Hamilton Happenings......: December 2023

Ready for the tree farm!

Doesn't everyone take 6 kids and 2 not your own to cut down their Christmas tree??

A 4 year old took this picture!

Gobble, Gobble!

So we took the kid out of school early to get a tree because we couldn't find a non school/activity/work time to get there before the dark!! It was great because no one was there! And the nannying kiddos got a field trip for their first time ever to a tree farm!

Tree decorating time!

Our little reindeer!

3 months!

Book Club Christmas party!

Oooohing over the baby!

Playing a fun gift game!

James bringing me flowers for the b-ball Christmas party! 4 years in a row bringing flowers! Someone raised him well!

Love having all the boys over!!

The traditional hilarious poems!

Ping pong tourney!

Naomi getting her b-ball game in with Momo!

Kyrie has to get a game in with James!

The traditional Chipotle burritos for dinner!

GFU Christmas party 2023 in the books! Love this time with the team!

Naomi b-ball practice!

Naomi on defense!

Great and fun season these kiddos had!

All dressed up for Santa!

Ready to serve cinnamon rolls for St Lucia!

George Fox leading the conference! First time ever!

Christmas on the Campgrounds!

Train ride!

Watching Jonah perform!

Portland State vs GFU exhibition game!

Kyrie and his Camas Select team came to watch!

Aunt JoAnn, Marlana, and Kody came to cheer on the team!

We made it on the big screen!!

Courtside!

The Mcgrews and Conners came to support, too!

Our crazy!

Game on ESPN!

Lost to D1 by only 6 points!!

What a game!

Loving the smiles and giggling!

Pedicure with Auntie!

Nyla's first pedicure! This is how you do pedis with the 4th kid!

Naomi's letter to Santa! I would love a dog or a Barbie house!

Our beauty!

St. Nick day!

St Nick brings pajamas every year!

Kyrie hamming it up in Spanish class!

Helping with craft time at school!

Mia's first game of the season!

Mia with the basket!

And the 3 pointer! The team won by a bunch!

"Hakuna Matata!"

Making their own sushi!

Delicious sushi!

December 1st! The start of our advent calendar!

Advent this year! Naomi- a craft advent, Mia-a makeup advent, and Kyrie traditional little gifts!

Wearing Cousin Lucy's outfit!! She's found her hands!!

Our baby girl is 3 months!

Like a real mom! Working while wearing the baby!

Little Sister!

Tourney champs!

First time for us! Our whole family in a dressing room!!:)

Twinsies!

Kyrie with the steal!

Kyrie gets a bucket!

Kyrie's #1 cheerleader!

Kyrie with the fast break!

Got the assist!

Ran into our long time friend, Mary Ann at the tourney!

One of Naomi's 7 basketball games of the weekend!

Yay! Rae, Jake and Steph come to support the Bruins!

The Kaadys meet Nyla!

Naomi bonded with one of the moms this weekend and they shared a seat, even though there was an empty seat next to them! ;)

For the advent countdown this year, Naomi had got a craft advent!

Making her Christmas chain!

Sittee cheering on Naomi!

Look at that defensive stance!

Lewis and Clark vs GFU game! Game # 4 of the weekend! Bruins win!

Wearing Naomi's old outfit!

Journey theater's Wizard of Oz!

Naomi & Marli loved meeting the Wicked Witch of the West!

And the Glenda the Good Witch!

Ringing the bell for the Salvation Army!

Shopping for our adopted family!

A late visit to my mama's grave! It's been 29 years! Still sucks!

Supporting fellow Journey friends, Spencer and Katie, in their Union production of Annie!

Kyrie's 7th grade Skyridge Christmas party!

Thanks to the Felicianos for hosting 30+ kids and inviting parents for apps and drinks! So fun!

Ready for our advent activity with the McCulloughs at the drive through nativity!

We had to wait in our car for about 1 hour!!

Wrapping gifts with my girl!

Everyone loves to hold Nyla during the games! Look at Nyla's fist!:)

Our precious gift!

1 month-2 months-3 months

Josiah 2006---------------Nyla Kay 2023

All of our Santa pictures over the past 15 years!

