Happy 2012

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years!

I know I'm a little late, but hey, I've been enjoying the time with my family :)

Our New Years, was low-key, we just stayed in with the kids, but it was perfect. The only downfall, were the fire works...yes, I've become "that" woman. When you have small kids, fireworks are your worst nightmare. Naturally our neighbors across the street had 30 minutes of explosions planned for when the clock struck midnight...

thank the lord, the girls slept right through it, I'm still not sure how because it was really loud, but I'm not complaining!

Our Christmas really was perfect though. The kids had a blast, they loved all their toys, and being surrounded by family is always a good thing:)

Anyone make New Year's Resolutions???? Mine are just to be happy, healthy, and thankful!!!!

Traditions..

Can you believe Christmas is 2 days away!?!?!

I'm freaking out...but in a good way!

I love this time of year, although I feel like I would be loving it a lot more if it actually felt like Christmas. It's 60 degrees in Richmond, and that is NOT Christmas weather...I need blistering cold..is that too much to ask?

As we get closer to the big day, I've been thinking about Christmas Traditions. Traditions that I've started, traditions that I've kept going, and traditions I would like to create...

Traditions I'd like to create...

The Elf on the Shelf. It's a cute idea, although I don't think my kids are ready for it yet. I think next Christmas the big girl will be the perfect age (3 1/2) to really enjoy it.

Christmas Eve Mass. Okay, I said it, and I feel like a horrible catholic now. One day, perhaps we will all actually be able to attend mass on Christmas Eve, right now, it's just to chaotic with the kids being the age they are. If we go to mass, we go in shifts because it's easier and frankly more enjoyable without having to worry about your children completely disrupting the service!

Traveling with Treats. We already make cookies every year with our family, but I'm thinking bigger scale. I'd really love to take treats to the local fire stations, pharmacies, and the NICU where Annabelle was cared for.

Tacky light tour. Again, my kids are just too young (and we're outnumbered) to keep on top of at these crowded tacky light places, BUT one day we will do it. This year we did a quick drive through our neighborhood and the kids loved it!

Christmas Dinner. I'm making a turkey and stuffing and the whole sha-bam this year for our little family of 5. Eventually I would love to have my parents, mother-in-law, brothers, etc etc, the whole fam over every Christmas for a big dinner

Christmas Chains- you know, where you make a link for every day until Christmas, and every day you wake up, you take a link off. Again it's an age thing, but next year, is totally our year for Christmas chains!

A tradition that I've started for my kids is opening presents on Christmas Eve...

Before you freak out, we don't open everything!!!!

They get one present and it's the same thing every year! Every Christmas Eve, they get a pair of christmas jammies to wear to bed and they get an ornament. I came up with the ornament idea my first Christmas as an adult living on my own.

I had no freaking ornaments for my tree!!!

light bulb!

So, I decided for my kids, I would give them an ornament every year for their collection, and when they are older and on their own, they will have a box full of ornaments to start their first tree off!

Cute, right???

Although, now that I think about it, my babies are never going to leave me! ha.

Traditions I've been carrying on, include but are not limited to...

Cookie Day! Everyone comes over and we decorate (and eat) tons of cookies!

Tree-trimming! We always put up the tree and decorate the day after Thanksgiving!

Holiday cards, santa pictures, leaving milk and cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve, and OF COURSE having the kids wait at the top of the stairs until mom and dad have checked to make sure Santa has indeed come, and is done unloading all the gifts!

So, what are some of your traditions??

Christmas Week

I hope everyone has been enjoying the holiday season!

We have been plagued with stomach flu, crupe, and the big girl got her first shiner at daycare (right before holiday pictures....of course).

Happy to report, it looks like we are finally all healthy for the week before Christmas!!! This past week, we decorated cookies, and finished up the last of the shopping. This week, we have got to try and get Santa pictures done!

I'm so excited for Santa to come this year, the big girl really gets it this year, and is so excited to see what Santa will leave for her!

She currently has asked for...

a car

and a meatball (which for some reason is what she calls a jingle bell)!!!!

The babies don't really understand, but they know something is going on!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Christmas in my bones

The 70 degree day today in Richmond, didn't damper my excitement for CHRISTMAS!!!!

It literally is taking everything I have to wait until next friday to start decorating. I have been planning though....

I've always wanted to have a Christmas Tree in every room of my house

extreme?

I think NOT!!!

It's a work-in-progress...

this year we will have the family tree in the den, a tree in the playroom (which we did last year as well) and a tree in my bedroom!

