Christmas {a video}

Christmas {Numero Uno}

We have been soaking in our time together before I head back to work next week. It's been such a wonderful break, filled to the brim with family and friends! :) We got to celebrate Christmas twice this year.  My twin sister and her husband came at the beginning of December and we had our big family celebration then. That time together with my family is what I look forward to all year. We are all home and under one roof...just like old times, just the way it should be. I even gladly agreed to sleep on the couch if it meant my sisters and I were all sleeping down the hall from one another. We played games, went for walks, watched movies, and watched the kids play. It was simple, and that's okay. It was just what we all needed. 

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas!

Two Christmases {2014}

This year we were lucky enough to be able to celebrate Christmas twice.  Once at the beginning of the month with my family and then on Christmas Day with Martin's family.  Both were beautiful and special.  Here are a few (haha) pictures from our celebrations.  

Reunited at last!

 The ongoing Christmas morning joke...whose buns do these resemble the most? :) 

Enjoying her first taste of fried dough

The most magical way to end a wonderful Christmas day! 

It's Snowing

It started snowing yesterday just around noon.  I got that excited feeling at the pit of my stomach...snow on Christmas is just about as perfect as it can get.  We woke up to a winter wonderland of white this morning and couldn't resist going out to play.  Everdeen spent her time eating her weight in snow and I finally had to bribe her to come inside before her fingers turned purple :) 

Peppermint Eggnog Shake

My mom whipped up a batch of these delicious shakes last weekend for our early Christmas celebration with my sisters.  They taste just like Christmas should and are so very simple to make!  

You will need:
2 parts Peppermint Ice Cream 
1 part Eggnog 
1 part Ginger Ale (you can add more or less depending on how thick you want your shake)
Crushed candy canes to sprinkle on top 


Blend the ice cream, eggnog, and ginger ale together, pour it into a glass and enjoy! 

smells of christmas

This afternoon Everdeen and I made orange pomanders (which have been around since the middle ages-for all you history buffs) and wow our house has the most delicious aroma of orange-scented cloves! I've been trying to come up with some inexpensive, timeless, and natural ways to decorate for Christmas and this seemed perfect. Plus it gave Everdeen and I a chance to spend some sweet quality time together.  

You will need:

     Oranges (lemons and limes would be pretty too!)

     Whole Cloves

     Toothpick (you'll use this to pre-poke holes into the orange skin)

Let your imagination be free as you create beautiful designs! 

magic of christmas

There's something enchanting about that first Christmas where one truly starts to understand the magic :)

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Life Lately

My Christmas tree is sparkling and the candles in the windows are glowing.  Last night, Everdeen asked if we could keep her little tree lit as she fell asleep.  I remembered falling asleep when I was little with the Christmas candles in my window casting a warm glow across my room.  I would sneak into my twin sister's bed and we would stare at the lights on the houses across the street. I always felt so safe and cozy and it felt exactly the same in her room last night. I had to sneak in after she had fallen asleep to unplug her tree, but before I did, I re-tucked her in under her new quilt from Nana and kissed her goodnight. We took down her crib a couple of weeks ago (which was a bit of a heart wrenching moment for my mama heart...because of course she would have slept in her crib until college if I'd had my say) But she is much warmer snuggled under her flannel sheets and favorite blankets.

These past few weeks have stretched us with our little tots tantrums(I'm so sorry you can't play with the needle nosed pliers...) yet at the same time she has overwhelmingly filled our hearts with joy. Today, as I carried Everdeen down the stairs she stroked my hair, gave it a kiss, and told me, "Mama, I want you forever." It's amazing to watch this little person with independent thoughts and wants...sometimes very independent thoughts and wants. It still amazes me daily that I am the mother of a two year old. A two year old who is sweet, loving, and fills our home with joyful giggles. 

I am so excited to create a magical Christmas season for Everdeen this year. She's been asking "What you doing Mama?" as I prepare our home for the holiday. I love telling her about our traditions and watching her eyes sparkle as she's now old enough to understand. I still vividly remember rocking her to sleep when she was about five months old. The Christmas tree filled our tiny one bedroom apartment with its soft and familiar glow and I sang Silent Night over and over until her breathing was steady. I knew she couldn't comprehend what Christmas was all about, but I knew she could feel the magic.