Christmas & NYE 2016!!

We had so much fun this year with the kiddos!! Ahhhh, what a holiday season! So much going on, so busy yet so fun! I tell myself that every year I will soak it in more... stop, relax, hot chocolate and the Grinch... then one day goes by, then the next, then the next, then the next.:( I do enjoy staying busy but at times I wish I could scale it back just a smidge. I do think the kiddos (I hope) enjoy the hustle and bustle of the season, which includes LOTS of kid parties, Santa sightings, and candy canes!! I love these sweet babies to my core, and I just hope that when it's all said and done, they know how much Jonathan and I love them so. 

"Their" tree! We have had two trees going on 3 years. This is one full of hard work and memories... pre-K and handmade ornaments! Beyond special. They decorate it and decide where everything goes. Joseph only knocked it down once this year.

Field trip FUN! My girl and I at the Children's Museum in Jackson for a field trip!

Mamma gave Ceci a gingerbread kit for her birthday, so we decided we would all have fun with this!!

Santa sighting! The Woodfin's annual Christmas party in Bellegrass!

Time to get ready for Ceci's first big Christmas program and performance in kindergarten!! (Our "other" tree)

BDS Christmas Program. So so sweet.

After the big program with her besties, Vera and Bennett Blair

Boys will be boys... TRUTH! All true brothers!!

Another Santa sighting at the Jones Companies Christmas party!!

SWEET, sweet Coley girls at the Jones Co party

Christmas karaoke at BDS! "Who Let the Elves Out?!?"

Tacky sweater party FUN!!!

Another fun party!! Sweet KD friend pic!!

Getting LOW on the floor!

Jennifer Pattie, Whitney Bounds, Rachel Jussley, Arlean Sackler, Holly Rogers, Katie Dixon, Courtney Nichols, Erin Miller

Wrapping presents is tough work!

PJ Party at the Pals!! Duhons, Paladichuks, Waterses and Hartels!

Christmas service with besties!

I'm sorry but who doesn't think this is THE best Christmas album of all time? I grew up on this album during all of Christmas... and it stuck. Stuck because it's amazing and because, let's face it, Elvis is THE MAN!

Cookies and milk for Santa!!

Christmas morning!! Oh so fun!!!!!!!!

American Girl Doll of the Year, Lea!

Mr. Man getting all the things he asked for!:)

Oh, and this little man woke up with a fever! Eeeek. We got through it. He still had fun.:)

Santa always leaves the BEST notes!!;)

Daddy got a fun happy t-shirt from a co-worker who apparently knows him too well! I told Dad to "make a serious face" for his Game of Thrones tee!

AAAAAAANDDD..... the highlight of our holiday vacation!;) Our super fun and always a hot mess bestie, Derek Gillaspy! He came in the day after Christmas and left on Jan 2nd. He's a hoot. One of Jonathan's best friends in high school then Ole Miss Kappa Sig fraternity brother (Jon treasurer and Gillaspy president), these two have been thick as thieves for years and years. We just love him. He always gives us a good laugh with his fun and lighthearted spirit and also lets us live vicariously through him since he's on the "scene" both dating and social. 

Gillaspy meet Ed's, Ed's meets Gillapsy...:)

The kids absolutely ADORED Mr. Derek. Mr. Derek definitely earned his keep... from wrestling with all 3, to playing ball with Les, to coloring pics with Ceci, he was "all in!!"

Arm bar? Go Ceci!!

Looks like Mr. Derek could only take two at a time, giving Joseph the heisman...!

Then Joseph got his Mr. Derek time!;)

Just taking baths on New Years... One bathed, dressed and ready for bed only to be told by big brother "get back in..." Mama wasn't a happy camper! Brothers in crime.

YPO Trip to CUBA!! "Cars & Cigars" September 2016

Jonathan and I took a FABULOUS, once in a lifetime YPO trip this year to Miami and Cuba!! YPO always themes out its trips and this was "Cars and Cigars!" It was nothing short of fantastic and very interesting. We first went to Miami and stayed at The Miami Beach Edition, an amazing hotel. They had education tracts with speakers that gave us a brief history of Cuba, the revolution, Castro, the business climate there, and relations with the US. Then the next morning got ready for our flight! Our group chartered a private plane to Havana, so needless to say it wasn't rough en route. The country is just allowing tourism for visits other than missions or business (no "fun"), so we were told that when asked why we were there, we were on a "person to person" exchange... an educational trip you might say. This trip was unique in that President Obama had just begun restoring US/Cuba relations, and only recently began allowing US citizens to visit Cuba. It was like entering a time machine back into the 1950's when progress in Havana was halted by the Castro Revolution. Visiting modern day Cuba was essentially Cuba back in time. We stayed at the Parque Central Hotel in the heart of Old Havana. Since Cuba had just began allowing trade into the country and opening its horizons to all things - such as Wi-Fi - I had to turn off my phone the entire time. Gasp! Fortunately, Jonathan was able to turn his on at night for a few minutes, and our committee had emergency contact cell phones at all times.

We had several "tracks" we could choose among - art, business, photography, history etc. We chose those that most interested us including history and business... one track being a presidential palace and revolution museum tour. The presidential palace housed Cuba's leaders from the 1920's until 1959 and contains detailed exhibits tracing the events that led up to Castro gaining control of Cuba. That was probably our favorite! We also toured the Cohiba cigar factory, the Hotel Nacional, and other great sites.

One thing that we really took back was that communism DOES NOT WORK! We were told almost everyone on the island works for the government and gets paid $25 per month and gets food allowances. Jonathan came back and said that every American that can vote should be forced to go to Cuba for a week before the next election.

We also had a very FUN and secret cocktail hour revealed at the U.S. Ambassador to Cuba's home. Wow. Wow! Only YPO!

Pics and descriptions are below! Jonathan and I would love to make a return trip with the kiddos in 10 years after progression and trade to see how much it will change! For the better! Viva Cuba!!

Jonathan and the Chapter Chair, Dan Campbell

Miami FUN!

Lori Walker and I

And... we are here, Havana!! Show us what you got!

First night of Havana --- dinner and show in Cathedral Square!

Just hanging out with the Ambassador for cocktails! (the man next to Jonathan)

United States Ambassador to Cuba, Jeffrey DeLaurentis

Ambassador's backyard

Hemingway House!! This was SOOO COOL!

This was the home of Ernest Hemingway from mid 1939 to 1960. In this villa, he wrote "For Whom the Bell Tolls." They said he moved to Cuba when the U.S. instituted "Prohibition" because he couldn't give up drinking.

Creeping on Hemingway territory...

More inside Hemingway villa...

 

Jonathan and I decided to take a ride around town in a "cab"... not just any old cab... look at these cabs!! The old cars were nothing short of amazing. It truly was stepping back in time.

Jonathan thought it would be a good idea to talk to the locals to get information on the buying and selling of cigars. While proud of him for his always inquiring mind and zest for learning, I was concerned after his outing that ABOVE is where he had to go to purchase these "awesome" cigars because the hotel lobby wasn't good enough! The two pics above are what he captured going to make the buy. Glad this didn't turn into a Law & Order episode! He made it out in one piece!