Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Cronks!

We enjoyed some family time leading up to Christmas this year.

We enjoyed "Snow White" at Children's Theater Company.

Trevor made up many creative sleighs to play Santa.

Here, a stuffed moose got chained to the "sleigh" to play reindeer.

Reading Christmas stories with on Daddy.

 Decorating the tree.

The Alumni Children's Christmas Party at BSM was fun again this year!

Cousin time with Dean (Theo was home with the flu).

Austin and Sarah had their Christmas band and choir concerts, followed later that week by Sarah's elementary school Christmas program, "Christmas Around the World."

More pretend Santa play.  Trevor used his cardboard blocks as gifts in his pillow case sack and wore a 2 sizes too big red fleece onesie and his Santa hat.  Love this kid's creativity!

Sarah had her dance team Christmas program and made a cute new ornament for the tree.

I had my turn to be classroom helper at Trevor's 1st grade class turn into chaperoning their Christmas caroling field trip to the nursing home.  It was very fun and cute!  The kids wore reindeer antlers made from their handprints and sang Christmas carols as they paraded through the various hallways and gathering spaces at the nursing home.

Christmas cookie day!

Sarah and Trevor made gingerbread cookies with Daddy. 

Gingerbread pirates!

Our elf (creatively named "Mr. Elf") was up to more shenanigans. He starred in a rock concert, scaled the office door with a grappling hook and Christmas bows, baked cookies, fell off the stocking hooks trying to imitate Spider Man, and left some rainbow magic for the kids to try.

We spent the evening of the 23rd checking out amazing Christmas lights. First we went to the new Sever's Holiday Lights, then on to our favorite, Snook Family Lights. 

Trevor's favorite part is sticking his head out of the sunroof to watch the lights.

On Christmas Eve, we dressed up and headed to Mass. 

Then on to Cheesecake Factory for dinner.

The kids watched the Santa tracker while we waited for our meals.

Cheesecake!  Austin had chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake, I had salted caramel.

Trevor had Oreo cheesecake, Sarah chose peanut butter cup cheesecake, and Daddy had lemon meringue (yum!).

Then we went home and got ready for Santa.  Christmas jammies on, cookies out, crossing fingers that they made the nice list.

Christmas morning, eager to go downstairs and see what Santa brought.

Stockings first.

Then a yummy breakfast of Belgian waffles.  Nanny and Grandpa came over to join us for the day as well.

Austin was excited to receive books to read.

And we had lots of Harry Potter gifts after our recent trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in October.  Trevor was very excited to receive a chocolate frog pillow and stuffed animal.

Our slow poke who sorted into Slytherin got a Slotherin shirt (and some other sloth gear).

A spinning golden snitch for Austin (and a cool lamp too).

Trevor was excited about his "gifts for Trevor" pile.

And he wore his Notre Dame helmet almost the whole day once he unwrapped it.

We got the kids lots of Harry Potter LEGOs they were hoping for, so we spent most of the afternoon assembling LEGOs. I had no idea how much that could hurt your hands when you do it for so long!

Trevor started with the Hogwarts Express and the King's Cross Station.

 Sarah and Austin started with the castle.

And continued later that afternoon...

We had family over for dinner and had our annual cousin's gingerbread house decorating contest, girls vs. boys.

They did a beautiful job and had so much fun!

 I worked a half day on Thursday to help cover short staffing in clinic, but we had the rest of the week to relax, play the kids' new games, and watch the Irish dominate Iowa State in the bowl game.

 Now onward to 2020!