Christmas Highlights

 

 

So I decided to take an extended break from my blog after Christmas. b took two weeks off between Christmas and New Years and honestly I just wanted to spend as much time as possible with him and O. I didn't want to have to worry about anything else. It was a really nice break but now it's time to get back into the swing of everything and start the new year with a little recap. :)

We had our first Christmas in the new house and it was wonderful!  

Oliver was so much more into Christmas this year then last year which made it really exciting. 

On Christmas Eve day, we took him to see the movie, Frozen. I had a bunch of friends tell me that the movie was great and not just for girls. So glad we went because all three of us loved the movie! 

That night, b and I made zucchini lasagna (a first for us) for dinner which we both agreed was really good and a new possible dinner item (probably more of a weekend dinner). Later we made hot cocoa and had a cookie for dessert which I think will be a new tradition. Oliver loved his hot cocoa and cookie! Before bedtime, we had Oliver open two presents - his new pjs and his new Al the Alligator which you can see just how much he loved Al from the picture above (with the gingerbread bag). He was so excited to go to bed that night. Once he was in bed, b and I went to work putting together his gifts and stuffing his stocking.

side note: This year, I asked Oliver if he wanted to get his Appa a present and he said yes. I told him to think about what he wanted to get him and we would go shopping once school was on break. When the day came to go shopping, I asked Oliver what he had decided on. He said a sweatshirt. ?? So off we went to look for a sweatshirt. I asked him detailed questions about this sweatshirt allowing him to really pick it out. Zipper? No. Hood? Yes. Navy or Gray? Gray. Light weight or Heavy (with examples in hand for him to examine. ;)) Heavy. Once the item was selected, I had him color a piece of paper for me, knowing it wouldn't cover the whole box so I added some of my own "Appa art". You can see the finished package above.

On Christmas morning, b and I woke up early. We tried to go back to bed but could not. We laid in bed for a good hour before Oliver started to stir. Once we saw him move around, we went upstairs to get him. We greeted him with "Merry Christmas!" and asked him if he knew what the day was. He said he didn't know. ha! I asked him if there were presents down stairs and he finally said "And an orange in my stocking!" 

Luckily, he had told me a couple times that he wanted an orange in his stocking on Christmas day. :)

We took him downstairs and the smile went from ear to ear...he didn't get too overly excited but you could tell he was taking it all in and was very happy with what he was looking at. :)

Oliver took his time opening all his gifts and would pause to look at each item. When it came to books (which he LOVES), he would look at each page of the book and then say "The End" once the book was finished. Ha! After Oliver opened all his presents and was busy playing with everything and anything, b and I took turns opening ours. I received so many beautiful pieces of jewelry, tons of clothes, a print I had been wanting, two new calenders to start the new year with and a sweet container from my little guy. 

Once the living room was cleaned up, b and I made a breakfast casserole, another new tradition. It was delish! Before we knew it, it was time to get ready for Aunt Susie's house. 

We spent Christmas afternoon with my Aunt Susie and her family. As always, the meal was divine! My aunt got Oliver a placemat and plate with his name on it from Sarah + Abraham. They were adorable!  

A couple days after Christmas, b's parents came to visit. The day after they arrived, we celebrated Christmas with them and made white chicken chilly for dinner. I showed my mother-in-law how to make white gourp which I make her every year, she loves it! We made sure to give them some for their drive home. Before they left, we took them to see the lights at the Botanical Gardens. It turned out to be the perfect night and of course they loved the lights. They are quite magical. 

What a great Christmas it was! 

The day b's parents left, we took down all the Christmas decorations. It felt nice to have the house cleaned up but it also made me realize just how empty the rooms are. - a goal for this year - make the rooms feel more lived in and not so empty. 

New Years Eve, b and I celebrated by watching the ball drop and drinking some champagne. 

It was a simple celebration but I was with him and that's all that mattered. 

The rest of the break was about enjoying our time together, relaxing and just taking it easy. It gave me time to reflect on 2013 and think about what I would like to do differently this year. 

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and Happy New Year!