Early Celebrations and Missouri Guests

Christmas is too much fun to just celebrate one day. That's why we've been busy celebrating early!

This past week, Harper had her holiday party at dance to kick off our early celebrations. The four ballerinas were sporting their fancy holiday wear and put on a little show for the parents. To say it was adorable is an understatement. We got a sneak peek at their costumes for the spring recital (holy cuteness, this Mama screeched out loud!) and a quick listen to their song. Afterwards the girls chased each other and twirled in their dresses with sprinkle covered faces from their cookies. It was a great way to start the holiday season and I think they all had a blast!

There are many things I love about working at REACH. The people are awesome, the environment is laid back - we work hard, and play hard. Every year I look forward to our holiday party. 

Typically there is a theme, which involves special attire. In the past we've had Hawaiian themes, Ugly Sweater themes and even an Elf theme. This year, we took it back to the 1990's. 

It was a blast to see everyone's interpretation of the decade and as usual people did not disappoint. There were rockers, jocks, grunge get-ups and plenty of overalls. We played 90's trivia. Jammed out to artists like Alanis Morissette, Nirvana, Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey. Played Mario Kart on the N64. Snacked on candy necklaces and Warheads candies. With slapbracelets on our wrists and Surge cans in the tree - it was pure nostalgia. 

Yet another epic REACH party in the books! Like, Happy Holidays. Whatever. (That was my best Clueless reference.) 

 

Friday night, Aunt Joan and Betty flew in for the weekend from Missouri. With only two days and a long list of desired activities - we had our work cut out for us.

Naturally the ladies did a little shopping on Saturday. We ventured down to the General Store in Minnetonka, which was bonkers as expected. This still has got to be one of my favorite stores, especially during the holidays. With so many trinkets and knickknacks it's easy to spend hours searching every nook and cranny. Afterwards he headed back to Maple Grove and introduced our visitors to Punch Pizza. Lets just say, they approved! After a few more stops, we headed home to get ready for the Helleen Yankee Swap.

Every year Bob and Deb host a dinner and gift exchange at their house. Helleens, Schumers and Dunnwalds all gather around with their $20 gift ready to play what we've dubbed "Yankee Swap." It's your typical holiday dice game and we look forward to it every year. Things sometimes get intense, but in the end we walk away with a fun new gift. This year, I got doTERRA essential oils (thanks Aunt Joan!) and Mitch ended up with an ammo storage box. SUCCESS!

It's a night to kick off the holidays with family, where we eat, drink and laugh a little too much. Actually, I take that back - you can never laugh too much! We're lucky to have such a great family to celebrate with!

With Aunt Joan and Betty's last day being Sunday, we decided to do a little more shopping. We headed up to Albertville Premium Outlets and snagged a few great deals. I realized, we're pretty darn good at the whole shopping thing. 

That night we headed over to my parents for dinner. My Dad smoked a couple pork shoulders, and it seemed like the perfect farewell dinner for our guests. The BBQ was delicious, but the company made it that much better.

Harper absolutely adores Betty. All weekend as soon as we walked in to my parents house, Harper would say, "Where's Betty? I think she wants to play with me." Harper conned Betty into playing board games, hide-n-seek and puzzles with her on a regular basis. Betty is too sweet to tell that 3 year old no, and did everything with a smile. Aunt Joan snuck in a few more Emmett snuggles before we had to call it a night. As always, it was so much fun having them here. I learned a weekend is not long enough for them to visit, which means they'll just have to come back to Minnesota soon! 

 

Since my parents spend Christmas in Missouri, we always have our Schumer Christmas early. With my parents hitting the road Tuesday morning, we all gathered Monday night to open gifts. Harper was giddy about opening presents and couldn't wait tear into the mound of gifts under the tree. The pure joy and excitement she expressed was contagious and pretty cute to watch.

Harper sat in her chair ripping open present after present. She was even nice enough to help Emmett with his gifts. After every gift opened, she'd give a grateful sigh and say, "oh, I love it!" Her favorites? Her new pink sparkly scooter and basketball hoop. *Note - my Dad is already trying to coach her! :) 

As usual it was another great year. Everyone received some great gifts and we couldn't be more thankful. Schumer Christmas, strikes again!

 

 

Mitch and I both love this time of year. It's a time to spend with family, be thankful and grateful for what you have and give back however you can. Last night we decided to start our own Christmas Eve family traditions. 

This morning we woke up, and after pulling our final stocking and opening the last doors to our advent calendar we decided to go out to breakfast as a family. 3 Squares is usually my go-to for local breakfast and they didn't disappoint again this morning. We sat in a corner booth sipping our morning cocktails and devouring stacks of pancakes. It was a fun, relaxing way to start our Christmas Eve. 

When we got home, Harper and I baked sugar cookies to leave out for Santa. Harper was more interested in eating the sprinkles, than actually making the cookies. But, with her help we now have a giant plate of cookies ready for tonight!

I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe Christmas with family and friends. Enjoy the special moments and the yearly traditions. It what makes this time so magical!

Until next time…

The Helleens