Our Christmas

I'm so thankful for pictures.  How lucky to be able to capture moments from special days.  Plus pictures have a way of making things look quiet, sweet and not nearly as chaotic as moments often are.  Christmas Eve and Christmas day was full of family and traditions.  We had a late breakfast with my family Christmas Eve morning, went to a Christmas Eve service, followed by a dinner full of favorite foods with my family and in-laws.  And way too many sweets and cookies!  Everyone changed into pajamas and the kids opened presents and went to bed, so the adults could hang out and exchange gifts.  

Christmas morning we opened a few presents at our house.  Don't tell Addilyn but we saved a few gifts she got for her birthday where she got SO many, and rewrapped them to give her for Christmas. We headed to Chris' parents to open presents (where I forgot my camera!), had breakfast and after Addilyn's nap we went back for an early dinner.  The day was perfect and we're so lucky to be able to celebrate with both of our families close by.  

I thought Addilyn's first Christmas would be my favorite, but life and holidays just keep getting better and better with these two.   
Happy New Year!

Looking through pictures

dress: online boutique    cardigan & shoes: old navy 

Christmas Eve is my favorite.  My family has always done our Christmas celebrating that evening, and while traditions have changed a little since having little kids and my brother and sister-in-law gone, it was still special.  

Everything wasn't perfect.  Addilyn barely napped and was kind of crabby that afternoon and during church.  I only sat in the service for ten minutes.  I didn't get one good picture of just her in her Christmas dress and I couldn't find any shoes for her to wear so she wore two right shoes that were hand me downs (still not sure how that happened).  It's embarrassingly easy for me to let things get me bent out of shape, especially on big days.  

But I'm slowly learning that is just life.  No day is going to be perfect and there were so many more wonderful moments. Christmas Eve was special, fun, and I love sharing the day with my family.  I thought last year's Christmas was the best, but this year with Addilyn being older and more excited about things it was even better.  To start traditions with her and for her to be with her cousins.   To watch her get excited about presents and Christmas decorations.  To teach her about Jesus' birth and the celebration of Christmas day.

I'm slowly looking through and editing pictures as there is probably one good one for every fifteen.  I used to get sad after Christmas and looking through pictures of the day made me wish it wasn't over.  But this year looking at pictures makes me thankful for my family, for traditions, and for starting a new year.  

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family! It's been so nice to take time off my computer and I've thoroughly enjoyed doing other things during nap time and evenings.  I plan to do some more of that this week too.  Enjoy your last few days of 2013!

Randoms for the week

This is an old picture and those measly little snow flakes are just about all the snow we've seen this Winter and that was probably a month ago.  I'd love it if we got some snow this week, as it's been oddly warm and does not look Christmasy.

I'm so excited for this week and wish time to go nice and slowly.  My sister and her family will be in tonight and I can't wait to hug each of them!  

I still have two Christmas presents that I need to buy and I'm going with Addilyn this afternoon, which these days shopping with her really isn't fun, but that's what I get for waiting, right? 

We've been hit or miss with our advent activities.  I've made a handprint ornament twice for Addi and Molly has eaten it both times, so I gave up.  Plus a few of our activities involved there being snow outside, which has no come close to happening! I knew it would be harder with Addilyn being little and depending on plans for the day, so I'm really not disappointed.  I know as she gets older that will be more fun. 

I sent out my last batch of Christmas cards today.  I don't know why it takes me so long to get them out!  I still have half of my presents to wrap and have plans of finished that tonight and watching a Christmas movie.  

Hope you are ready for the week and get lots of time to relax and be with family! 

Just call me a follower

scarf: ebay   sweater: target    jeans: old navy     boots: discovery 

I jumped on the blanket scarf train, but stuck to my cheap ways and found this scarf on ebay.  It was $11 and took awhile to come, which not surprisingly I was really excited to get it but then took forever to wear it once I got it.  I felt like it swallowed me and was way too big but I clearly got over that.

