Music & Mt. Vernon

More holiday happenings!  We are loving our ski passes!  It's so nice to just go to Massanutten whenever and hit the slopes for an hour or two.  Plus we can park right by the ski slopes and walk over to them.  Since we have our own ski rentals and pass, we don't need to go check in anywhere...it's been nice!


The kids, Elden, Clark and Haley had their Christmas piano recital.  It was canceled from the week before due to the snow.  They did a nice job!








Haley, Elden and Clark. Shanna and Cal are taking lessons from Lee this year.  We'll see how that keeps going.


We always enjoy the treats after.


That night we did a secret Santa drop-off.  You know the words to the song Sleigh Ride...they'll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago?  It was kind of freaky with the boys running off in the dark.  Clark was brave and went right up to the porch to leave the goods.  The family's dog even started barking, but Clark didn't mind.  It was eerie seeing Cal and Elden running towards us looking like light gray ghosts.


Haley and I went on a field trip to Mt. Vernon.  I've ever been.  What a magnificent place  And so cool to be where George Washington had been.


Learning about some of the technology for harvesting different crops and such.


We weren't allowed to bring food to Mt. Vernon, so we each had a voucher to get food at their food court.




I thought this was awesome...Thomas Edison planting something at Mt. Vernon.


A tree that George Washington planted.






I've found out about the FI and FIRE community recently as I was searching for a different financial podcast to listen to.  I found the Mad Fientist, then ChooseFi and the Afford Anything podcasts.  I highly recommend them!!!  I just love the ideas of being financially stable, truly doing what you love for work, having options from being financially stable with work and your schedule.  Like spending more time with your family and serving others. Also living a life that is fulfilling.  I coudln't help but think what a great work George Washington had done with Mt. Vernon.  The world he had built up was of course totally self-sufficient due to the times (no Walmart or Home Depot to run to).  And I kept thinking of how he created his own world; he was his own man.  He was doing what he loved doing.  AND he had time to go and serve his country because of his success and self-sufficiency.  It was a nice field trip.






We enjoyed going to a court of honor for our friend Ian Kriel.



I received a surprise box of fun handcrafted chocolates from Nicaraguan chocolate.  I guessed that my friend Katherine sent them and she had! So fun and thoughtful of her!





Shanna, Haley and I enjoyed the annual ornament exchange with the Relief Society!



Some of the pictures and captions Haley did were funny.  I was definitely not bored.  I had a lovely time that night.






Shanna and Haley had their first band concert!  We enjoy going to the middle school and high school concerts.


Clark played in it as well. 


We had four of our kids at the same concert that night!








The girls and I left early so they could go to their last Activity Day activity. 


Lee received a fun gift from a patient/friend.  He said it was his favorite patient gift ever and for him he's right!  (Of course, ha ha.)


Can't go wrong with cereal and a big cereal bowl. 


Another friend gifted me this cute washcloth and soap!


Cal is in a club this year called Baybound.  On one club outing they caught a ton of fish.  For their Christmas party they had a family potluck dinner.  Beforehand the kids and the teacher fried up the fish.