shut-ins, and played games.  She had a wonderful time.

Saturday morning, we had Addie and Sam's birthday party.  They've shared a party with Alli for the past few years, but this year we did them separate.  Their party was at their house, and Alli said they wrote a song with the girls' mom's friend.  I used the two hour window to get some Christmas shopping done.  The seven snow days we had in the first part of the month really screwed me up, and I am still behind!

When we got home, I started on the brownies we were taking to our friends' house later that night, and Ryan took Alli to FastLanes for another birthday party, this one for our neighbor Luke.  

After that Ryan and Alli came to get Riley and I, and we went to have dinner at Kyle and Lauren's house.  Dave and Lindsey were there too.  We had delicious tacos, played with the kids, and chatted.  Their house is so pretty, and Lauren and Lindsey are both due with babies in March.  Talk about baby fever!!!  They were so excited to see and play with Riley.

Sunday, Alli had a great riding lesson at the barn and then we came home and got ready to go to the Fayetteville Square to see the Lights of the Ozarks.  We usually go on Alli's birthday weekend, but the snow intervened again.  It was beautiful on Sunday night and not too cold.  We hit it right at 5:30, and completely avoided the crowds, so we walked right up to see Santa without the usual thirty minute wait.

Alli didn't even have to wait to hop on a camel!

Then we wandered around the Square, and Alli made me take a million pictures of her.  

Then I told her I was going to put the camera up and just look.  I think too often I spend too much time trying to take pictures of everything, and I don't ever step back and just "be in the moment."  I love having the pictures, but I need to remember to actually look too.  So we walked another lap around and just looked.  There's nothing that gets me more in the Christmas spirit than a visit to the Square.  Followed by stuffed avocados at La Hacienda.  Feliz Navidad!