Kyrie's first day of school b-ball practice! He has been waiting 3 years for this!

Lego cake competition!

Nyla's 1st Christmas!

Mia and her bestie get to play bball together!

Beat Skyview!

Another advent activity with the McCulloughs! Renaissance Ice Cream and Franklin Street lights!

Liam & Nay singing Christmas tunes!

Advent- Makeup, craft and Willy Wonka ornament!

Had these signs remade to add our newest addition! I also have never known how to do our Hamilton Party sign because I always want to include Josiah.....My designer had the idea to do a 7 in the background with the 6 in front, and I love how it turned out!

Cutie Pie!

Lunch with the team during the tourney!

Kyrie was fouled at the end of the game and made the free-throws to ice the game putting the team up by 4 to win the championship!!

Second tourney-second championship!

Kyrie & Cooper- Friends when they were 3. Cooper's parents played b-ball at GFU, and his dad played for Maco ! They would run around the gym together! Now they are playing in b-ball tourneys against each other.

2014--------------------2023

Open gym fun!

GFU vs Western Washington University--Exhibition game- Fun to watch on TV lost by 14 to a D2 school! Not bad!

Nannying Christmas pajama party!

Cookie decorating!

Making ornaments!

Craft time!

Making reindeer food!

The big kids are home from school to enjoy the party!

Naomi's gift exchange!

Naomi's gift to Marli!

Gift exchange!

Helping address our family Christmas cards!

Making cupcakes for Josiah's 17th birthday!

Watching Josiah's video I made for his 1st birthday! Naomi was very emotional this year!

Naomi playing with my mom's stuffed animal from around 1957!

Hot chocolate treat at school!

Love coming into class and helping so often!

Nay and her kinder friends!

Buddy the Elf(AKA the assistant principal)

Sucking her thumb!!!

Treats in downtown Camas!

Twinsies!

Naomi loves spending time with Uncle Quinn!

Papa comes to visit for Christmas!

Naptime!

Special Coach Hamilton wine from a player's family!

Nyla meets more Kaadys at Mia's game! Uncle Randy!

Cousin Ang!

Mia defending her cousin, Ella!

Family!!

Cousins guarding each other!

Nay loves hanging out with her big cousins!

Eating Bub's hair!

These two had fun playing against each other!

Clackamas vs Camas- Clackamas pulled out the win this time!

Another advent activity with the McCulloughs!

Happy Birthday Jesus Party!

The kids did funny songs/dances to win prizes underneath these cups!

Blake, Dakota, and Naomi

Singing!

Singing the crazy Christmas song for a prize!

Nay got coal under a cup!

Liam reading the traditional Jesus' Birth book!

Nyla & Papa!

Drove by Maco's duplex he lived in at a kid in NE Portland!

Merry Christmas from the Hamiltons!

Christmas with the Eatons!

Loving Uncle David's beard!

Uncle Don visits from AZ! My Grandma's last sibling. We haven't seen him in years, so glad we got a see him.

Uncles and cousins!

College cousins!

Beautiful cousins!

This paper doll ornament had something to do with my mom, but the brothers didn't remember exactly how.:)

Uncle Jon & Aunt Dana's tree! So pretty!

Uncles & Cousins!

Cousins!

Family!

Nyla loved Uncle David's beard!

Teddy & Naomi!

Sisters!

Peacock Lane! We finally made it! I've been wanting to go for years! While it was fun, I think I'm good for another 20 years!:)

Christmas Eve tradition-making gingerbread houses!

This made me laugh! Naomi coped the card and wrote Taylor for her name!;)

Hide & Seek!

Mia and I started a new tradition! Baking day! We have 4 different treats to make!

Advent activity-hot cocoa and Candy Cane Lane family movie!

Maco and his last minute wrapping with Nyla!

Another advent and Christmas Eve tradition- Christmas light scavenger hunt! We had a special driver this year.....Mia!!

Spreading the reindeer food!

The kids traditional calendars on Christmas Eve from Dad!

"Santa only comes to clean houses!":)

Cookies are all ready for Santa and kids are ready for bed!

