One of my most favorite sounds on TV is the theme song to A Charlie Brown Christmas. I would get so excited as a kid when that would come on TV and I still do as an adult. It's just another reminder that we are in the Christmas season and I'm here to tell you that I can't believe the month has already almost past us by. So many times we get so busy with our "to do" lists that we hardly get to enjoy and focus on the season...and most importantly...the REASON for this season. It has been so much fun this year as we have a little one that is starting to comprehend things. This has been the first year that Ethan was of age to understand and enjoy doing our Advent book. Each night he gets so excited for us all to sit down together and he gets to open a new door to learn about the "Coming" of our Lord. It blows my mind how much he is learning and retaining at this age.
The holidays got here quickly for us this year. Just before Thanksgiving my grandfather got put into the hospital with bad pains in his back. Within 2 weeks from the time that they admitted him, the ran many tests to determine it was bone cancer and there wasn't much they could do for him at his age...3 months short of 90 years old. They ended up putting him on hospice care at home and he passed away within 2 days of being home. This all happened so quickly that it was a bit hard to process but we are thankful that it did happen quickly and that he didn't have to suffer from that pain. This picture was taken last Christmas of PePaw with all of his great grand children. What a treasure!! He's been in such good health and just a few weeks before going into the hospital he was still driving himself around, we never would have thought last Christmas that he wouldn't be here with us this Christmas.
After the funeral, we left to go out of town for a few days with my parents. We went up to Sky Vally and stayed in their time share that we've gone to ever since I was 2 years old. It's always a special time to head up to Sky Valley. Despite the freezing cold, we had a good time messing around up there. We also carried on the Hartzog tradition of going up into NC to cut down a tree from a local Frazier Fir tree farm. 
We rushed home Tuesday before Thanksgiving to get our house all ready for Thanksgiving day. Jeremy's mom's family, mostly from Florida, came up to spend Thanksgiving day with us. We had a house full...19 to be exact! Like always, we ate too much but we had a great time visiting.
After Thanksgiving, we immediately got into Christmas mode and started with the decorating. Not to mention I ended up doing a few things before Thankgiving. Jeremy even participated in the day after Thanksgiving shopping...a first time ever. They say if you are going to do it, you might as well make it count...so he did!! Yep, the alarm went off at 3:30 AM and he was at Best Buy by 4:00AM. After waiting in line at 2 different stores...in the cold... he finally got the magic ticket to purchase a laptop. The doors at Office Depot opened at 6AM and after he got in with his ticket, he ONLY had to wait another hour and 45 minutes to check out!! Again, we call that taking one for team Hartzog.
Our big helper in decorating our tree this year...
He made sure that all the branches near the bottom had about 6-7 ornaments per limb and he liked to group all the "friends" together. All the snowmen were on the same branch, all the bells were put together...etc.
A visit with Santa at the local bank...
After the funeral, we left to go out of town for a few days with my parents. We went up to Sky Vally and stayed in their time share that we've gone to ever since I was 2 years old. It's always a special time to head up to Sky Valley. Despite the freezing cold, we had a good time messing around up there. We also carried on the Hartzog tradition of going up into NC to cut down a tree from a local Frazier Fir tree farm. We rushed home Tuesday before Thanksgiving to get our house all ready for Thanksgiving day. Jeremy's mom's family, mostly from Florida, came up to spend Thanksgiving day with us. We had a house full...19 to be exact! Like always, we ate too much but we had a great time visiting.After Thanksgiving, we immediately got into Christmas mode and started with the decorating. Not to mention I ended up doing a few things before Thankgiving. Jeremy even participated in the day after Thanksgiving shopping...a first time ever. They say if you are going to do it, you might as well make it count...so he did!! Yep, the alarm went off at 3:30 AM and he was at Best Buy by 4:00AM. After waiting in line at 2 different stores...in the cold... he finally got the magic ticket to purchase a laptop. The doors at Office Depot opened at 6AM and after he got in with his ticket, he ONLY had to wait another hour and 45 minutes to check out!! Again, we call that taking one for team Hartzog.Our big helper in decorating our tree this year...
He made sure that all the branches near the bottom had about 6-7 ornaments per limb and he liked to group all the "friends" together. All the snowmen were on the same branch, all the bells were put together...etc.A visit with Santa at the local bank...Each year, Santa comes and the bank caters The Varsity for all the customers to have all you can eat chili dogs, chips and drinks. This has become a tradition for us since we've moved to Loganville. Santa's great, but who can pass up free Varsity?? Ethan was ready to visit with Santa this year. He walked right up to him and began to tell him a few of the items that he's had on his wish list all year. When we are in a store looking at toys and Ethan starts insisting that he has to get something. He's learned that he has to put it back and add it to his wish list. I'm here to tell you that he's remembered a good bit of his wish list this year!
whispering to Santa...
MERRY CHRISTMAS
whispering to Santa...MERRY CHRISTMAS
Love
The Hartzogs
Jeremy, Kimberly, Ethan & baby girl (coming soon)
2 comments:
Wow, Kimberly! I'm so sorry to hear about your grandfather. I know that even when you know all the "right" things, it's still hard. On another note, your family is beautiful as always, and Ethan's decorating prowess cracked us up! Hope you guys have an amazing Christmas!
Kimberly...I always have so much fun getting to visit with you when we do. I think I found the bedding you got...didn't you say it had small dragonflies and ladybugs on it?
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