It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas 'round here! 
Check out the matching family jammies the in-laws jokingly gifted us with! Hilarious...and the kids LOVE it a little too much! haha
There is something so magical about this season, and I say it every year - it inspires me. It reminds me to calm down, reflect, appreciate the little things in life and just enjoy making memories and keeping up with family holiday traditions. Every part about it - even the hustle and bustle of it all makes this the BEST time of year!
We decorate, we create, we play, we enjoy. We stay up late watching Christmas specials and movies next to a sparkling lit tree with the coziest blankets. We bust out in Christmas dance parties quite often. We listen to Christmas music - some of the greatest sounds of the season aside from all the laughter and fun - while doing EVERYTHING. It all reminds me to soak it up, to take pictures and document it, because as things constantly change from year to year and babies grow up, one day I will absolutely love having the memories to look back on.
This year, the day after Thanksgiving, J's grandfather went to Heaven. It's an especially tough time of year to lose a loved one. A man who we spent every Christmas with (aside from last year because we welcomed Sullivan). Today he is being laid to rest and I'm thankful J, alongside his family, is able to be in South Dakota for his memorial celebrations. This year on Christmas we will miss his jokes, his unique voice and laugh, his pool playing skills, and Grizz's nice long walks with his Great Grandpa. We will definitely be celebrating the rest of the holiday season by keeping his memory alive in our home and our thoughts.
We are so fortunate that J's schedule is allowing us to go to South Florida this year for Christmas so we can spend it with our families! We can't wait!
But in the mean time, and I am glad we have some time still, we are just going to try and enjoy the holiday season as much as possible, with as little pressure as possible and without getting bummed if we don't make any of the following happen...
My holiday bucket list:
-St Augustine Nights of Lights
-Drive through the Jax Illuminations
-Have a Christmas breakfast/brunch at the house with little friends
-Santa's Enchanted Village
-A night of playing with the train around the tree (always a hit!)
-Date night with J
-Avondale Luminaria
-Cookie Baking/Decorating
-Get a little fancy with our Elf On the Shelf
Speaking of which, meet "Katniss the Heart!" No idea where Em came up with the name (and no, she's never seen Hunger Games)..but alas, this is our Elf who seriously helps to keep Em's behavior in check! haha
Just another tradition we hope to incorporate year after year while the kids will still have fun with it. I was up at 5am frosting cheerios to make "elf donuts" because I completely forgot last night. And 2:45am another night when I woke up and put her in the bathroom with toothpaste on her face and a toothbrush in hand. Must step up the elf game pronto ;)
The past few years we've gotten the kids a mini real tree from the Christmas tree stand, but this year we bought them a little pre-lit tree and let them each pick out their own decorations (Sullivan got some help picking his out, of course..) It was too much fun for them! Em especially loved it at her age! Lots and lots of pink.
Each had a little bit of meaning behind it. A bunny for Ave, a bear for our Sully Bear, and well, pink and sparkly pretties for Em.
We also got this sweet little decoration this year -- a red truck to remind us of J's first car we used to drive around in at 15 thinking we were way too cool!
Decorating the tree with a 4 year old, 2 year old, and almost 1 year old is both magical and chaotic at the same time!
Their reactions to pulling out ornaments, dancing to Christmas music and being crazy in between is priceless. And really, what they mainly care about:
Emma - getting the star on top of the tree
Avery - Moving decorations/boxes/etc. everywhere we ask her not to and being her fun and crazy self
Sullivan - Shaking the bottom of the tree making pine needles fall EVERYYYWHERE!
And all that excitement and chaos help make up some of our Christmas time memories of 2016. And we're only at December 3, so bring the memories, baby! I am loving each and every one so far. We still have to bust out the train around the tree and the dancing Alvin & Rudolph anddd the new inflatable Mickey that Ppa sent! All of that has me beyond giddy!! (as well as my current favorite - peppermint mocha coffees!) Happy Christmas Season, my friends! Or, is it 'Seasons Greetings?'
