I’m naming this post “4th Quarter 2017” so it seems like I really meant to wait this long to write and include all the activities that rounded out 2017. 😬

So I must back track to the biggest event of the year which occurred in October. October 16th was Isla’s 5th birthday. It seems like the planning (done by her) started on October 17th, 2016- one day after turning 4 and seeing how cool it is to have a birthday party with all your friends invited. Turning 5 was a much bigger deal than I anticipated. It required 3 parties- one at home with us, one at school with her classmates and then the real party which was with her classmates at our home!

The week before the birthday was when the countdown really began, but the night before, she announced that she wanted “breakfast in bed” for her birthday. Fortunately that is something that I could pull off last minute! Let’s be clear, I don’t get breakfast in bed, so I’m not sure where this idea came from…. but, here we are…

That day we had cupcakes with her classmates and read a Halloween book because her party was going to be a Halloween theme. I didn’t plan very well and didn’t make enough cupcakes to have at home that night, so I had to make an extra little cake that day. It worked out because she spent time after school decorating it.

That evening, we had her choice of dinner, and she got to open her presents. Spaghetti with meatballs and cut up (uncooked) carrots. Her favorite gift was her microphone for karaoke.

And this is what happens when it’s not your birthday, and you don’t have any presents to open! April can’t come soon enough for him!

The big party finally arrived about 2 weeks later. (That’s the only weekend that didn’t already have a birthday party in October!) And I exceeded the amount of Pinterest ideas needed for a party. Lesson learned- it was too much work… but worth it as Isla had a blast, loved decorating and preparing for it. Plus it was fun to have a Halloween party since it is a “newer” holiday for Australia. It’s only been the last several years that it’s really become more popular.

As per her request, she wanted a “silly man” to entertain. So, it was a fun, filled party- not a spooky one!

After the month of celebrating Isla, we were quickly on to preparing and packing for our 3 week trip back to the US. Brent had a work meeting in NJ so it gave us a good reason to go back. Fortunately, this was the first trip back that we’ve actually made our connections and didn’t spend a ridiculous amount of time in the airport!

My parents met us at our place, so it was nice to get home to a stocked refrigerator and warm house! After a day or so, they left and dropped the kids at their Grandma and Pop Pop Pfeiffenberger’s house. I got 5 days to myself! 🤗 I spent the week visiting with friends and getting some work done at the house. The kids had an equally good week playing with their cousins.

Brent and I joined the kids the following weekend in Hummelstown at his parents’ house. It was a house full of aunts, uncles and cousins. We finally got to meet our nephew, Rhett, and baby cousin, Riley.

Yes, that’s the best one that I had of Rhett by himself!

We got also to go to my friend Lindsay’s “Good Night Yoga” program held at the local library. The kids had a good time and couldn’t wait to get back to show Grandma what they had learned.

We, then, ventured to Shade Gap while Brent went back to NJ for work. Again, we had lots of visiting with family. We went to my parents’ stone house for Thanksgiving with the extended McMath crew. The sweet Thanksgiving picture is one of my favorites of them. (Don’t be fooled- they aren’t always this loving!)

Our trip also wouldn’t be complete without a visit to GearHouse Brewery and playing on the shuffleboard table.

The kids did happen to have a Santa and Mrs. Claus sighting at the local gas station as they were there for customer appreciation day…. however, Isla wasn’t sure that he was real because he didn’t know that she lived in Australia. And clearly Santa should know this! 🤔

Jess, Quincy and I spent at afternoon with Gram Stinson so she could teach us some of her famous recipes. It’s so much fun, but she doesn’t actually let us do anything. She only tells us how to cook/bake and lets us watch. She feeds us a big meal and won’t let us even clean up the dishes (because we won’t do it correctly. (Her words, not ours!)) This session we learned how to make souse so Jess could potentially use it at the brewery, and Quincy got to learn how to make peanut butter fudge for her bake sales.

The trip wouldn’t be complete if Isla didn’t do her chores for Pappy. This trip wasn’t as busy because she didn’t have to tend to the garden, but she did clean leaves and feed the animals everyday.

Once we arrived back to NJ, low and behold, Santa had arrived! Since the tree has been up for an entire year, I’m not sure how he knew to make a visit! It must have been because it was freshly decorated (or at least the bottom half was).

We also got to squeeze in a visit with the kids’ friends, Olive and Jasper. Even though they hardly see one another, they had a blast together.

The last hurrah was to go a friend’s wedding in Philly. Thankfully, mom and dad kept the kids so Brent and I could go and have a night out. I mean… who are these two?!

We flew back and landed on December 5th which was Isla’s last day of school. I was hoping to make it to her final day luncheon so she could say goodbye to her friends, but I never mentioned it to her in case it didn’t work out. Fortunately, we arrived home at 11:30am, took the fastest shower ever and ran over to the school for lunch at noon. It was nice to be able to say goodbye to everyone for the summer, receive her portfolio and thank her teachers for a wonderful year.

Whew- that was a whirlwind trip. We started on summer vacation for 2 weeks, and then departed again for our Christmas holiday. Since I’m far too long on this post, I’ll do another one for our Christmas travels with the King family….stay tuned! Now let me begin sorting through the pictures…