Nice day for the beach

Today is gorgeous. It's 75 degrees, clear, and crisp outside. It's days like this I really remember to appreciate living in beautiful San Diego. So for anyone stuck inside because it's cold, snowy, rainy, or all of the above....glad I'm not you today!!! We decided to visit the Oceanside pier, lots of pelicans out today, Rory thought they were going to eat him. ;)

Syd and her cutie pie cousin Kaydence in the background.

More festivities.

What do Mormon Missionaries really do?

They have group building activities. Literally.

They wear tacky suits, but think they look like studs.

They laugh at, err, I mean, visit the sick and afflicted.

They punish their companions if they grumble about tracting one more neighborhood...

Jammy Play.

Rory on Ice

He's improved in his skating skills greatly, and got his "report" card yesterday. Excellent in everything. I'm surprised they didn't have a "listening" grade, because he probably would have failed in that area. He skates around, doesn't pay attention to his instructor's, is a class clown, well, he's a 3 year old boy. It gives me lots of great laughs watching him. Can't wait for the next semester!

Yumm...or so he thinks.

My wonderful Mother-In-Law has a great tradition of making ornaments for the kids each year, and a new Christmas book. She gives them to us each Thanksgiving. Each year I put away the Christmas books after Christmas is over, and Rory asks me how long he has to wait to get them out again. So obviously Christmas decorating was much anticipated this year, because it meant not only getting out his collection of Grandma Kim Christmas books and ornaments, but new ones, too.
This year for the ornaments, she had a Gingerbread Boy and Girl. Rory has been obsessed with Gingerbread men lately. He sings the gingerbread man song all the time(Run, run, as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread man!), he asks everyday if it's time to make Gingerbread men cookies(tomorrow if the big day!!), and pretends to be a Gingerbread man. I'm not quite sure where this obsession came from, but it's certainly funny and cute.
Anyways, at the beginning of the week, I awoke to this:

Yes, Rory took a bite out of the Gingerbread girl. No, it's not actually a real gingerbread cookie...it's some type of hard foam. I'm not sure if he swallowed it or not..he wouldn't give a clear answer. ;)

Christmas Tree, oh Christmas Tree....

Our Tradition every year is to put up our Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving. It seems that Christmas comes and goes so quickly each year(and more quickly with each passing year), so I like to get everything out and enjoy it for as long as possible. The older the kids get, the more fun it is, too. Rory LOVES turning off all the lights except the Christmas lights, and laying on the couch and looking at the tree. Last night he did that and kept saying how beautiful it was. It was so sweet, and brought back memories of me doing the same thing when I was young. It rained all day yesterday(the first measurable rain for almost 6 months), so we built a fire in the fireplace, watched movies, and just enjoyed the warmness of our home. It was wonderful. Here's some photos:

Rory decorating the tree, he did so well!

Sorry for the bright lamp...but here's our stockings. Micah's Mom makes one for each new family member, so each kid got one for their first Christmas, and I got one my first Christmas as a Kim. Micah's Grandma made his(furthest on the right).

Our beautiful tree...we still have to keep it barricaded behind the couch and chair so that little hands can't pull things off as easily.

Our Advent calendar. I put activities for each day on strips of paper, so Rory and Sydney can pull one out each morning to count down to Christmas. We did things like watch a Christmas movie with cocoa and popcorn, read Christmas books, go look at lights, make and deliver cookies to frinds/neighbors, have a picnic, make ornaments, go to the Poway tree lighting, bring food to a food pantry...etc. etc....I'm really excited about it.

Merry Christmas!!!