Christmas Eve photo shoot with my sweet girl!

Santa came!

Mia- jeans and a sweatshirt from Santa!

Kyrie-Nike Tech outfit from Santa- missing the pants that are still being made inn the North Pole because he ran out of thread!(AKA I couldn't find where I put the pants!!! So frustrating! Then a week after Christmas I found them!!)

Naomi- Nike Tech matching outfit from Santa!

Nyla- bibs and book from Santa! I wouldn't even have done anything for her if it wasn't for a little girl wondering why her little sister didn't get any gifts from Santa!

Christmas morning-Maco making his famous stuffed french toast!

Ready for Christmas!

Waiting patiently on the stairs!

Christmas morning 2023!

Nyla's 1st Christmas!

2015-2016-2017-2018-2019-2020-2021-2022-2023

The last 9 years of Christmas morning on the stairs!

The moment they have been waiting for!

Reading Santa's letter!

My favorite Christmas present!

Thank you, Santa!

Stockings!

Nyla's stocking!

Ornaments from M & D!

Can't ever get a picture with everyone looking! Gotta include multiple pictures!!:)

Love these kids of mine!

So yummy!

"Santa Daddy"

Naomi picked out a very special gift for Kyrie this year! A Willy Wonka deck of cards!

Mia was very proud of her wrapping!

Kyrie's gift for Mia!

Thank you, Yaya!

Naomi's gift to Nyla!

Nyla talking! ;)

Mia's gift for Naomi!

Thank you, Grandma Cusack!

Thank you, Yaya!

Thank you, Grandma Cusack!

Thank you, Yaya!

Thank you, Papa!

Naomi's gift to Mia!

Dad is Santa this year!

Nay's gift from Miles!

Mia loves her clothes!

Thank you, Yaya!

Naomi made Nyla a bracelet!

Nyla's 1st Christmas Ornament from M & D

Naomi's ornament from Yaya!

Kyrie picked out this HBCU sweatshirt for Maco on behalf of the kids!

Mia was really excited to get me a Stanley on behalf of the kids!

Mia's gift to Kyrie!

Books for Maco from Auntie Katie!

Maco got me my Bath and Body works lotion and body spray! Ive been using the same fragrance for probably 20 years! Well on the tag for my gift, Maco said "time to evolve" and got me a new fragrance! Actually they don't even make my Moonlit Path anymore!:)

Thank you, Yaya!

Thank you, Auntie Katie for these books for Maco!

Nyla's gift to Kyrie is his yearly nutcracker!

Kyrie picked out this book from his school giveaway and Naomi loves it! It's called Audrey's Diary and she uses it like her own diary!

Dorothy Fox water bottle from Kyrie to Nay!

Thank you, Miles!! Naomi loves her pens!!

Nyla's ornament from Yaya!

Christmas at Sittee's!! Stockings!

Thank you, Aunt Alice!

Mia got some shoes from Sittee!

Kyrie excited for his Beats from Sittee!

This girl always wanting to be a cheerleader!

So sweet!

Thank you, Aunt Alice!

Christmas at the Posners!

Carson and Brooke get to meet Nyla!

Our yearly Christmas cousin matching pj pic from across the country!

Nyla loved spending time with Papa!

Papa and some of his grandkids!

Cheerleading shenanigans!

Mia loves her Stanley from Carson!

More cheerleading fun!

Fun minute to win it game! Scoop the cotton balls on the plate!

Blow up the balloon and stack cups without using hands!

On the way to cheer on Mia at her tourney game! Unfortunately Mia had to miss our Atlanta trip due to her tournament.

George Fox in 1st after the first weekend of conference games!

Mia's team won the tourney! Her coach has to shave off his beard!

Love that we have supporters of Mia when we are gone!

Mia got to play Ella again! This time Camas won! They are 1-1 now with the deciding game to be played on January 31st!

Shopping with Auntie of course!

Love these girls!

With a 3am wakeup it was an early take off with the GFU b-ball team to the ATL! Naomi was so pumped to be with the team!

TSA pre-check was so worth it this trip! I didn't even have to take Nyla out of the ergo to go through security!