I want to do the trees in different themes and of course expand to different themes as we add more trees!

I've been really excited about the playroom tree, because I want it to be fun, kiddie, and use lots of pinks, light blues, and lime colors. I was thinking of the theme "babes in toyland" or "sugarplum fairies" when I came across this gem

Isn't is swoon-worthy??

I mean how much fun is that tree? It's awesome, any kid would go crazy for that!

As far as our den...

Our stockings are red and green, and very whimsical meets who-ville style. So for our family tree in the den, I really want just red, green, holly jolly type of decorations

like this one...

mixed, with this one...

I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!

I got these awesome pictures from trendy tree. They sell decorations as well! I haven't completely decided what theme to go with in my bedroom, but I'm thinking "silver and gold" or "old world christmas"

Don't worry, I'll let you know, the second I decide!

Punched in the face

Well, Annabelle had surgery yesterday.

Nothing too major, she had to get tubes put in her eyes.

I know, sounds weird, right?

Basically, her tear ducts don't drain properly, Gabby had the same issue as well. The Drs. put stints in both of the girls eyes, to help flush out the tear ducts. The procedure worked wonders for Gabby, but of course, poor Annabelle had to have surgery to correct hers.

We were at the surgery center bright and early yesterday morning. The surgery took about an hour.

I hate surgery.

Especially when it involves your kids, it's just so nerve-racking and scary.

Poor baby made it through just fine, but she literally looks like she's been punched in the face! She has 2 black eyes, and because her tear ducts were so small, the Drs. had to pull back some of her nasal tissue to make the tubes fit, so she's been having chronic nose-bleeds.

Last night was ROUGH, needless to say!

I just feel so bad for her, her first year of life, her second surgery, she has just been through so much!

I'm happy it's over though!

In other news, who else is hating the time-change!

Forget the kids, I'm having the hardest time of all adjusting!

Boo "Fall, Back" you are not my friend!

Giving it a fair shake

Well, the halloween decorations have been boxed up and stored away for next year!

It literally took everything I had, not to put up my Christmas decorations!

I just LOVE Christmas!!!

Once Halloween is over, it's officially Christmas season. However, with the hustle and bustle of Christmas cheer, many of us tend to overlook Thanksgiving.

Don't get me wrong, Thanksgiving is an awesome holiday as well :) Mainly because I don't have to cook the whole dinner, I just get to pack my little family up and head over to my grandmother's house to enjoy all of her hard work! ha!

Seriously though, I love Thanksgiving, and I often feel bad for it, because it doesn't get a fair shake.

So, in order to give this "thankful" holiday a chance to be enjoyed and not just overlooked, I high-tailed it to Michael's craft store to get some decorations.

Insert lonely bird chirp here.

It was jammed full of Christmas trees, lights, wreaths, candy canes...I mean, can a girl find some pilgrims and turkeys anywhere???!!!

After some searching, I eventually found some appropriate Thanksgiving decorations, there were slim-pickings, but fortunately they were 60% off!!! Awesome, although then I felt bad, because I know Christmas deco would never get treated like that, the only time Christmas deco is 60% off is when Christmas is OVER!

Poor, Thanksgiving!

So, I've decorated my house with ceramic gourds, those "harvest-looking" people and lots of fake fall leaves....Thanksgiving, you WILL be appreciated this year!!!!

I have to admit, I am enjoying the new decorations, perhaps not quite as much as my garland, stockings, and christmas lights, but it is nice to celebrate and enjoy one holiday at a time.

So, I'm enjoying my Thanksgiving decorations, while surfing the web, finding the perfect Christmas Cards to send out this year!

I mean, I'm still allowed to enjoy the anticipation of Christmas, right??!

Theme-obsessed

So, I'm a little theme-obsessed when it comes to Halloween and the kids! Last year, the big girl was a monkey and the twins were bananas!!!!

LOVE!

So this year, I was racking my brain trying to figure out what theme I would go with, and alas...

Little Bo Peep and her Sheep!!!

They were all so cute, but I have to say, the fact that we got ANY pictures was a miracle. The Big Girl was coming off of a stomach bug and she was not in a good mood, and not in the mood for pictures. The twins oddly enough, LOVED their costumes. For kids that don't keep hair bows in their hair, I was shocked they kept their "sheep" hats on!

Gabby Sheep!

Annabelle Sheep!

Bo Peep!!!

Trick-or-treating!

Happy Halloween!!!!