The Harrison Family: December 2017 - Russia, birthday, Christmas and Ear Surgery

December was a especially busy and hectic month for the Harrison clan. The month started with a business trip for me to Russia. It was a touch and go until the last hour if I was going to go because of visa issues and then Grandma getting sick but all worked out and I was able to go. It was an amazing trip but bitter cold! I missed the kids like crazy but I am glad I had the opportunity to make the trip and find a week that I was free and able to go!

Riley is still dancing at Stacy's Dance studio in Kingwood and she is taking a Jazz class. She LOVES her dance and this year Ms Stacy- the owner is her teacher and she is having a blast! They have two recitals - one small one at Christmas and the big one in May. Luckily I was able to get home in time to make the Christmas show. I was jet lagged and exhausted but was front row and would not have missed it for the world. My girl did awesome - super proud of her!

Carter has been doing fantastic in his karate class. He truly enjoys the class and has been working really hard to test for his next belt. Since he started as a white belt the next belt is white with a yellow stripe. In order to get his yellow belt he had to test on his punching combination, his kicking combination and he had to break a board with his foot. He was VERY nervous about breaking the board as he has only broken the plastic boards in class and never actually broken real wood. I was so nervous for him I was sick to my stomach watching but he did so awesome. He did everything right the first time and I could not have been prouder!

I love this picture - proud daddy tying Carters yellow belt for the first time

Carters class with their new belts

Riley's birthday this year I decided to have at the new house and I wanted to do a Christmas PJ party with Santa. I figure she will not want to do a Christmas themed party for much longer so now was my chance. I tried to keep it pretty low key since I was traveling right before. This was by far one of my favorite birthday parties! It was so much fun for both the kids and the parents! Santa came and visited for an hour and took pictures and sang with the kids. We had lunch and worked on some Christmas crafts. I also set up a photo booth with props so the kids could have fun and take pictures. It was a great party and Riley really had a great time!

Riley and Carter working on the decorations before the party

The grandkids!

Santa and Caroline

Carter Tegan and Santa

The Renton Family

Bill and Caroline with his girlfriend Anita and her daughter Mila

My crazy family - so blessed

Conway and Santa - Conway has made it to every party Riley has had

Riley playing in the photo booth

Anita - Bills girlfriend - absolutely amazing - love her to pieces... embracing the crazy with wine in a moose mug!

Blowing out the 7 candles

Jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse! Love my family!

Riley, Conway and Reagan

Riley, Reagan and Conway

Caroline, Riley and Reagan

Conway and Reagan

Reagan and Carter

Reagan and Riley

Mila and Caroline

Mila, Caroline, Riley (with Samantha) and Mags

Caroline and Mila

Kids working on Christmas Crafts - all smiles!

On Rileys actually birthday - December 20, we let her pick the family activity. All Riley wanted to do was eat pizza and swim in our new pool. Mom stayed in the hot tub but Riley jumped from the hot tub and swam in the freezing cold pool! She is one tough girl!

We always make the trip as a family to Santa's Wonderland in college station Texas. It is a great day trip and they have a super fun hay ride with a lot of lights, Santa and a bunch of Christmas stuff for the kids. This year Jeff, Kristen and the Eastman came with us and we had a blast. The kids enjoyed all the Texas Christmas activities.

Bull Riding Anyone? Yes Riley and Carter both rode the bull - I have fearless kids!

My family on the hay ride

Obligatory Santa Picture - he is always wearing his cowboy hat

Christmas this year we planned to be real low key. We had been through a lot this year with the flood and we knew Riley had a scheduled ear surgery on the 29th of December. we didn't want to do a lot of travels as we were really just looking to spend a lot of quality family time and keep everyone healthy! Christmas Eve we went to Mass with our new neighbors and then had a spaghetti and meatball dinner with them and their family at their house. It was lovely! The kids filled our yard with reindeer food and we made cookies for Santa. It was a great night. Christmas Day we opened presents watched Christmas movies and stayed in our PJ's all day. After the year we had... it was just what we needed!

Our 2017 Family Christmas Card

Ready for Church

That pose - this kid!

Filling the lawn with reindeer food

Riley and daddy Christmas morning

Riley playing her new kindle fire

My loves

A prince and his four princesses

Christmas Parties!

1st grade party - stilly Riley

Riley tearing up the dance floor at my friend Fleur's Christmas party

Uncle Jeff and Nanny have bought a new house in our neighborhood RoyalBrook! We are so excited to have them back in our neighborhood and this time the house is much closer! The kids can safely ride bikes between our houses! Our families and kids especially are so close this will be so nice!

Day after Christmas we decided to make a family trip to the Houston Zoo. Carter has been begging me to take him and I promised if he was good while I was in Russia I would take him. It was a great trip - we had the zoo almost entirely to ourselves!

We made a trip to Galveston to Moody Gardens this year for the first time. We have heard about this ice exhibit and I really wanted to check it out. We went with the Eastman's and we had a lot of fun. The ice exhibit was really neat and it had an ice slide and tons of animals and scenery made entirely of ice!

Parkas on ready for ice land!

On December 29th it was the dreaded day of Riley's Cholesteatoma surgery. I knew the surgery was going to be long and more invasive then any of her previous surgeries and the truth be told Justin and I were both nervous wrecks!