The girls are so awake at 415am!!

The boys not so much!!:)

What a fun flight for Chris!!:)

Ready for her first flight! Youngest of our kids to go on the plane!

And they're out!

GFU is on their way to take over Atlanta!

This girl did awesome on both flights!

Georgia Tech

Dinner out at Mary Mac's! One of the best southern food restaurants! It was so good! Naomi was taking everyone's order!

Center for Civil and Human Rights! So glad we got to visit this museum.

The Olympic Park!

NCAA Collee football Hall of Fame!

Nay and her twinsies with josh and

Aiden!

The football helmet wall as you walk in with all the NCAA football helmets at all levels!

GFU

Naomi had a handshake with all the boys! She loves Baby James!

Trying out some activities!

Loved the HBCU exhibit!

2023 Hall of Fame college players-LaMichael James from Oregon! We loved watching him!

Loved this mural!

The Civil and Human Rights Museum

Any white woman who shall suffer or permit herself to be got with child by a negro or mulatto shall be sentenced to the penitentiary for not less that 18 months nor more than 5 years!

So thankful this is no longer a law!!!!

Pictures of many of the Freedom Riders!

We also got to experience a sit in! We put on headphones and sat at a counter and listened and felt what it would have been like. I don't think I could have lasted as long as these brave souls did!

This is for Papa!

One of his favorite groups, Peter, Paul and Mary, performed at the March on Washington!

This is one of the most difficult events for me to stomach during this horrific time period! The bombing of the church by the KKK that killed the 4 African American girls in 1963!

Loved this experience with the team!

Cracked me up how I was walking carrying a baby and two of the boys rented a scooter to walk back to the car!:)

We have arrived at Emory for the first game of the tournament!

Ready to cheer on the Bruins!

These D3 colleges in the south are no joke! This athletic center was amazing!

This is how we rolled much of the trip!

Kyrie loves helping in the warmup!

GFU vs Maryville-Washington

Halftime score!

Naomi lost her second tooth at halftime!

Ready to cheer on GFU in the second half!

Love that Kyrie gets to sit on the bench with the team!

GFU wins!! Onto the championship game!

Woohoo!!!

The boys get Maco for his 100th win!!

Got to watch an Atlanta Hawk game!

A first for me! Nursed and changed Nyla's diaper in my seat!:)

Fun game! Some random guy sneaking into the back of our pic!;)

Naomi loves her crafts! She takes them everywhere with her! She was placing her stickers on her nose until she was ready to use them!

Reppin' his Morehouse Sweatshirt!

Championship game! I learned stuff about GFU from reading this game bulletin!

High fives for the team!

Game time! GFU vs Emory, The hometown favorite!

Halftime score!

Game is getting close!

Last minute videos of the game excitement! We get a foul call!

The Emory coach got called for a technical and was thrown out! This was huge for us! Momo made both free throws! He went 20-21 on free throws I think this tourney!

Sam makes one free throw putting us up by 4!

Up by 4 with 4.4 seconds to go!

GFU wins!!!

So exciting! Love that we are finally pulling out these close games, when there have been so many in the close ones in the past we have lost!

Tournament champions!!

Maco gets blasted by the boys again!

Hilarious!

Oh and did I mention this???? So exciting!

And after this tournament win, the Bruins got receiving votes for the Top 25 for the first time since becoming D3! And Bruins have had their best start since 1991!

Ebenezer Baptist Church- Where MLK preached! Unfortunately it was closed!

Visited the King Center! The inside was closed though.:(

MLK & Coretta Scott's resting place!

Loved visiting this, but wish it was open. His house was also under construction.:(

Even though we have Krispy Kreme in the NW, the boys were so excited to stop here! Some of the boys bought themselves a dozen!

Last dinner! Good ole' Waffle House!

Nay hanging with the team as always!

Flight delays!

Such a wonderful trip! I got to experience all that Maco does to make sure his team has a great experience on these trips! He does sooo much and not a lot of rest! Missed having Mia with us! Nyla did fabulous on 3 of the 4 flights, so I call that a win! Can't wait for next year!