We went and saw Santa on Saturday and I debated about even going because I was sure Addilyn would just cry.  And while those pictures are kind of amusing to me I felt like waiting in line, standing in the cold all for her to scream when I put her on a strangers lap, seemed not so worth it and a little mean.  But it worked out great because we met our friends there and didn't wait long at all.  Plus Addilyn was so happy about getting a candy cane she sat on his lap for a few seconds checking out his beard. She reached for me pretty quickly but no tears and a super happy toddler with a candy cane.   So I'm glad we went! 

 

And I can't resist comparing to last years pictures . . .

I can't even believe how much changes in a year and how fast time is going!  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

I can't stop . . .

scarf: groopdealz   jeans: old navy   boots: justfab   

wearing these boots.
buying scarves on groopdealz.
watching the Holiday.
eating my gingerbread house piece by piece. 
loving our Christmas tree.
wishing there was snow on the ground for Christmas.  
feeling proud for getting my Christmas cards out on time.  

A wish come true

I've been waiting for a few months to write this post and can't believe that it's actually going to happen.  My sister and her family are moving here in one week!  
If I had three wishes they have always been (1) to be able to fall asleep the second I went to bed, regardless of noises, snoring, thoughts, etc. and to stay asleep until I needed to wake up (2) to be able to stay at home with my kids and not have to worry about money and (3) for my sister to live near me.  
Since I was in 8th grade my sister and I have never lived in the same state and I honestly never thought it would happen.  I am still in disbelief that we will be living within ten minutes of each other.  
I can't even say how much I appreciate my relationship with my sister.  She is my best friend, an amazing aunt, a good listener, great advice giver, encouraging, funny and I love spending time with her.  And I can't even wait to benefit from all these things in person.  

I have dreamed of having Addilyn grow up with her cousins and it makes my heart so happy that she'll never remember anything different.  I can't even wait to babysit my nieces and nephew on a regular basis, to have cousin sleepovers, to watch the Bachelor and Scandal together, to go shopping, to kill the dreaded hours together of 4:00-5:30 when daddy gets home from work, to work out together, weekly dinners as a family and so many other things!  
Lauren I can't even wait for you to live here.  Thanks for making one of my three wishes come true!! Now I can replace it with something like wanting all sweets to be healthy.  Life will be even better with your family here!  

I don't want to forget . . .

That your short little legs barely grew since last year and you still fit it to some clothes that you did last winter. 

How you stand in the living room jumping saying "ashes, ashes" and calling our names to come play Ring around the Rosey.  We spin in a circle holding your hands while your feet barely touch the ground.   You fall on the ground and immediately say "again? again?"
The silly face you made for two weeks straight and will usually still make when we say "do your face."

How you say "hey baby: and "yeah baby". 
How you open your mom and say ahhhhh. after you take a drink, as if you haven't had anything to drink in days. 
How you say Aunt Lo all the time and love when she comes over.  You run up and down the hallways saying Aunt Lo, and answer Aunt Lo whenever I say who's coming over tonight.    How you say "mama nurse.  peeeese." sometimes during the day and when I try to do anything other than that when you wake up in the middle of the night.  
How your tiny little legs run so fast and how you rarely have hesitation about trying something new, like open gym.  

How you pretend to talk on the phone and say hellooooo, with the o sound all drawn out.  
How when I ask you if you want to work out with mama you start doing leg kicks and squats and laugh and laugh.  
How you love being outside. 

How often you say "mama" and how loud and somewhat aggressively you say "dada."  The second you wake up from your nap or when he is home.  All. the. time.  And he loves it.

How fun it is to watch you learn new things, talk non stop, and change all the time.  And how much we love your little self!

Forgotten pants

 

top: old navy   vest: tjmaxx   jeans: gap  boots: target

Sometimes I forget about pants that don't get tucked into boots or aren't leggings.  I loves these pants and this denim shirt was probably my best purchase this Fall.  I wear it all the time.

But way cuter is the little girl who when I got my timer out the other day ran against the wall, smiled and froze for the camera.  If only she stayed still for more than two seconds so I had a picture of it.

Hope you all have a great start to your week!

Addilyn's shirt and top:  old navy    tights & boots:  target