Monument Tradition

We have several Christmas traditions.  One is to drive around looking at lights.  Included in the night is a trip to downtown Indy to Monument Circle.  I have quite of few photos just like this one....have to take a photo under the lights.

Have to chum around with the characters outside the symphony theater.

And no trip to the monument at Christmastime is complete without a cup of hot chocolate from South Bend Chocolate Co.

Winterlights

A new holiday event in Indy this year was Winterlights at Newfields.  I managed to score a couple of tickets last minute so Dusty and I took advantage of a warmer night to check out the lights.  Trees and areas of the art museum grounds were covered in lights.

7th Grade Concert

One of the Christmastime activities was the 7th-grade choir concert.  A big group of kids...and this was just the 7th grade.

Festival of Trees

Our annual trip to the Indiana Historical Society and their Festival of Trees is becoming one of my favorite Christmas traditions.  Rachel and I went with Heather and Hayden to see all of the creative and beautiful trees.

Firing off that last minute letter to Santa

Many beautiful trees and some non-traditionals thrown in for fun.

We were treated to a lovely performance by the Indianapolis Chamber Choir

Vertigo-inducing shot from the 3rd floor

Can't leave without a "leg lamp" photo

Thanksgiving in photos

Thanksgiving day was spent with Mom and Dad at Daniel and Elle's.  First order of business was to get a family photo snapped.

Dinner on the table

This mug has been around a while.  If I remember correctly I think I got it for Daniel as a Christmas present when we were kids.

An afternoon filled with perusing the sales ads and football

Aaron's Thanksgiving ended with a shift at work.  Black Friday and Best Buy...a fun combo!

Friday brought a trip to Illinois and fun with the cousins....and aunt and uncle!

Pre-Thanksgiving Traditions

The night before Thanksgiving we were prepared to watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  I thought we could up the fun level a bit so we gathered in the Schmidt and Painter clans to make it a party

On the menu for snacking - Snoopy's Thanksgiving feast of popcorn, pretzels, jelly beans (or our substitute, gumdrops) and buttered toast

This snack is Allison approved!

There was also an instructive round of Euchre...an attempt to bring some younger players into the fold.

Well, it may not quite be considered a tradition yet since this is the first year for it.  But after a fun time with friends, I may need to make it a yearly event. 

OCC - 7 years and running!

The 3rd week of November brought with it my 7th year of serving as the coordinator of the Operation Christmas Child drop-off location in Brownsburg.  It's always a long and busy week, but a fun, fulfilling, and satisfying one.

A week of cartoning shoeboxes which is, in reality, a large game of Tetris

Everyone gets in on the action

Rachel and her friends Max and Hayden are some of my best helpers!

Dusty always gets in on the heavy lifting part of the week.  I let him handle most of it, but I have to carry at least one box out to the truck

And the best part of the week...loading the final cartons onto the semi-truck at Chapel Rock and sending them off to North Carolina for the next leg of their journey!