A Few December Highlights

Well we are off to Ohio for the holidays!  Literally we are writing this as we drive through Missouri.  But we have had such a fun December thus far we thought we would share a few highlights of our first December in Fayetteville.  We are looking forward to time spent with friends and family over the holidays, and have been celebrating the season with wonderful friends here in Fayetteville.

1. SNOW!! In the South...Really? 

The first snowfall of the year!!  While we woke up to less than one inch of the white stuff on the ground, it did cause quite a bit of havoc on the roads of Fayetteville.

2. Fayetteville Lights on the Square

These are the talk of the town!  The entire town square of Fayetteville is decorated in Christmas lights.  There is not one square inch of space that doesn't have some kind of light on it.  It is truly a sight to see.  The square is packed with families, hot chocolate, carriage rides, and camels...yep...camels.  I don't have pictures because the night we drove around, it was pouring rain so I had to just steal a picture of the lights from Google. Hopefully I'll get a chance to take some when we return after Christmas.

3. Christmas Pictures/Cards

As you read this, you're probably thinking, well we didn't make the Spicher Christmas card list this year.  Wrong.....hopefully.  We had some fun with two of our couple friends and their kids a few weekends back and took some family Christmas pictures.  I literally went home that afternoon and made our Christmas card on TinyPrints because I was so excited.  Despite paying for expedited shipping, we still do not have our cards.  AND we are currently en route to Ohio.  So, after some polite yet firm discussions with Tiny Prints, a new shipment of cards are "supposed" to be delievered to my parents' house this weekend.  So, we apologize in advance for our Christmas cards - not New Year's Cards - arriving in January but now you know you know the story...and my thoughts on TinyPrints.  Below are the adorable kids that joined us for the Christmas photo shoot. 

Walker

Miss Norah

Jude

4. Baking Christmas Cookies
Great idea - limited execution:  in an attempt to be good neighbors, and get a chance to meet some of the neighbors we haven't had a chance to meet yet, we decided that together with some friends of ours here, we would have a day of baking cookies and other Christmas delicacies.  We would use these creations to make little bags and take them to our neighbors to introduce ourselves and wish them a merry Christmas.

Baking cookies (check), bags made (check), deliveries made...well - that's where we got hung-up.  The days before we left for Ohio slipped by us so now the bags are in the car coming with us to Cincinnati.  So now it's time to figure out what says "Happy New Year Neighbor"....nothing says "we're your extremely friendly neighbors" like a pan of sauerkraut balls.

5. Wonderful Christmas Parties and Holiday Dinners!!  Nick won best ugly Christmas Sweater at my work Christmas Party (first picture below).  We've also had the chance celebrate the holiday season with a number of different friends here in Fayetteville.  It has been a time of great celebration of the Christmas season.

6.  Pintrest Wrapping:  I found an example of creative wrapping paper on Pinterest and thought I would give it a shot.  Plenty to improve on - but I thought they turned out pretty well.  Here is an example of the wrapping for Connor's gift.

Finally, we thought we would pass this along - we heard a great message at church last Sunday, reminding us that with all of the fun festivities, and potentially stress, the holiday season can bring, we must be purposeful about taking the time to keep the true meaning of the Christmas holiday in focus.  While lights, gifts, ugly sweaters, wrapping paper, and cookies are good things - it is the gift of the birth of Jesus that gives us the ultimate reason to celebrate.

Merry Christmas!