Double Digit Dylan

On Saturday, Dylan turned 10!  No more single digits in the Larsen house.  We made him orange rolls for breakfast, opened presents, and went to the Black Bear Diner for dinner. Even Poppy got in on the birthday fun!  (Poppy Larsen, not to be confused with Poppy Brog.  Yes, we stole their elf's name.)

Notice the candles are Ducks colors...that Poppy is one smart elf!

Friends

Dylan's winter concert was tonight, and he did an amazing job!  We were so proud of him. I took the opportunity to snap a few pictures with his friends.  He has a great group of boys in his grade, and they all get along and include everyone. Here's a couple photos of Bucky and his crew:

Ellison, Dylan, Griffin, and Everett...Ray is photo bombing in the back :)

Dylan, Codiac, and Kyle

River Trail

When I have some extra time, I love to spend it on the Deschutes River Trail.  The sun was shining so bright today.  The air was crisp and clear, and the sound of the river was very calming.

As I was walking, I noticed a tree with some Christmas ornaments on it:

I particularly loved this little note:

Good advice for all of us!  I told the kids about it when I picked them up from school, and I think we might try to go add a few ornaments this week :)

Winter Concert

One of Isabelle's elective classes is choir.  She loves singing and has a beautiful voice. Her Christmas concert was last night, and I have to say that Luke and I were really impressed.  It was a nice change from the same old songs we would hear every year at the kids' previous school.  My personal favorite was Edelwiess.  Izzy's teacher is very passionate about music and teaching, and it really shows!  The kids seem to love her, and they all did a great job.

Peyton, Izzy, Grace, and Stella after the performance

American Girls

Izzy and Fiona got together after school yesterday to make cookies and play with their American Girl dolls.  I can't even begin to tell you how cute these girls are.  Two peas in a pod!

Delivery Day

It was a big day of deliveries at the Larsen house.  Izzy and Dylan have been saving up for some pretty special items and they both got delivered today!

Dylan got his new unicycle, and Isabelle got Kit Kittredge.  I wish you could have seen their faces...almost as good as Christmas morning!  Maybe better, because they had to buy them on their own.

First Snow

Izzy and Dylan get so excited the first time they see snow each year.  The first snow brings with it Christmas, Bucky's birthday, family, and holiday magic.  To celebrate, we drive up to Silver Fork for hot cocoa and french fries.  I am not a fan of snow, but I get excited to see it because I love the twinkle in their eyes while we sit and talk about anything and everything.  The warmth of the fireplace inside and the flakes falling slowly outside make for a perfect setting.  Obviously Silver Fork was a little too far away this year, so I did some research and found a new little place to carry on the tradition.  We went to a cafe downtown called La Magie.  It was darling!  There was Christmas music playing low in the background.  Snow was falling outside.  There were fries, hot cocoa, and...cupcakes!  There was a lot of giggling and good conversation.  I can honestly say it was the first time I felt the magic of the season.  Man, I love those kids. Here's to holiday traditions!