Monday, December 26, 2016

Christmas Recap

Christmas came and went too quickly! I decided to really savor this year's holiday by creating a little video. It's funny how what you think is a disappointment (we had to cancel our plans to visit family due to our whole house being sick) turns into being the most beautiful gift. We were given a treasured holiday that was spent just the 4 of us.


2016 was a beautiful year for our family and we feel very blessed. As we wrap up this year, I am contemplating my goals for 2017 and reflecting on the last 365 days. We will be ringing the new year in with family (pending we are not sick, fingers crossed).

Happy Monday!

Saturday, December 24, 2016

Christmas Eve

Our holiday plans were a little derailed this year when our entire household came down with colds. I can't remember when the last time was that all four of us were sick at the same time. Typically, either my hubby and I get sick or the kids get sick. We have been blessed to have it work out that way so many times.

Despite the congestion and exhaustion, we have managed to push through and make Christmas as festive as possible for the kids. Riley has added an additional nap each day and Payton has actually been taking a nap daily (doesn't do this when healthy) so we've been sure to rest when we can.

I kicked off this morning with impromptu snowman pancakes. Payton loved them. I love that it doesn't take much to impress a 3 year old.

Riley was loving the whipped topping. Runny nose and all.
I snapped a picture of Payton napping because I was so surprised she fell asleep today. It's just so out of the normal for her, but does tell me that she needs to be taking it easy while she is still sick.
We made prime rib for Christmas Eve dinner and I also had the kids help make a Christmas punch. Somehow, holiday punch seems to be a requirement now for our special meals. Payton loved it so much she requested we make some for Santa (and one for his reindeer to share).

Now, we just wait for Santa to come.
The kids are all tucked in their beds and we are all anxiously waiting for the morning to come. Merry Christmas! 




Tuesday, December 20, 2016

'Tis the Season

The holiday season is always so much fun and so, so busy. The pictures I am sharing today should have been shared through several posts but time got ahead of me. Story of my life.

Since having children I have really found a new sense of joy during the holidays as I watch this time through my children's eyes. They bring so much fun, love, and joy to everything we do. Life is just so much more full when you are watching a child experience the world. Here are some things we were up to during December:

For starters, we saw Santa.
Payton was very excited to see Santa and couldn't wait to tell him all about the Dora night light she had been eye balling. Riley, despite our attempts to prepare him before the visit, was not feeling the love for Santa. In his defense, I could have timed our trip better. He was in desperate need of a nap!

As a role model, I am constantly trying to be a more giving human being. The holidays are a great time to practice this goal. We "adopted" a child from one of our local organizations and bought them a gift. Payton helped pick the child, selected the gift herself, and both kids helped wrap and deliver the present. They were so proud!


I didn't think Payton would do well actually dropping off the present since that can be a hard concept for a 3 year old to understand. She handled the situation well though and had no issues. We love this tradition and can't wait until we do this again.

In November, I started to take the children to volunteer at a local assisted living center. We were assigned to a resident and have been visiting her weekly. My kids have loved these visits and I love watching them bond with another human being.

A local group decided to deliver cards and flowers to residents of the nursing home to help them feel loved and cared for. Payton handmade several cards to be delivered to residents and a few cards for our close friends and family members. We also helped the group deliver the cards and flowers and it was so fun to watch Payton with the residents.

Grandma came to visit one weekend and brought several crafts for Payton. She made tree ornaments and snowmen ornaments. We have given a few out to friends as we see them and saved a few for family members to receive when we see them next. 
Each year I try to plan for a baking day. This can be challenging to do as I really need a whole day and it always seems someone is ill. We happened to have a good, healthy day last weekend so we baked until we had no more clean dishes in the house. 
The kids had a blast cooking and creating. We are in the process of making up goodie trays and we will deliver our homemade treats to several people in the community, close friends, and family members. This is just an extra way for us to say thank you for being involved in our lives.

Christmas is now less than a week away. I hope you are all enjoying this holiday season! Merry Christmas.




Sunday, December 11, 2016

December Birthday Parties

For the last 3 years, I haven't gone on a trip farther than 1 hour away on my own with my children (or child as it was for a period of that time). No joke! My kids are not good travelers and even going to the next town over (30 miles) shopping can make for a rough time for our kids. As they get older, they are getting much better. 

A few weekends ago, I finally braved the roads and made a 3 hour trip with both my kids solo for a weekend trip to my hometown. For the most part, the trip went as well as it possibly could. They slept horribly at my mom's house (another reason I have avoided making trips on my own) but they had a blast visiting my family. 

During this trip, we had 2 birthday parties to attend, one for my niece and the other for my mom. 

We love the Minnie Mouse and Under the Sea themes. Payton had some trouble with not being able to open the gifts at the party. It's hard for a 3 year old to understand. She loved the cake though!

It was a quick trip but definitely a big deal at our house. I'm not sure if I will take on another trip on my own anytime soon but now I know that I can actually do it!

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