As I type this today, December, 29….Christmas has come & gone & I’m beginning to take down all the decorations to pack away for another year. It’s been super wonderful to spend so much time with the girls…going to Claire & Emma’s school activities, baking Christmas cookies with them in our kitchen, & living in a neighborhood for the first time in our lives watching all the Christmas decorations & city lights come alive for the holidays. It’s also been super fantastic doing all this (most days) in shorts & sandals. The one thing that’s been super easy about learning to live in Florida in the fall & December…is how perfect the weather is. I really don’t miss the cold, wet & nasty driving weather of Kansas.
Claire is part of Girls on the Run…a nationwide organization that promotes running after school. They end their season by running a 5K. She’d been fighting a bad cough before the race, but she managed to finish with her Mom by her side!
Emma took part in the fact painting part of the run…so cute!
I’ve been trying to make this little rental we’re in homey & cozy….I realize I don’t have good decorating skills…or at least I’ll call them a bit ‘off the wall’, but Danny & I agree on most things. Besides the rug I bought (which was the biggest rabbit hole I’ve ever gone down) which I have nicknamed the “dead zebra” (no amount of Amazon’s ‘see what this looks like in your room’ could prepare me for this) I’ve been on the hunt for some different furniture. Most people would just go to a furniture store & buy brand new….but that’s not the Hill way. So, scouring marketplace has been the second hole I’ve done a deep dive into. But, we had this old recliner (one of my least favorite words & types of furniture)…Danny & I bought it a gazillion years ago for both our birthdays. We liked it at the time & like it for the next 20 years….but me…not so much after that. I’ve grown to kind of detest the thing. Not to mention our cats had ripped it to shreds. But, Danny stays attached to things & he likes the comfiness of the chair, therefore uses it all the time. I knew I couldn’t easily replace it. So, I brought up the idea of painting & reupholstering it (two things I said I’d never do again…but I rarely listen to my own promises). Surprisingly, Danny agreed. We went into looking for fabric that we liked (something we were both confident no one we knew would ever pick out, but that it was both of our favorite from all the choices). I guessed at the amount we’d need & we started. It was not as difficult as I dreaded & only took 4 days (mostly waiting for paint to dry). I sewed & Danny took it apart, painted & put it back together. Now it sits proudly on the dead zebra looking bright & busy & black. I no longer hate it & it’s now allowed back in the living room. The couch search continues….
I have this awesome family name pillow I bought several years ago & then took to my large excessive pile of felt to brighten up (it was just plain canvas). I tried to figure out a way to add our new family members names (& mine) to the old pillow but gave up after an hours thought. So, I ordered a new one! Took off all the felt fancies & border from the old one, & sewed it on the new one. We’re now happily up to date with all our family names!
Those were my last two projects before the holidays. Now it was time for celebrations!
Neighborhood Christmas tree of lights.
Our neighborhood had a street party over the holidays, putting out luminaries all around the lake. They also brought in food trucks & a bubble bus spewing black light bubbles….they were awesome. Emma thought so too!
Black light bubbles
We had a cocoa & cookie party at the house…clowning up around the tree.
Claire made this ugly sweater (from the gingerbread man on Shrek) for a contest at school…but it was so cute, she lost the contest but loved her creation. I think she wore it for the next three days! It’s adorable!
Claire loved the overalls we bought her & Emma equally loved her sparkly boots! These two sisters are super close but are very very different. But they are both wonderfully awesome!
Our new grand baby Hayden, has been celebrating his first Christmas. His other Grandparents came to enjoy this sweet boy! Leia is wonderful at sending us photos….love this baby soooo much!
Sadly, our little Sammy kitty is practically in Hospice care. This picture was taken a few weeks ago, but she has taken a serious decline since then. Our hearts will break when it comes time to say good bye…she’s been a super fun, loving wonderful little cat.
We have also been trying to explore the state more…kayaking, biking, walking, eating & drinking all around the Sunshine state. Sammy’s condition has kept us limited to day trips for the time being. But, I’ve added a new page where you can check out all the places we go! #exploringflorida
Happy New Year Everyone!