Christmas Gift Idea

I know that it's February... but, I know some of you like to get a head start on Christmas shopping.  What's that you say?  Not this early?  Ok well, here it goes anyway!

While this isn't really a novel ideal, it's a classic one.  For my parents'-in-love(law), we stole the idea from a cousin of doing a photo calendar.  Shutterfly is a really good online storefront to create one - just click here to check it out and begin making yours!

Pardon the picture quality, I took the pictures of the calendar with my phone in a hurry, but the photo quality of the actual calendar is great!

What I really love about the calendar is the ability to put pictures on special dates like birthdays and anniversaries.  You can kind of tell in the pictures above, but here is a closer look.

So go order your calendar and get a jump start on your Christmas gifts... or store it in the back of your mind for November when you're racking your brain for ideas.

*By the way, this is an affiliate post and Shutterfly may compensate me with commission of any sales.*

 

Christmas, Part 3

Hey!  Remember my last Christmas post?  I know I said, "The end," but did you really think I'd leave our house like that?  Don't answer that.  Mostly because I did leave my house like that for 3 days.  Don't judge.  Well, whatever... judge if you want.  Sorry, not sorry.

Take a closer look if you wish.

This is what we did the day after Christmas.  We started a new tradition called Family Pajama Day on the day after Christmas.  It was glorious.

On the 27th, we went to Roanoke Rapids for the Jolly Family Christmas.  It was great to see almost all of Parker's family.

AK slept all the way home... and I might have too... Christmas sure does make you tired!

We hope you had a very merry Christmas & we wish you a happy New Year!  Blessings!

Christmas, Part 2

It was a very merry Christmas!  The day started with Ava Kate waking to nurse and us getting ready to head over to the Morgans for our 7:30 Christmas breakfast!  AK was all smiles and giggles, even before she saw what Santa brought!

She was very interested in her presents, especially her new toboggan.

She must've been a very good girl this year because she was spoiled rotten with gifts from Santa, the Morgans, and the Cases.  I bet you aren't surprised.

Aunt Candice made a big bow for her new summer outfit that baby cousin also got for Christmas!  I can't wait for them to be together! :)

All that gift unwrapping sure does wear a girl out.

After breakfast, my dad and Weston came to our house to exchange gifts and spend some time together before heading to Aunt Kay's for lunch.  Ava Kate didn't get any attention there either, poor girl. ;-)

After lunch we came home and took a family nap!  ::praise::  Then we headed over to Grandma Margie's for dinner.

After a long, but very merry and perfect day, we went to bed with our house a mess.  The end.  :)

Christmas, Part 1

Christmas with a child is the best!  It is SO much more fun!  Sweet little Christmas outfits, Santa Claus, new traditions, old traditions.  I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

We started out the Christmas season by getting our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving.  We've gotten it from Henry's trees every year since we've married and Henry now recognizes us.  I love it.

We took Ava Kate to sit on Santa's knee and it cost $27.  Holy shizzle.  Santa's robbin' the children.  He was a jolly ol' fellow though, so I guess it was worth it.

We went on our annual Christmas light tour, although Ava Kate got bored and fell asleep this year.  Haha!

My FAVORITE tradition is going to our church's Christmas Eve service.  Both of our families go and we sing Christmas songs, read the Christmas story, have a children's time with approximately 500,000 children (slightly exaggerated), and end by singing Silent Night in candle light.  We eat shrimp & oysters at the Morgan's afterwards and visit with long-time family friends.

This year, Parker and I started a few new traditions on Christmas Eve... like preparing for Santa's arrival ;)

We had a Christmas Eve toast with hot chocolate while we prepared for Santa, and let me just tell you, Santa's cookies were delicious!  :)  Santa left a letter for Ava Kate, something I hope he does every year!

With the stockings hung and the lights all aglow, we went to bed with excitement for Christmas day!

Christmas 2014 Home Tour

I had big plans for decorating for Christmas this year.  Pinterest is tricky because it inspires me with tons of ideas and then boom!  Time runs out.  I need to start decorating in November... like the beginning of November, maybe even October.  Most of our decorations went up just two days before Christmas.  :(  Oh well!  They are still up and we are going to enjoy them for another week!

I made our stockings this year and LOVE them, Santa's cookie plate is a painted pottery project from last year, and the springing Santa by the fire place is Ava Kate's new best buddy.

Jolly the Elf had his last lazy Christmas since Ava Kate might notice if he stays in the same place all month next year.  Ha.

Our Advent calendar on the crib spring is a total copy of our friends Heather & Lawrence's idea.  I had big hopes of a cutesy crib spring, but alas, time ran out.

Don't be alarmed if you sent a Christmas card and it's not on the shutter... we have a stack that haven't made it up there this year.  Time people.  There's not enough of it.

Look at our toilet paper snow man!  AHH.  I love it.  It makes me smile every time I see it.

Sorry about the blurry cell phone pictures.