Bloguary: Day 3– Christmas Traditions

Weston added a little extra sweetness to our Christmas this year.  It made me think a lot about the traditions I want to start with him and our new family.

Ummmm let’s just pause this post for a second and look at this sweet face and those chubby hands eeeek! His socks are from the set that my mom gave us last year. If you missed that post about the Christmas socks I’ll include a link to it below. There’s a fun story behind them.

Random fact about us: This is our 13th Christmas to celebrate together and the 9th Christmas in our home. Insert cliche comment: Oh how time flies! It’s true though. It really does!

Each year we start our Christmas celebration off with a big breakfast which is something I used to do with my family.

This year was a little different though because we had this cute nugget to cuddle and tend to.

Once breakfast is over it’s time to open gifts woooohooo!

Another one of our traditions is Santa Bags! This is something I picked up from my Step-Mother. It’s basically a bag full of random goodies. Kind of like a stocking but with more room. We always open our Santa bags 1st! My Santa bag this year had Luna Bars, Australian liquorish, chapstick, a USB drive, and mint Milano cookies. Kent’s Santa Bag had lots of Trader Joes snacks, pistachios, a head flash light, a thermos, gummy bears, and gummy worms. Even little buddy got a Santa bag this year. Santa got him new books, and a teething toy.

Thing were crazy leading up to Christmas and I was short on time so I wrapped Kent’s gifts the morning of. I felt bad that I didn’t give his gifts a little extra wrapping love so I decided to write little notes of the things I love about him on each gift. It actually turned out really nice. I’m thinking about doing it again next year but maybe writing some of my favorite Kent/family memories from the year. I can keep little section of wrapping paper with the note on it and include it in out Project Life album! Bam a new tradition is born! 

Before the opening began.

Annnnnnnd the aftermath. The rest of the day is spent lounging in our PJs. We usually sneak a nap in and just like little kids play with all our new toys!

Leading up to Christmas I thought a lot about traditions and things I want to do with Weston and our growing family. Some of my favorite holiday memoires are centered around family traditions. I’m sure as he grows older things will evolve a little more but this year we started new jam jams and a new Christmas book that we read to him on Christmas Eve along with carrying on our Santa bag  and big Christmas breakfast traditions.

Little clip from Christmas morning.

I would love to know what your holiday traditions are!

The Christmas Socks
Bolguary: Day 1
Bloguary:Day 2

Bloguary Day 2–Thanksgiving in Arkansas

As many post will be during Bloguary this will be a catchup post as Thanksgiving has come and gone but I still wanted to share.

Kent and I head to Arkansas every year during the fall. We rent a log cabin tucked away in the mountains and just veg by the fire. It’s pretty awesome and it’s something I look forward to all year.

This year I didn’t know if we would make it to Arkansas. Little buddy is still, well……little and I wasn’t sure how he would do on an 8 hour road trip. But being the crazy lady I am I decided at the last minute to just go for it. Why not!

It started off a little something like this

At this point I was nervous but Weston sure showed me and was a total angel during our trip. No crying what so ever. We were shocked and I was so happy that we deiced to go after all.  Awww little buddy”s 1st road trip!

We got super lucky and hit the cabin jackpot, our favorite cabin so far! It was beautiful, secluded, amazing views and tucked away in a sweet little town….perfection! I’ll take you on a little tour in the vlog below.

I can’t stand the cuteness of this outfit! I bought this onesie for him when I was just a few weeks preggers. It wasn’t officially confirmed that I was having a boy but I just knew it and my little buddy HAD to have this. Perfect for his 1st trip to the mountains!

Yep this right here is why our annual trip to the Ozarks recharges my soul.

There’s plenty of this going on…….

Lots of this……..

And this year there was even some of this!

He was actually perfect during the trip!

I couldn’t have asked him to be better. Weston is a handful. Freaks out if he’s not being held all hours of the day. Not afraid to let you know when he’s not happy. Not the best at playing by himself. LOVES to be on the go. Don’t you dare try to sit while holding him (I call it the “Weston Workout” plan). You must walk and some times bounce! If you give him your full attention will doing all of the above he’s a happy guy and oh boy when he smiles…….it will melt you!

  I was worried that he would be a pickle. My mom and her boyfriend went with us and I would have felt awful if he fussed the whole time. Kent and I are use to it but I didn’t want to ruin their vacation with a fussy baby. BUT again he sure showed me! Kent and I were so proud of him! Hardly any fussing the whole trip and plenty of smiles. He was a happy boy. Looks like we may have another road trip lover in the family!

Little tour of the cabin

 

Isn’t my mama pretty!

 

This is Brady in Arkansas last year. Awwww look at him so wittle.

Now look at him! All grown up. Still just as crazy but that’s why I love him so.

Another great trip to the mountains.

I say this all the time……..
The beach is awesome but I would take this over the beach any day and you don’t have to wear a swimsuit to visit the mountains so that’s a plus.

Next  road trip is Colorado in the Summer eeeekkk!

Ramblings on Thanksgiving morning.

 

The inside of the Cabin and heading back home!

 

Randomness while we’re heading home.

Bloguary Day 1: Simple Christmas Decorations

I feel the need to confess.
It’s been 2 years since I’ve decorated for Christmas.
Work is super crazy September-December like live in my office all the live long day kind of busy. Then it’s get ready for Christmas mode. Followed by all the Christmas festivities.
I’m spent by the time December rolls around and have zero desire to decorate or mess with putting all the decorations away after the holidays.
So I stopped.
No nutcrackers. No tree. No wreath on the front door. It was full on bah-humbug in our house. Well maybe not bah-humbug status but it was close.

Now that nugget is here and it’s his 1st Christmas and all I felt he had to have a Christmas tree!
So I decided to come back from Christmas décor hiatus BUT I was going to go about decorating differently this time around. 
I wanted simplicity……..clean….easy……

So here ya have it!

Our necked tree! Isn't she pretty?
A vintage sleigh by the fire place and some greenery on the mantle annnnnnnd
I was done.

I used to love a themed tree packed full of coordinating ornaments (I have tons) but now I really love the idea of building our collection with ornaments we gather as a family.
All beautiful and mismatched but full of meaning and memories. That’s what it’s all about, ya know.

 

And just because he’s too cute here’s a photo of the little Mr. with his grandma. The holidays are extra sweet now that the nugget's here. More on our 1st family Christmas in a later post.

 

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